DEPRESSARIA PUTRIDELLA, SCHIFF. 277 



the penultimate and the final stadium, at least, the larvae form tubular 

 dwellings by drawing together several of the long very narrow seg- 

 ments of the leaves of the food-plant, Peucedanum officinale, L. In 

 the early summer thp plants are not very tall, and the leaves bend 

 over like miniature weeping willows, so that the larval dwellings hang 

 vertically, and are well hidden among the very numerous much divided 

 leaves. These dwellings are lined with white silk and are quite open 

 at the lower end, out of which the larva protrudes its anterior seg- 

 ments and eats all the leaf segments within its reach. The larva is 

 very active, and if annoyed will leave its dwelling by the top, or by 

 the lower end, and fall to the ground. When full grown it spins a 

 slight cocoon of brown silk, which, in captivity, is placed on the floor 

 of the cage among the debris. 



Larva. — I have only seen one larva in the penultimate instar, and 

 this had a shining black head, width 0-9mm., and anal plate of the 

 same colour. The full-fed larva is 17mm. in length, slender, and 

 slightly attenuated posteriorly. The head, l-3mm. in width, is 

 ochreous- brown. The large prothoracic shield is pale ochreous with a 

 broad whitish anterior margin, a moderately wide central whitish line 

 and a posterior whitish border. The rest of the prothorax very pale 

 grey-green. The colour of the body is olive-green, the dorsal vessel 

 showing darker. The legs are pale ochreous and the prolegs olive- 

 green. The anal shield large, pale ochreous or, sometimes, black. 

 Spiracles black-ringed. The tubercles are black, set in pale rings, and 

 the simple seta; are ochreous. The segments, subsegments and Hange 

 well marked (Described June 26fch, 1909). On the abdominal seg- 

 ments the first subsegment carries tubercles i and iii and the spiracle ; 

 tubercles iv and v, subspiracular, on a common plate, and vii, are all on 

 the anterior portion of the segment ; vii consists of three tubercles in a 

 row, on a common plate, the posterior tubercle carrying a seta nearly 

 twice as long as the other two. Tubercles ii.each with a very long seta, and 

 vi are placed on the posterior part of the segment ; iii is doubled on the 

 thoracic segments. The meso- and metathorax have a large additional 

 tubercle behmd iv ; this is also present on the prothorax, but is 

 small. The prolegs have a complete circle of crochets. 



Pupa. — The pupa belongs to the obtect division, having only the 

 5th and 6th abdominal segments free. It is rather stout, glossy, and 

 reddish-brown. The ventral aspect shows us the head and eyes. 

 Beneath these are two long triangular spaces, which cover the maxillae 

 and the large labial palpi, and, I think, also, the minute maxillary 

 palpi. Outside these spaces are the first pair of legs, beyond these 

 the second pair of legs, and then the antennae, which are continued to 

 the apex of the forewings, where they turn outwards and allow the 

 ends of the third pair of legs to appear. The forewings reach to the end 

 of the 4th abdominal segment. The scars of the prolegs are con- 

 spicuous on the 5th and 6th abdominals. On the cremastral area are 

 short hooked bristles. The spiracles are not very prominent, except 

 the abortive one on the 8th abdominal. There are many short, sharp, 

 •minute spines round the spiracular area. The tubercles, say, on the 

 6th abdominal, are the trapezoidals (i and ii) ; one above the spiracle 

 (iii) and two below (iv and v), and one still further down (vi) on the 

 posterior part of the segment, and two or three near the foot-scar 

 (vii). These are all furnished with a seta. 



