THE VAGABOND CRAMBUS : ITS PARASITES. 



145 



tract new foes, and continued observations bring tliem to our notice. 

 Our long experience with the Colorado potato-beetle, Dorypliora decem- 

 liiieata, has made us acquainted with at least twenty-five species of 

 other insects which prey upon it, and many species of Vertebrates 

 which also destroy it. Thus far, only Carabid beetles and different 

 species of ants have been noticed among insects, as devouring 

 the Orambus larvaj. Mr. Adams has seen many of tiie former, eagerly 

 exploring tlie pastures of Watertown lor their natural prey. He has 

 also informed me that while digging for cocoons, several species of 

 Ichneumons Avere observed by him, which he presumed were parasitic 

 on the larva\ From the large number of cocoons received from him, 

 only two species of parasites have been obtained by me, and these in 

 but three examples. 



Lamprokota frigida Cresson. — The first of these has been kindly 

 determined by Mr. Cresson as the species described 

 by him as Lissonota frigida, in the Canadian E71- 

 iomologist for 18G8, v. i, p. 3G, but subsequently 

 referred to the genus Lampro7ioia, of Curtis ( Trans. 

 Am. Ent. Soc, iii, 1870, p. 161). It is shown in Fig. 

 35. It belongs to the subfamily of Pimplarice of the 

 IchnenmonidcB, and its original description is as 

 follows: " ? Black, somewhat shining ; legs rufous, 

 the coxae, trochanters and posterior tibia3 and tarsi 

 black; middle ti bite and tarsi sometimes dusky; 

 wings dusky hyaline, iridescent, nervures black, 

 areolet small, petiolated ; abdomen shining at tip; 

 ovipositor longer than body ; body densely punc- 

 FiG. 35.— Lampronota tured, most sparse on abdomen. Length 4 1-2 



F u I G I D A, parasitic on ' -^ ° 



lines." ira5. — Grimbsy,C.W. 



As the wings of the insect have not been faith- 

 fully represented in the above figure, an enlarged drawing of them, 

 made with a camera, is given in Fig. 36 

 Tachixa ? sp. — The second para- 

 site, of which thi'ee examples were ob- 

 tained, is a fly, belonging to the Tachi- 

 nidcB. Of this family a large number of 

 species are parasitic upon caterpillars, at- 

 taching their eggs to the exterior of their 

 body, not inserting them, as do the 

 Iclmeumonidw. The larvt^ which soon 

 hatch from these eggs enter the caterpillar and feed upon it so slowly 

 that it usually prepares for pupation, and frequently undergoes the 

 19 



Crampus vulgivagel- 

 Lus : twice the natural 

 size. 



Fig. 86. — Wings of Lampronota 

 FRIGIDA Cresson, enlarpcd from the 

 natural size shown beside them. 



