NOTES ON SOME BRITISH TOHTRICES. 103 



Young larva : active, slender, tapering to anal extremity. 

 Colour very light green, dorsal vessel very plainly visible, head 

 same colour as body. Full-grown larva : length six lines, of 

 average stoutness, tapering much to anal extremity ; head and 

 whole body shaded with indistinct hairs ; head narrow, glaucous, 

 light brown, round the mouth spotted with black ; on the dorsal 

 area where it joins second segment, are two elongated black 

 dashes ; second segment glabrous, same colour as head, but 

 spotted with black ; dorsal area bounded on each side by a black 

 blotch. Body, colour dark putty; dorsal vessel visible when 

 crawling ; each segment (which is somewhat swollen) has several 

 raised spots, lighter in colour than remainder of body, each one 

 of these units a hair ; anal segment glaucous and black, spiracles 

 indistinct, prolegs tipped with black. 



Concltylis dilucidana. — The lai^vae of this species are to be 

 found during the winter and spring months in the stems of the 

 wild parsnip {Pastinaca sativa), and from their presence there 

 at that period it has been concluded it was their habit to 

 feed in that manner. See Entom. xiii. 295, where the late 

 Mr. W. P. Weston says, " the larva feeds in the stems of 

 wild parsnip." 



The imago, which in this district is common amongst its 

 food-plant, appears on the wing about the middle of July ; during 

 the latter portion of this month, late in the afternoon of fine 

 still days, the female may be seen flying gently amongst 

 the wild parsnip, and settling upon the umbels. If closely 

 oberved, it will be found she is depositing ova on the green 

 seeds and flowers, a single one on each. If the seeds of 

 this plant are examined during August and September it will 

 be seen that they are infested with a larva, which is that of 

 Conchylis dilucidana. 



This larva, immediately it is hatched, burrows into the 

 interior of an unripe seed, and feeds upon the contents; when 

 these are all devoured it eats its way thrt)Ugh the envelope of the 

 seed, and connecting the next one with a short tube of silk and 

 frass serves it in the same manner. This process is repeated, 

 when necessary, until the larva is fully developed, which is about 

 the 25th of September ; it then leaves the seeds, crawls down the 

 stem until a favourable spot is reached, when it burrows inside ; 

 once there it commences to tunnel upwards in the pith, until it 



