194 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



ON THE LAEVA OF TRITOMA [CYRTO-TRIPLAX) 

 BIPUSTULATA, Fab. 



By the Eev. H. S. Gorham, F.Z.S., &c. 



On the 10th of May in the present year, I found a colony of 

 Tritoma hipustulata, Fab., together with a number of larvae 

 which I believe to be those of the Tritoma, though I have not 

 yet reared any. I believe the larva of this insect has not been 

 described, and I will therefore give a short description of these 

 larvje. Length from 7 to 8 mm., rather fat, whitish, the head 

 brown, and each of the twelve segments succeeding with a 

 brownish transverse patch, not extending so far as the spiracles, 

 the patches intersected by a narrow dorsal white line. The pro- 

 thoracic segment, r. e., the first after the head, and the last, with 

 the brown patch wider, and on the last are two reddish tubercles. 

 Feeding on the Polyporus, on a stump in which were about 

 twelve mature Tritomas. The larva consists of twelve segments 

 and^ the head, the thoracic legs well developed ; the merest 

 rudiments of antennae exist, consisting apparently of one short 

 thick joint, with a seta. 



The Chestnuts, Shirley Warren, May 16th, 1894. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



Variation op T^niocampa gothica. — Last month Mr. Rose, of 

 Bamsley, sent me for inspection a very extensive series of T<E7iiocampa 

 gothica which he had recently bred from ova deposited by a female sent 

 to him in the spring of 1893, by Mr. Salvage, from Perthshire. All 

 the specimens are larger than usual, and in colour are more uniformly 

 brownish. In some examples the characteristic black mark of typical 

 gothica is simply represented by a black bar between the reniform and 

 orbicular stigmata. In other specimens there is a thin continuation 

 under the orbicular, forming an L-shaped mark, whilst in a few 

 examples this mark is only indicated by a black spot between the 

 stigmata and one following the orbicular. In the majority of the 

 specimens, however, the "hebrew character" is hardly darker than the 

 ground colour (var. fjothicina), and in one or two can scarcely be 

 traced. Altogether this is the most interesting series of T. gothica I 

 have yet had the pleasure of seeing. — Richard South. 



Orthosia witzenmanni. — I lately sent two coloured sketches of the 

 two forms of the species resembling TcBnincampa munda (Entora. 179) 

 through my cousin, to his friend, Herr R. Piingeler, of Rhedyt, 

 Germany, to see if he could throw any additional light on the subject. 

 Herr Piingeler, in his letter of April 21st, says they are undoubtedly 

 specimens of Orthosia witzenmanni, Standfus, Mitth.'Schweiz. e. 1890, 

 p. 233. He states the author described the species from two males 



