LACHNUS VIMINALIS. 53 



Abdomen finely pilose. Wings very long ; insertions 

 yellow ; cubitus brown, ending in a long and narrow 

 brown stigma. Apical cell long oval. 



Twenty-nine of these fine insects were bred from 

 pupse early in October, all of which formed the pro- 

 duce of one large apterous female. The young are, as 

 usual, born tail foremost, and are enveloped in a fine 

 membrane which, while the head of the young is still 

 attached to the parent, is slowly worked ofi" to the tail 

 k in wrinkles, and then cast off. The young are exceed- 

 P ingly active ; and even when adult, the insects, pupa3 

 and all, run to the opposite sides of the branch of fir 

 twigs on which they feed, to avoid observation. 



This Aphis forms small clusters at the bases of the 

 green tufts of the larch, Pinus larix, but usually it 



^ occurs in greater profusion on the Scotch fir, Pinus 

 sylvestris, the bark of which assimilates very closely to 

 the general colour of the insect, and thus conceals it. 



The queen Aphis, or foundress, will live for a con- 

 siderable time ; and will scarcely, unless alarmed, move 

 ^ from her place of feeding. I have marked a single 

 specimen which was so located for three months. 

 Her young ones, which possessed long rostra, mi- 

 grated, but she remained fixed. 



Lachnus pinicoJus is a prey to an Aphidius. Many 

 examples may be found perforated by this parasite, 

 with the curious flaps cut out of the skin of the 

 Aphis erect, and attached by a sort of hinge to the 

 hole. These Aphides are much sought after by ants. 



Lachnus pinicolus appears to be rare near Parma. 

 Koch does not notice it in his Monograph. The tarsi 

 are distinctly ^w;o-jointed, and this appears most 

 markedly in the hind legs of the winged insect. 



Lachnips VIMINALIS, Fonsc, Plate XCIX. 



Aphis viminaUs, Boyer de Fonscolombe. 

 „ salicis, Shaw (?). 



