LIFE-HISTORIES. 



191 



Coleoptera of Epping Forest. — I have been fortunate enough to 

 take two rather rare coleoptera within the last fortnight ; an entirely 

 fuscous male specimen of Nacerdes melanura, L., and also Phloeotrya 

 stephensi, Dur. (P. rufipes, (iyll.), taken under bark of dead tree, 

 in Epping Forest. — Humphrey S. Evans, 70, Huron Koad, Upper 

 Tooting, S.W. July 2nd, 1907. 



^OTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARY.E, &c. 



Larva of Mkliivf.a didyma. — Final instar : Length (when 

 crawling) 28mm. Head shiny, divided medially at crown; clypeus 

 white, with black edges, the black running up between the two 

 lateral lobes, which are of a bright orange- brown colour, covered 

 with white pimply elevations giving rise to black hairs ; ocelli 

 black ; antennas black ; mouthparts black, edged with white. The 

 whole body porcellanous white, lined longitudinally and trans- 

 versely with black, giving it a marbled or tessellated appearance; 

 nearly cylindrical, tapering slightly to prothorax, which is narrower 

 than the head, and also the 9th and 10th abdominal segments. 

 Prothorax, with tubercles i and ii united as a pale plate bearing many 

 black hairs. The supraspiracular (iii) of prothorax well-developed, and 

 typical of the other supraspiracular spines. The meso- and metathorax 

 with i absent, ii forming, as in the lst-9th abdominal segments, fme,bright, 

 orange-brown spines, with many black hairs, the apex paler, inclining 

 to whitish ; iii is typical on all the segments — pro-, meso-, meta- 

 thorax, and Ist-lOth abdominals, except the 9th (this carrying ii but not iii, 

 and the 10th iii but not ii), being of a dirty yellowish- white colour with 

 black hairs. From the lst-9th abdominal segments i + i consolidated, 

 form a mediodorsal spine, yellowish-white in colour, with many black 

 hairs, so that i and iii are similar in appearance, as also are ii and iv+v. 

 A striking black mediodorsal line runs from head to anus, breaking, 

 at each of the mediodorsal tubercles i, to form a horseshoe, running 

 from in front backwards, on the 9th abdominal, i is pushed quite to the 

 front of segment, and is well in advance of ii and not in the same line, 

 as is the case on the other segments. The thoracic segments, as well 

 as the abdominal segments, appear to be divided into one very wide 

 anterior subsegment, carrying the tubercles and one narrow posterior 

 sul»egment. The subsegmental incisions are ringed with black, 

 the true segmental incisions appear not to be so, except on the 

 thorax. A spinous structure, in the place of the anal plate, suggests 

 modified tubercle i. Lateral rim- : A moderately well-developed 

 subspiracular flange ; tubercles iii placed above, but slightly anterior 

 to, spiracle ; the black spiracles deeply embedded in the groove 

 between the line of iii and the swollen flange that carries iv+v; 

 the combined tubercle, iv + v, is placed directly below the spiracles, 

 and forms, on the lst-8th abdominal segments, a well-developed 

 spine, the base bright orange-brown, the apex whitish, bearing a 

 number of black hairs. These are placed on the swollen white 

 subspiracular flange. Directly below these is a double tubercle 

 (vi+vii), with two white spines, projecting downwards, of which the 

 anterior appears to be the longer, and which is present on each segment, 

 from the prothorax to the 8th abdominal. These also carry black hairs. 

 Ventral viae: Venter somewhat flattened, whitish in colour, a well- 



