( 245 ) 



XV. A contribution to the life historjj of Orina (Chryso- 

 chloa) tristis, Fabr., var. Smaragdina, Weise. By 

 Thomas Algernon Chapman, M.D., F.Z.S. 



[Read April 1st, 1903.] 



Plates X and XI. 



In our observations on some species of Orina presented 

 to the Society by Mr. Champion and myself in December 

 1900, besides several viviparous species, we noted Orina 

 tristis to have a habit that was not viviparous, nor yet 

 strictly oviparous in the ordinary manner. Unfortunately 

 our material of this species consisted of only one female 

 beetle and our observations were accordingly somewhat 

 restricted, so that I was pleased to meet with the beetle 

 in some abundance on May 30th, 1902, near Pino, on Lago 

 Maggiore. The beetles were disporting themselves, often 

 a good number together, in the sunshine on a rather tall 

 upright species of Ccntaurea that looked otherwise very 

 like our nigra. I brought a number of beetles home and 

 had them alive throughout the summer. They laid eggs 

 freely, but began to die off" about the middle of September. 

 In the first week in October egg-laying seemed to be 

 stopped, but a small batch of seven was laid October 18th, 

 at which date only that number of beetles remained alive. 

 Two males were still living on Febi'uary 7th, 1903. I 

 noticed in several beetles that died that the posterior 

 tibise and tarsi were damaged or wanting and must have 

 been eaten by the other beetles ; whether this was a 

 cause of death or only occurred after mortal illness had 

 supervened I do not know. I twice found a beetle so 

 damaged, that was still very decidedly alive. 



I may note parenthetically that at the end of June we 

 (Mr. Champion and myself) met with Orina rugidosa at 

 San Sebastian. We found both beetles and larvse, and 

 observed the egg-laying to follow almost precisely the 

 same methods as in 0. smaragdina, indeed the eggs were 

 almost indistinguishable from each other (I had some of 

 the latter with me). They were on a very nigra-Wke 

 species of Centaitrca; the impossibility of obtaining 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1903. — PART IIL (OCT.) 



