Whiting: Rearing Meal Moths 
259 
GREEDY MAGGOTS SUCK THE JUICES OF THE CATERPILLAR 
"Maggot-like larvae emerge very shortly from the eggs (which have been deposited in the 
caterpillar by the female parasitic wasps) and cling to the integument of their host. Growth is 
rapid and soon White cocoons are spun." (about x7) (Fig. 17.) 
cultures of moths are made in the tin 
boxes described above. If the young 
caterpillars appear crowded, masses of 
the cereal matted with webs are re- 
moved and divided into other boxes 
containing cereal. When the cater- 
pillars attain full size they are collected 
with tweezers. Disturbing the cereal 
will cause the larvae to crawl about 
exposing themselves. They will finally 
come to rest upon the cover from which 
they may be easily collected. Four or 
five fat caterpillars are placed in each 
vial which is closed with a tight cotton 
plug wrapped with cheesecloth through 
which neither caterpillars nor wasps 
will burrow. During earlier experi- 
ments corks were used but it was 
found that the wasps gnawed their 
way through these. 
In the wasps the sexes may be readily 
separated by observing the longer 
antennae of the male and the promi- 
nent sting and sensory gonapophyses 
of the female. 
The female is placed in the vial with 
the caterpillars and the culture set in 
a warm place. Optimum temperature 
for development is 30° C. at which the 
period from egg to eclosion is about 
