218 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



bourhood, proved greatly infested. Of thirteen plants brought 

 in for examination only one proved free from attack, but the 

 larvae were not numerous in each plant; sometimes as many 

 as three or four were to be found at distances along the gal- 

 leries ; sometimes only a single specimen was discoverable, t 



The injury being new to me 1 isolated some of the attacked 

 plants with the larvae, which developed about the beginning 

 of June into the well-known beetle Psylliodes chrysoce- 

 phala, distinguishable from its near allies the turnip-flea 

 beetles {PhyllolretcB), technically, by peculiarities of the 

 antennae and posterior tarsi, and to general observation by 

 the rather larger size, more robust form, and even greater 

 saltatory powers. As I am not aware that its life-history has 

 been given in England, a short note may perhaps be of 

 interest. 



The larvae varied in size when first seen from just over 

 one-sixteenth of an inch in length to five-sixteenths, 

 apparently the limit of growth, and were white or yellowish 

 in colour, with dark brown mottled head and strongly-toothed 

 jaws. The segments of the body slightly hairy, with trans- 

 verse rows of minute pale tubercular spots, for the most part 

 armed with a dark brown bristle, and having smaller and 

 paler rows placed between them for a short distance from the 

 caudal segment. The segn)ent immediately behind the head 

 is marked on the upper surface by two triangular patches 

 formed of brown dots placed along the central white line, 

 and by a curved line of dots running longitudinally along 

 each side of the segment; between these and the central 

 markings is an irregular pattern of dots, usually involving in it 

 a V-shape, with the point turned to the central line, as given 



Fij,'. 'i. 



at A, fig. 2. The upper surface of the caudal extremity is 

 convex, pale brown, glistening, and horn-like, armed at the 

 tip with two minute upturned triangular points, and marked 

 by two pairs of rows of brown spots i)laced longitudinally, 

 and usually with the inner line of each pair straight, the 

 outer diverging, so as to follow the outline of the segment, 

 fig. 2, B. The caudal foot was extremely strongly developed. 



