59 



Early in June, 1890, I had been struck with the wasting away of one or two 

 colonies of Huphantria and was about to examine into the causes, when I received from 

 Mr. J. 0. Duffey, the Horticulturist of the Shaw Botanical Garden, a note informing 

 me that larvfe of a small carabid had been found in a nest of Web-worms, upon which 

 they were evidently feeding. Accompanying this communication was a box containing 

 one of the infested colonies. Unfortunately the box had been broken in transit, and when 

 I called for my mail the Web-worms were pervading the office, and the distracted post- 

 master was engaged in a vain attempt to confine them in a newspaper, and expressing 

 himself with some emphasis concerning the sort of mail posted by entomolo:jists. Un- 

 doubtedly many of the predaceous larvse escaped with the caterpillai-s, but upon examina- 

 tion, after reaching my study, I found seven or eight of the larvte in the fragments of the 

 web and a sufficient number of Web-worms to afiord them sustenance. Placing them on 

 fresh leaves in a small rearing cage on my desk, I soon had ocular verification of Mr. 

 Duffey's interesting observations. 



The Huphantria larvae had all passed the last moult and many were nearly full 

 grown ; the carabids were also nearly mature, varying in length from one-fourth to one- 

 third inch, somewhat alligator-shaped, the head provided with sharply pointed trophi, 

 with rather long and strong legs, the body above dark and horny ; they had quite a 

 formidable aspect. By preference this larva attacks its victim from the front, biting into 

 the under part of the thoracic segments ; but in many cases I have seen it seize hold of 

 the side of a caterpillar, into which it would soon almost bury its head, and not the most 

 violent contortions on the part of its prey were of avail to dislodge it. By the time its 

 appetite was appeased the Web-worm would be fatally injured and a fresh one would be 

 required for its next meal In this way one beetle larva was capable of destroying a great 

 number of the worms in the course of its development. The two species, web-worm and 

 carabid, reach maturity about the same time, the period of carabid adolescence being about 

 one week less than that of the insect on which it preys. The change to pupa takes place 

 both on the surface of the ground and in the remnants of the web on the tree — in the 

 latter case it (being very soft and white and not enclosed) is subject to destruction by 

 birds and other insects. The beetle appears in from eight to ten days after the change 

 to pupa, and requires a day or two to acquire its dark brown color and the firmness in 

 texture of maturity. It is very swift and furtive in its movements and remains hidden 

 as far as possible during the daytime, but is, even in the rearing cage, quite active at 

 night, using its wings freely. It feeds, sparingly, on aphides and similar soft insects. 

 This season I found it in considerable numbers in the two web-worm nests that occurred 

 in our orchard, and to test its destructive capacity I placed thirty-six three-fourths 

 grown Uyphantria larvae in a large glass jar, with three nearly mature Ploehionus larvae. 

 A large number of the caterpillars were killed in the course of the following week, and 

 from the three dozen larva? I bred seven parasites (Meteorus hyphantria) and but three 

 moths ; the remainder had evidently succumbed to their coleopterous foes, all three of 

 which developed into fine beetles. 



I believe the perfect insect occurs sparingly in many sections of the country, but it 

 may not in every locality acquire the habit of preying on Hyphantria. It is to be hoped, 

 therefore, that the divergent type will slowly spread from State to State until it, in con- 

 nection with other predaceous and parasitic species, will practically relieve us of one of 

 our most prominent arboreal pests. 



NOTES ON KILLING, PRESERYING AND RELAXING INSECTS. 



By James Fletcher, Ottawa. 



There is perhaps no statement more frequently made to entomologists by observant 

 travellers, or those who live in localities far removed from civilization, than " ! I wish 



