NOTES ON HELLINSIA OSTEODACTYLA, Z. 29 



Notes on Heliinsia osteodactyla, Z. {with two plates). 



By Dr. T. A. CHAPMAN, F.Z.S., and EDWARD GOODWIN, F.E.S. 

 (Co)iduded from page 2.) 



I had some years ago received larvae of H. osteodactyla, and on 

 August 5th, 1910, I again received some material from Mr. Goodwin. 

 The cocoon made amongst the pappus of the Solidaf/o was precisely 

 like that observed on the previous occasion, and in which the larva 

 passed the winter and pupated. 



To describe the one received this year. It is very complete, i.e., 

 the contained pupa is quite invisible without opening the cocoon, 

 the filaments of the pappus being fastened side to side (for the most 

 part) firmly, and without gap. A cocoon made by a larva turned out 

 of the pappus — taking refuge in some moss — is much slighter, and the 

 pupa is very visible. The material, no doubt, is less amenable to 

 the natural procedure of the larva, but no doubt its defects are prin- 

 cipally due to the larva having to make a cocoon when its silk was 

 exhausted, and it ought naturally to have been resting and awaiting 

 pupation, the interesting point is, that it could make a cocoon at all 

 after this disturbance. The pupa does not move out of the cocoon at 

 all on emergence. 



The pupa is whitish, or \ellowish-white when mature, at first, no doubt, 

 somewhat translucent and colourless. The length is 5'5mm. to 6-Omm., the 

 greatest thickness about 1-Omm. ; the wings and appendage cases (antennse, 

 maxillae, and legs) extend far beyond the 3rd abdominal segment in one mass, 

 nearly to the end of the pupa, i.e., to the 9th segment. The pupa (apart from 

 appendages) tapers regularly from 4th abdominal segment to the end. The ventral 

 line (down appendages) is nearly straight. The head possesses a number of long 

 (0"2mm. to ^omm.) pale straw-, or almost brown-coloured hairs. There are 

 others less numerous over the whole dorsum. These appear to be i (0-2mm.), 

 ii (0-25mm.), iii (0-25mm.), iv and v (on 3rd abdominal only one, 0-2mm. and one 

 on 4th abdominal; iv = 0-lSmm. ; v = 0-26mm. ; on following segment v rather 

 larger. I call the anterior one iv, but doubt if this is correct). There are ten 

 cremastral hairs on last (10th) segment; these are long, nearly 0'3mm., curved, 

 but in no degree clubbed or hooked. On 8th abdominal segment are two short, 

 blunt, pyramidal, brown, chitinous points, in front of, respectively, hairs iv and v, 

 a slighter one in front of iii of same segment, and a similar pair in front of iv and 

 v on 9th abdominal segment; ii, on 8th abdominal, have similar points. The 

 exact naming of hairs on 9th abdominal segment is difficult, i appears to be a 

 small chitinous point, ii is a hair with a sharp, brown, conical point in front of it, 

 iii has a sharper point in front of hair, and below this (v ?) is a much larger point 

 or spine in front of the hair. The 10th abdominal segment has no dorsal hairs, 

 but has a dark, transverse, terminal margin, reti'eating a little at each end, and 

 ending in a blunt projection. The transverse margin also has a series of darker 

 points (spines dorsal to ventral hairs ?). The dorsal surface has a network of 

 darker lines (raised). Segments 4, 5 and 6 of the abdomen, are free (a ? pupa). 

 The spiracles are on slightly raised cones, faintly tinted brownish. The end of 

 the appendage cases seems to consist of the extremities of the maxillae, and of the 

 second and tliird pairs of legs, fairly at a level. The first legs fall short, about 

 Oomni., and the very sharp wing tips are another 0-5mm. back, whilst the antennse 

 are about 0-4mm. short of the wing tip. 



The thoracic spiracle is raised in a short cone much like the others, and is 

 close to the antennal groove. More dorsal, in line with the dorsal hairs (i and ii?) 

 there project backward from the front margin of the metathorax, one on either 

 side, two spines, closely adpressed to the surface, but not actually touching it, these 

 diverge a trifle, are tinted brown, and about 0-12mm. long. Behind them are, in 

 the line of ttie subdorsal ridges, gradually diminishing rugosities that are appar- 

 ently further members of a series, of which the two spines in front of them are the 

 first and only fully developed examples. 

 November 15th, 1911. 



