April 1889.] 



PSrCHE. 



189 



excitedly as most insects do when in this 

 position ; but as soon as the cocoon was 

 placed within reach, it folded its legs 

 about it and became quiet, remaining so 

 although still lying on its back. 



Early in May 1S86, another Megilla 

 was found over a cocoon on a clover 

 leaf, and was transferred to a breeding 

 cage. When next examined, 26 May, 

 the parasite had emerged and the beetle 

 was dead, although still entangled in 

 the cocoon. 



Again iS May 1886 another Megilla 

 was found on a currant leaf clinging to a 

 cocoon like those above mentioned. It 

 strongly resisted efforts to dislodge it, 

 and refused to walk when removed — 

 clinging to the leaf-stem or other small 

 object as it had done to the cocoon. No 

 sign of external injury could be seen. 

 When put in alcohol the beetle refused 

 to let go the cocoon until dying. 



The same kind of beetle and cocoon 

 were again found by a member of the 

 Natural history societv of the Uni^•ersity 

 of Illinois at a field-meeting in May 

 1887, in the woods near Mahomet, in 

 central Illinois, and was shown to most 

 of the members present. The Megilla 

 was alive and clung to the cocoon with 

 great pertinacity. 



The accompanying illustration, dra^vn 

 by Miss Lillie Hart, shows the beetle 

 over the cocoon, on a clover leaf. 



Description. 



The parasite bred by us agrees with 



the figure given bv Dr. Rile}' of the 



species bred by him from this coccinellid, 



for which he has proposed the provis- 



ional name Centis'es americaua. He 

 had obtained only female specimens, 

 howe^'er, while both sexes ai'e repre- 

 sented in the Laboratory collection. The 

 two sexes may be described as follows : 

 Length, 2.5 mm. ^ 9 . Black, some- 

 what shining, covered with rather long 

 brown hairs ; head with palpi and man- 

 dibles yellowish brown ; black on vertex 

 surrounding ocelli. Abdomen, except 

 tergum of first segment, shining, dark 



,,-tfi1'J?ii>,^ 



m 



■'^^^5^'-^ I - 



brown. Antennae as long as body, pi- 

 ceous except at base where they are 

 tawny olive. ^lesonotum coarsely punc- 

 tate, with subtriangular areas adjacent 

 to the insertion of the wings more shin- 

 ing and with fewer punctiu'es ; these 

 areas sometimes brownish. Metanotum 

 coarsely reticulate. Tergum of first ab- 

 dominal segment longitudinally rugosely 

 reticulate, remaining segments smooth 

 and shining. Legs of 9 dark yellowish 



