142 .November, 



The larva of Eupithecia inturbata, Hub., H.-Schf. (subciliata, Guen.). — On 

 the 21st of May, by beating a maple-tree (Acer campestre), I obtained 5 larvae of 

 this species, and on another visit 4 larvae, but on the 30th May no more were to be 

 had, their time being over. Tbe larvae, in captivity, feed exclusively on the flowers 

 of maple, with predilection for the organs of fructification ; they remain quite openly 

 thereon, it being in no way necessary to conceal themselves because their colour 

 entirely accords with that of the flowers, and they are thus almost invisible to their 

 enemies, as well as to entomologists. After a few days they prepared for their 

 transformation, which ordinarily takes place in a spinning interwoven with grains of 

 earth, on the surface of the ground. The first spun its cocoon on the 24th May, 

 the last on the 29th, and 8 days after I found six well-developed pupse, two 

 imperfectly developed, and in one cocoon a dried-up larva. On the 12th July two 

 male moths appeared, the four others, perfect females, between the 15th and 25th 

 July. The development from the pupa-state occurred regularly between 4 and 6 

 o'clock in the afternoon. Having in former years captured newly-developed moths 

 at the end of July and beginning of August this earlier appearance must be 

 attributed to the tropical heat of this summer. 



The head of the larva is very small, greenish-yellow ; the colour of the body is 

 .that of their food ; the markings consist of a somewhat sharp dark dorsal line and 

 two lighter greenish-yellow sub-dorsal lines, the upper broader and stronger, the 

 lower finer, the two separated by a dark line. The elevated, wrinkled lateral angle 

 of the body forms also a light greenish- or whitish-yellow longitudinal streak, above 

 which the spiracles appear as raised yellowish spots. Under-side and legs of the 

 ground-colour. The pupa anteriorly rusty-yellow ; the abdomen greenish. The 

 chitinous pupa-case is so transparent that the development of the moth within can 

 be followed from the first. — Dr. A. Spetee (Abbreviated from the Stettiner entomol- 

 Zeitung, vol. xlii, p. 473 : September, 1881). 



[See also Ent. Mo. Mag., ix, 17, 65, and xiv, 68.— Eds.] 



Occurrence of Neptictda sericopeza near Cambridge. — I had often examined the 

 keys of maples about here (Cambridge) for mines of Nepticula sericopeza, but 

 hitherto always without success. This year, at the end of August, I took shelter 

 from rain under a solitary maple (Acer campestre) just outside the town, and 

 although it was so late in the season, occupied the time in looking over the keys that 

 were within reach. I soon found numbers mined and gathered a lot. The next 

 day I went again and caught sight of a cocoon on an unmined key. Following this 

 clue I soon found many more both on the keys and on the leaves of the maple, and 

 also on the leaves of an elder bush growing beneath. When on a leaf they are 

 in all cases on the upper surface, and when on the keys generally on the extreme tip. 

 The cocoon when fresh is very bright yellow and very neatly spun. Some cocoons 

 which I found were discoloured, dirty white or pink, but these afterwards proved to 

 be empty. I naturally concluded that these cocoons would produce the imago next 

 June, hence I was much surprised the morning after to see a fine N. sericopeza 

 roaming about the bag, in fact, they have been emerging every day this month, one 

 or two each day. I have now bred over two dozen with about an equal number of 

 Ichneumons, and there are still more to come out. 



Last week I watched a ? on the tree, apparently busily engaged in laying her 



