CONWENTZIA HAGENI BANKS. 
Life History Notes and Variations in Wing Venation. 
By J. S. Houser, Ohio Experiment Station. 
The species under consideration was first called to the 
attention of the Department of Entomology, of the Ohio 
Experiment Station, in November, 1912, by Mr. J. M. Keck, 
of Cleveland, who submitted the overwintering cocoons for 
determination. Dr. MacGillivray, to whom specimens were 
referred, pronounced them as belonging to the neuropterous 
family Coniopterygide. <A _ little later, reared adults were 
sent to Mr. Nathan Banks, who gave the specific determination 
as Conwentzia hageni Banks. 
At the time the material was taken the insect was in the 
larval stage, neatly encased in the double cocoon so well 
described by Quayle (Bul. 234, California Experiment 
Station). The gross appearance of the cocoon so closely 
resembles the compactly woven webs of some of the smaller 
spiders that it would be very easy to confuse the two, but as 
soon as a dissection is made, the double silk formation of the 
former very quickly separates them. 
The cocoons were found most abundantly on a cherry 
tree some ten feet in height, the greater portion occurring in 
masses on the trunk. A considerable number, however, were 
to be found on the upper portions of the tree, where the crotches 
of the twigs seemed to be a favorite spot for their construction. 
Larve only were to be found, hence, it is safe to say the winter 
is passed in this stage. The three specimens upon which I 
was able to get exact records, changed from the larval to the 
adult stage in 16 days after being transferred to a temperature 
ML. tO. lo. 
Since quantities of the overwintering eggs of the clover 
mite, Bryobia pratensis Garman, were found upon the tree 
which bore the Coniopterygid hibernacula, it is altogether 
likely that this pest supplies one of the principal sources of 
food for the insect. Quayle reports Conwentzia hageni Banks, 
feeding abundantly upon the citrus red spider, Tetranychus 
mytilaspidis Riley. Two visits were made last summer to 
Cleveland with the hope of learning something definite regard- 
ing the feeding habits of the larve; an additional visit was 
ig 
