NOTES ON THE GENUS COLEOPHORA. 241 



Notes on the various species of tlie genus Coleophora. 



By Hy. J. TURNER, F.E.S. 

 Coleophora maeniacella. 



Another species which occurs in the saltings very freely in the 

 larval stage is a member of a very obscure group, all the species of 

 which are attached to plants belonging to the Clienopodiaceae. This is 

 C. iiioeniaeella, and the larva3 can be obtained in large numbers by 

 sweeping among the abundant growths of Atriple.v portnlacoides, Siiaeda 

 maritima, etc., in the marshes on the north side of the Thames 

 estuary. Those I had were obtained at Fobbing on September 11th 

 and 18th, 1904. The cases were cylindrical, tapering about equally to 

 both ends, stouter and more substantial looking than any other of the 

 species feeding on the marshes. As to colour it was indefinite ; dirty 

 looking shades of brown, ochreous or even black, and covered by 

 debris, of various sorts, grains of dirt, sand, etc. Some, which were 

 found on plants covered by each high tide, were sodden by water, 

 but still contained apparently healthy larvse. These latter cases were 

 difficult to distinguish from the dirty succulent leaves of the Suaeda, 

 which were of a similar shape to the cases. The larvae feed preferably 

 on the buds, flowers and seeds of the food plants, boring holes, which 

 were very conspicuous when the larva had eaten out the central part 

 and left for a neighbouring seed vessel or bud. All the cases showed 

 streaks, irregular in width from end to end, and of a lighter shade, 

 being the pieces inserted at the time of enlargement and consequently 

 from being newer, were lighter in colour, i.e., cleaner, and less covered 

 by grains of dirt, etc. These insertions seem to be made anywhere 

 and not especially along the lower side as in many species ; always of 

 course longitudinally. The anal opening is three valved. 



" The general body colour of the larva is a dirty white. The head 

 is of a light brown, slightly lighter than the plate of the first thoracic 

 segment, but the brown is not so light as in C. arteniisiella. The 

 plate on the first thoracic segment is of a dull light brown, slightly 

 glossy, and somewhat larger than is usual. There are a few small 

 clouds of darker colour on this plate, and a white suture runs three- 

 quarters of the way up the centre from the back, ending in one of 

 these dark clouds. The second thoracic segment has four small 

 plates in a semicircle with the concavity in front, and with the space 

 between the two centre plates slightly more than between the side 

 plates and the centre plates ; these are darker, more black-brown than 

 those on the preceding segment. The third thoracic segment has 

 four plates exactly behind those on the preceding segment, and of the 

 same colour, except that in some specimens the two exterior plates 

 are larger, much fainter, and only perceived with difficulty. The side 

 plates of these three segments are small, uniform in size, and not 

 quite so dark as the plates on the back. The anal segment has a 

 deep brown plate on the back, nearly covering the whole of the 

 segment. The larva has four pairs of abdominal legs. The inner 

 side of the bases of all the thoracic legs have small black-brown plates, 

 which often disappear from view with the retractile movements of 

 these limbs. The tips of the jaws are of the same dark colour." 



The larvae I had did very badly, and although very healthy when 

 obtained, gradually deteriorated, became more and more wandering. 



