32 r.. ('. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



VITULA SERRATILINEELLA Rag., A Honey Feeding Larva 

 By J. Wm. Cockle, Kaslo, B. C. 



Having set aside some frames of partially capped honey, I was much 

 surprised when examining them in October to see that they were covered 

 with what appeared at first sight as cobweb ; on closer examination 

 I discovered a lot of small whitish larvae secreted under the webs in the 

 partially filled cells. Where the cell was empty the larva was to be 

 seen coiled up in the bottom, but in case the larva was feeding on the 

 honey it had spun a web about one and a half inches in diameter over 

 the comb and either rested on the web or under it. Observation showed 

 that the larva reached down through a hole in the web to feed, but did 

 not remain in the cell until all the honey had been extracted. In a few 

 instances when the larva had emptied the first cell it had pierced the 

 wall of the adjoining cell, from which it continued feeding; this was 

 the exception and not the rule; -most of the larvae fed from the top. 



On October 14th, finding that the number of larvae were decreasing 

 and that there were no signs of any pupaef I removed the balance to a 

 breeding jar, placing in it a little dry earth, a few dry leaves and a small 

 block of comb honey. 



When removing one of the larvae from which to make a description, 

 I look it up on the point of the knife with which I had previously cut 

 the hone}-. It crawled over the honey without the slightest trouble, the 

 stickiness did not appear to inconvenience it at all or to interfere with 

 its progress, but they prefer to travel upon the dry comb or upon the 

 mat of silk with which they cover the comb surrounding the cell from 

 which they are feeding and in which they leave a small hole over the 

 cell through which they feed. 



During the succeeding months the larvae spun tunnelled silk pas- 

 sages all round the jar, extending them both through the comb and also 

 down into the dry earth at the bottom of the jar. They covered the 

 whole interior of the jar with a mat of silk as thick as a good sheet of 

 paper but could be observed through the glass resting in the tunnels. 

 In these they passed the winter, and as they Avere kept in a warm room, 

 they were never dormant but appeared to be feeding all the time. 



Description of mature larva. Length 16 m.m. Color cream. Head 

 light brown, mandibles and lower edge of cheek much darker brown, 

 thoracic segment lighter than hea'd, divided at dorsum, a dark brown 

 splash at stigma, abdominal segments with tubercles at 1 and 2 more 

 or less brownish, hairs white. Last abdominal segment with two eyed 

 brown rings at 2, from these the hairs are longer than those on the other 

 segments, also a tubercle at 1 with a heavy brown spot but not ringed. 

 Anal segment splashed with brown which extends down to the vent, 

 there are also 4 brown spots. Feet concolorous. 



Pupa. Date of pupation not observed but was proliably during 

 March. Color light golden brown, slightly darker at head and anal 



