INVESTIGATIONS ON SCIAPHILA WAHLBOMIANA, ETC. 61 



1. Sciaphila minusculayia^ Zell. {miiiorana, H.-S.). 



The larva of this species occurs very early in the spring, 

 and is already full-grown by the beginning of May; it is 

 always small (about 5'") and is the darkest-coloured of all its 

 allies, namely, of a deep smoky-grey, or, indeed, generally 

 quite black. 



The so-called warts, which are apparently small plates of 

 chitine, from the middle of which rises a hair, are always 

 paler than the ground-colour, and only coloured black in the 

 centre, so that the larva viewed superficially, and when only 

 slightly magnified, shows small black warts surrounded by 

 pale. This is a character by which the larva of minus- 

 culella may always be recognized.* 



* The position of the warts, which in all Alicrolepidopterous larvae 

 provided with them, and probably in all naked Lepidopterous larvce, is 

 essentially the same, although in many genera and species there may be 

 small deviations, is amongst the SciaphllaAaxvvs, as follows : — On the 

 back of each segment, excepting the 2nd and 13th, are 4 warts, which 

 on the 3rd and 4th segments are placed in one transverse row, but on 

 the oth to 12th segments, inclusive, are arranged in two transverse rows, 

 so that the two warts of the anterior row are placed nearer together 

 than the two of the posterior row. On the 13th segment are only 3 

 (though large) warts on the dorsal surface, and the 2nd segment bears 

 as a thoracic shield the well-known horny-plate. 



On the sides of the segments, again excepting the 2nd and 13th, we 

 see on each 3 warts, which on the 3rd and 4th segments are arranged in 

 the form of an acute triangle, of which the base is formed by the two 

 upper warts placed in a line, and the apex by a single wart placed above 

 the pectoral legs. Prom the oth to 12th segments, inclusive, the 3 warts 

 are placed in one vertical line, which runs rather obliquely from the 

 upper anterior wart to the lower posterior one. On the sides of the 13th 

 segment is only 1 large wart, but 2 on the 2nd segment placed vertically 

 one above the other. The stigmata, 9 on each side, are placed on the 

 5th to 11th segments directly under the upper lateral wart, but on the 

 2nd and 12th segments immediately behind the upper lateral wart. 



