I'JiM 255 



jireying, attacking the pseudova, larvae, and adults with c;rcat voracit3^ 

 The larva is an active long-legged insect, with beautifully fringed 

 anteiniae, which measure about a third of the length of the body. It is 

 of a chalky-white colour, with a large, variable, interrupted brown mark, 

 occupying the middle of the back. The body is smooth, clothed only 

 with a few extremely fine and inconspicuous hairs, and without the 

 peculiar waxy secretion characteristic of the adults. The legs and 

 antennae are glistening and translucent, and the visible mouth-parts 

 consist of a short conical snout, formed by the conjoined mandibles and 

 maxillae, and a pair of very stout club-shaped labial palpi. The 

 extremity of the body is used as a sucker, as in the related Chrysopid 

 larvae, and if touched the animal retains his hold by this alone and 

 flings himself convulsively backwards. 



The statement has been made, and is not rejected by Enderlein, that 

 the larva of this species is an internal pai'asite, but althougli it can pro- 

 bably adapt itself to , circumstances dietetically, it is certainly no true 

 parasite. I first noticed the insects on July 5th, by which date, although 

 many were only half-grown, great numbers were ah'eady beginning to 

 pupate upon the oak-leaves, sometimes upon the upper surface but more 

 conuuonly underneath. The cocoons have a quite" distinctive appearance, 

 being almost exactly circular, and are very conspicuous. A white silk 

 of extreme fineness is produced from the posterior end of the larva's 

 body, the tail being extended and moved from side to side in vigorous 

 sweeping movements, much like those of the fore-part of a caterpillar 

 when engaged in a similar operation, the body rotating slowly at 

 the same time. In this way a flat, round platform or roof, about a 

 tliird of an inch in diameter, is built over the insect, and within this is 

 spun a second enclosure of one-third the diameter of the first, forming a 

 flattened sac in which the pupal state is assumed. Enderlein repeats the 

 statements of earlier entomologists that the cocoon is constructed upon 

 the trunks of trees, in moss, etc., adding that, according to his own 

 repeated observation, the larva passes the winter in the cocoon, not 

 pupating until the spring. It is evident from this that the summer 

 cocoons have been overlooked, the fact being that there are two annual 

 generations with diUerent methods of pupation. The summer genera- 

 tion seems to pupate almost entirely upon the leaves, and larvae which 

 began to construct their cocoons in July emerged as adults within a 

 fortnight. This is generally done by biting a curved slit, forming rather 

 more tluin a semicircle, through the inner and outer layers together and 

 pushing up a llap almost corresponding with the size of the inner 

 envelope. When newly emerged the little flies are pale yellow in colour, 



