180 • [Jaimary. 



NOTES OX LARV^ OF SOME PEYCIDM (KNOT-HORNS). 

 BX C. G. BARRETT. 



The larva of Homoeosoma sinueUa, Fab. — For two or three years 

 I have been on the look out for the larva of 'ELomoeosoma sinuella in its 

 favourite localities on the coast, and once, finding unmistakeable 

 Homoeosoma larvse in flower-heads of Carduus lanceolatus in one of 

 these localities, was much surprised at rearing H. binceveUa, which I 

 had never seen there. In the summer of 1877, 1 casually noticed that 

 some very tall plants of ribwort-plantain {Plantaqo lanceolata) were 

 much frequented by S. simieUa ; specimens were running up the long 

 flower-stalks to take flight (a position in which the long strong legs 

 and compact longicorn-like form of the moth were strikingly exhi- 

 bited), but as this only led me to examine the seed-heads of the 

 plantain, no results followed. However, in February last, when 

 searching for Dicrorampha larvse along the underclifEs, I came upon 

 these large plants of ribwort-plantain, and determined to give them a 

 thorough examination, and, in the solid root-stocks (from which pro- 

 ceed the fibrous roots), I found larva?, which, from their appearance, 

 I was disposed at the time to refer to some Tortrix, but which soon 

 began to spin themselves tough, soft, silken cocoons, Avhich became in 

 time of a sooty-black, within the cavities in which the larvae had lived, 

 and they remained unchanged for at least four months. Other larvse 

 continued, apparently, to feed much longer, but, at the end of March, 

 most of them were in cocoon, and, early in June, they began to assume 

 the pupa-state. The first moth emerged from these on June 17th, and 

 they continued to come out all through July ; but, in their favourite 

 haunts on the warm slopes of the cliffs, specimens were flying at the 

 beginning of June. "When examining the plants in March and April, 

 I was surprised to find how small and stunted a root-stock would 

 serve to contain a larva, and in the larger roots to find two or three 

 cocoons in one cavity. At the same time, although portions of the 

 plants were killed, fresh vigorous shoots were growing from the sides, 

 and these became after a while so luxuriant that it was difficult to find 

 the pieces of old root-stock in which the larvae had fed, and were then 

 in puj^a. 



On the 4th September, I again examined the plantains and found 

 young larvae at work, some of them indeed being well grown and actually 

 larger than those I had found in the winter, and that they now bore 

 much more the appearance of Homoeosoma larvse. At this time, in 

 what may be called its actice state of existence, the larva is, when at 



