534 



Mr. C. L. Withycombe's Notes on 



slightly greyish. Body primrose yellow, the posterior extremity 

 rather more orange in colour. In the prothorax only are there 

 indications of latero-dorsal bands, these being pa'e castaneous. 

 Rest of body uniformly pale, except for a median longitudinal 

 darker line and one or two transverse smiken lines per segment. 



A small, loosely woven cocoon, 4-5 mm. long x 2 mm. 

 broad, is spun in a curled leaf, in a creAT.ce, or in moss at 

 tbe foot of the tree. The majority of cocoons found in 

 winter have been in the last situation, often as deep as one 

 inch below the surface. The pupa is lemon-yellow in colour. 

 As emergence approaches, the dorsum becomes edged with 

 brown. Winter is passed as a pale yellow pupa, which 

 remains pale in colour throughout the whole of the cold 

 weather. In early spring darkening takes place, and the 

 imago appears shortly afterwards. 



The two examples given are from eggs of one female. 

 I have no complete records of from egg to imago emerging 

 the same year, but many bred from captured larvae. The 

 length of the pupal stage is ten days (65° F.) to two weeks 

 (60° F.) In one case a larva spinning on the 17th July, 

 1921, emerged on the 14th October, 1921, The average 

 temperature here was over 70° F. during July, more than 

 65° F. throughout August, and about 65° F. for the 

 remaining period. Such variants are very puzzling. 



The food of H. micans as a larva is varied, all small 

 insects and mites being accepted. On beech, larvae have 

 been observed feeding upon Phyllaphis fagi L., which, of 

 course, is a wax-secreting form. Often this aphid must be 

 the principal food. Hymenopterous parasites have been 

 bred from v/ild caught larvae. In one case (1921) 25 per 

 cent, w^ere parasitised. 



Hemerobius humuli Linnaeus. 



Wing expanse 14-16 mm. Colour yellow with some fuscous. 

 Antennae annulated with fuscous. Fore-wings pale yellow, vena- 

 tion spotted with black, the sjDots being continued on the membrane 



