February, ' 13] JOHNSTON: pimpla conquisitor 145 



hrassicoe. This appeared difficult as the pupa moved violently each 

 time that the ovipositor touched it and the parasite did not seem 

 to be able to pierce the pupa. 



Another female was observed flying around and both were captured 

 and taken into the laboratory. 



A larva of A. brassicoe which had spun up but had not yet pupated 

 was placed in a vial with one of these parasites which immediately 

 inserted her ovipositor in it twice, the second time keeping it in the 

 larva for 30 seconds. One oviposited in a larva which had been taken 

 from its cocoon in 25 seconds; also one oviposited in a newh' formed 

 pupa. 



An active larva was placed in one of the vials and, as the parasite 

 crawled over it, became so violent that the parasite seemed to become 

 frightened, leaving it immediately and not again approaching it. 



A larva which had spun up but not yet pupated was next put with 

 each parasite. After carefully examining the cocoon all over with her 

 antennae, the parasite in the first vial thrust her ovipositor into the larva 

 and commenced a sort of pumping motion, working the ovipositor 

 up and down in the larva. She kept this up for 37 seconds. At the 

 end of that time she backed away slightly, bent her head under so as 

 to bring her mouthparts to the puncture, and began to feed on the juices 

 of the larva which seemed to flow quite freely from the puncture. In 

 the meantime the tip of the ovipositor remained in the puncture. She 

 fed in this position for 20 seconds. She then again began to work the 

 ovipositor up and down in the same puncture. She continued this 

 for 35 seconds and then fed for 5 minutes, this time with the ovipositor 

 entirely withdrawn. She again started to work her ovipositor up 

 and down in the same puncture and kept it up for 35 seconds, when 

 she withdrew it and fed for 25 seconds, then examined the cocoon and 

 left it. 



In the other vial the parasite, after thoroughly examining the cocoon, 

 started to feed on it as did the first. She thrust her ovipositor into 

 the larva and worked it up and down for 3 minutes and 25 seconds, 

 then she withdrew it and fed on the juices which came from the punc- 

 ture for 1 minute and 10 seconds. She then selected a new place on 

 the larva and, after inserting her ovipositor, worked it up and down 

 for 20 seconds. She afterward deserted this place and returned to the 

 first place, re-inserted her ovipositor in what appeared to be the old 

 puncture and kept working it up and down for 1 minute and 55 seconds. 

 After this she Tvathdrew it and fed for 35 seconds, prodded the larva 

 a couple of times and left it. 



On the following day, October 31, one of these parasites oviposited 

 in three spun-up larvae and two newly-formed pupa? in succession, the 

 11 



