278 THE entomologist's record. 



Parasites. — The larvas I had were very much attacked by parasites, 

 one external and the other internal, both hymenopterous. The larva 

 of the external parasite is attached to the intersegmental membrane of 

 the host, usually on the dorsum of the thorax, and, here, it apparently 

 remains till fullfed. It appears as a shining, whitish, deeply seg- 

 mented, limbless grub, lying across the dorsum of the host, in the 

 suture, between two segments. The caterpillar, carrying the parasite 

 about with it, continues feeding apparently without much discomfort, 

 and spins its cocoon in the usual way. The parasite, however, does 

 not cease feeding when its host does, but goes on sucking the juices- 

 until nothing but the skin of the caterpillar is left. The parasite then 

 spins its own cocoon, which is cylindrical, with rounded ends. It 

 seems to me that the caterpillar is only attacked by this parasite when 

 in the last stadium, for it could hardly undergo successfully an ecdysis 

 with the parasite attached, and when once the parasite has become 

 free of the caterpillar (though only half grown), it seems quite unable 

 to reattach itself. Rarely two occur on the body of the same host. I 

 have not yet bred this ichneumon. The larvte appear to be still alive 

 and unchanged in their cocoons ; I have forwarded them to Mr. 

 Claude Morley. The other parasite, a minute black hymenopteron, has 

 emerged in hundreds. In this case the caterpillar appears quite 

 healthy, and spins its cocoon in due course, but no moth appears when 

 it ought to do so, and when the cocoon is opened the stiffened, and 

 rather swollen, body of the caterpillar is seen, generally lying at full 

 length. Inside the body are a multitude of minute whitish grubs, 

 which pupate inside the larval skin. On emergence the " flies " maka 

 holes in the larval skin and escape. This parasite was far more com- 

 mon than the other, and must destroy great numbers of the 

 caterpillars. Mr. Morley informs me that it is a Chalcid. 



Time of appearance. — Larvae, May and June. June 21st, 1909, 

 nearly all the larvae seen were in the last instar. July 17th, bred first 

 imago, and the last July 25th. 



British localities. — Kent : Whitstable. Possibly also at Kirby, 

 near Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, as the food-plant has been noted as 

 growing there. 



Distribution. — Austria: Vienna (Schiffermiiller, Mann). France: 

 Golfe Juan (Constant), Paris (Ragonot). Germany : Halle (Stange), 

 Regensburg (F. Hoffmann), Wiesbaden (Roessler). Staudinger 

 mentions Hungaiy. It seems possible that the species might also 

 occur in Holland. 



Historical account op the species. — We first find mention of 

 this species in the Wiener Verzeichnixs (1776) under the name of Tinea 

 putridella. It is there placed under the section with recurved palpi, 

 and under the group with the forewings broad and rounded, and is 

 described as " wood-brownish Tinea with a small white central spot." 

 If we understand by (coorZ-brownish the colour of oak wood, the descrip- 

 tion, though laconic, is not bad, and no doubt, served the authors of 

 the catalogue very well for distinguishing this species from any other, 

 they knew, having the same structure. So short a description is now, 

 when we know so many species, of no very great value, happily, how- 

 ever, Hiibner figured a specimen of this species, obtained probably 

 from the Vienna entomologists. Zeller states that Fischer von 

 Roeslerstamm was convinced that Hiibner's figure represented the 



