ill 



the species is prediiceous ui)un siiuill lepidupterdiis lar\;ie, 

 prcbablv those feeding- about dead wood. 



It is uncertain whether this species is endemic or iiiT re- 

 duced. The region where it was found is near sea level but 

 harbors many endemic insects because the aridity prevents the 

 spread there of the ant, FlieidoJe niegaceijliala, which destroys 

 most endemic insects where it occurs. 



15. HoLEPYRis ]iA\VAiiE.\sis (Ashmcad) a^d its Prey. 



This opecies is far more common than its congener //. 

 Jiospes Perkins, being very commonly found about houses and 

 in places where stored food and feeds are kept. Many 

 desultory attempts have been made to breed it by the writer, 

 but without any definite results indicating the nature of its 

 orey. Some observations by Dr. F. X. Williams paralleling 

 those here recorded revealed the fact that it attacks lepidop- 

 tcrous larvae in a fashion quite as characteristic of the Fos- 

 sorcs as the work of Epyrls extraiieus observed by him. 



Xeither he nor I have succeeded in breeding the species 

 through from egg to adult, though we have secured oviposition 

 in uuuierous instances. The lepidopterous larvae worked with 

 liy me have been Ercnndis flavistriata Walsingham, Plod'ia 

 liilcrpunrfella Ilueliner, and Coiri/ra rcplialonira (Stainton) 

 (all determined hy Mr. Swezey). 



The female lays but* a single egg upon a caterj^illar, as 

 recorded by Silvestri of one of the Italian species. 



An adult taken shortly before noon on Sept. 13, 1919, was 

 ]da('cd iu a tube and a sugar cane budworm added. At 

 al)out 3 :45 it was attacked and stung in the mouth and then 

 attacked in the head region by the wasp using her mandildos, 

 tirst at the left ;miciiii;ic and around the labium. \\\ tlic 

 struggles of the Holc/n/ris the hir\a was turned over and 

 seized by the left leg at the apex of the basal joint. Here she 

 fed for seven 'minutes. After a time she seized the still fairly 

 active larva, by tlie lal»iiini apparently, and dragged it slowly 

 resisting as nnicli as possible l>ut not very actively, the whole 



