the Biology of some British Newroptera. 531 



and almost black. Jaws ca,staneoii.s. Palpi pale brown, terminal 

 joint smoky. 



The body markings are really quite characteristic, though fre- 

 quently obscured by the colour of internal organs. Larvae bred 

 in captivity are always typical, it is o\\\j wild larvae which occasion- 

 ally lack markings. 



The body is white, or creamy-white in colour, with two pale 

 chestnut-coloured longitudinal bands on either side of the white 

 central area. This white, central, longitudinal area is remarkably 

 even throughout its entire length and the inner margins of the 

 latero-dorsal longitudinal bands are almost parallel to each other. 

 The sides of the body are white. 



Contrasting this with the larva of //. stigma, which, 

 also occurring on pine is most likely to be confused with 

 the present species, it should be noted that in stigma the 

 colour of the latero-dorsal bands has always more crimson 

 in its composition, and is, in consequence, chocolate- 

 coloured, not castaneous. Also, the latero-dorsal bands are 

 really composed of separate, somewhat triangular marks 

 on each segment, and though they tend to become confluent, 

 they are not so continuous and even as in nitidulus. The 

 white central area in stigvia is consequently less regular 

 and parallel sided. 



Returning to H. nilidulus, the prothorax is whitish, the latero- 

 dorsal longitudinal bands start immediately behind the head. In 

 these bands are embedded two crescentic, almost colourless 

 sclerites, each margined with brown. Between the two main 

 sclerites is a smaller rounded sclerite, usually blackish in colour, 

 lying in the median white area. From this the pulsating dorsal 

 vessel can be traced back. Meso- and metathorax have similar 

 markings to the prothorax and possess a pair of small rounded 

 sclerites each, besides other chitinous thickenings in the transverse 

 folds. 



In the abdomen the brown latero-dorsal bands and white median 

 area continue, together with the dark line of the dorsal vessel. 

 Below, the abdomen is brownish-white and laterally, more especially 

 in the hind abdomen, is a narrow brown line on each side. Legs 

 are whitish translucent. 



For pupation, an elliptical, loosely woven cocoon is 

 spun, through which the larva is distinctly visible. The 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND, 1922. — PARTS III, IV. (FEB. '23) NN 



