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Traces of Maternal Affection in Eutilia sinuata, Fabr. 

 By Mary E. Murtfeldt. 



The MembracmcE is one of the most attractive groups of the Homop- 

 ra on account of the singularity of form and beauty of coloring displayed 

 V the species composing it. Many of them are also extremely interesting 

 ii habit. 



Among the smaller species indigenous to this section (Central Mis- 

 souri) the one named above is one of the prettiest and most common. It 

 breeds chiefly on the Ragweeds (^Ambrosia) though it is occasionally found 

 on other composite plants. The gregarious habit is common to many of 

 the species, but, with the exception of the case I am about to instance, I 

 have never found the parent insect remaining with her eggs or young. 



Two years ago early in August I observed a female hovering over a 

 cluster of her eggs. I plucked the leaf, expecting of course that this usually 

 shy and active insect would jump off at the disturbance. But to my sur- 

 prise she did not move, not even when I touched her with my finger. I 

 carried her openly on the leaf into the house and up-stairs to my study, 

 but with all the shaking about and brushing against my clothing she was 

 not dislodged. 



Wishing to examine the egg cluster more closely, I placed her in a 

 small rearing jar into which I afterward put the leaf with the eggs. She 

 immediately began crawling about over it until the eggs were found, when 

 she stationed herself over them as before. The young hatched about two 

 days later, and remained in a close cluster about the mother insect, who 

 had now moved a little forward on the leaf with the instinct probably of 

 giving them a belter opportunity for feeding. 



As the original leaf had now withered I put in a fresh one to which 

 after some delay and scattering the insect migrated with her entire, large 

 family. 



The rearing jar did not seem to furnish an entirely congenial atmo- 

 sphere to the }oung Euti/ias, as a large number died in the first moult 

 and scarcely a moiety reached the pupa state, but through all changes the 

 mother remained with her young and although I would not assert that 

 she made any demonstrations of afi'ection, she certainly -seemed to enjoy 

 having them around her. 



The family groups which I began to watch, out of doors, were not 

 put to the inconvenience of changing from one leaf to another until after 

 the pupa state was attained, when there was a disposition to migrate in 

 small groups, the mother with part of her family remaining on the original 



Entomologica Americana. Vol. hi. 27 Dkcember 1887. 



