the Biology of some British Neurojitera. 567 



of the body is quite cliaracteristic and much marked with Ijlack 

 or very dark brown. 



The head below is uniformly dark brown. Legs blackLsh. In 

 the mid- ventral Une, between each pair of coxae, are two blackish 

 spots, tending to fuee as one. These are often continued on the 

 abdominal segments, though less distinctly. 



On the abdomen, ventrally, running the length of each side, is 

 a broad blackish band, and nearer the mid- ventral line another 

 similar band. The entire under surface tends to become black, as 

 in the imago. While all the differences here indicated are generally 

 present, larvae sometimes so closely resemble prasina as to be hardly 

 distinguishable. 



There is no object in giving further particulars of the 

 life-history, which has only been observed to differ from 

 that of jj'rasina in the longer incubation period of the egg, 

 and this may not be normal. 



Chrysopa septempunctata Wesmael. 



Wing expanse 28-40 mm. Body uniformly full gieen in life. 

 A black spot between the basal joints of the antennae; front 

 spotted with black. 



C. septempunctata can only be confounded with C. prasitia, 

 which latter has, however, a black spot at the extreme 

 base of the costa, absent in septempunctata. 



In gardens and orchards, even in towns, this species is 

 one of the commonest and incidentally also one of the 

 most malodorous of the species of Chrysopa. It occurs 

 from the end of May until early July. In August a second 

 and smaller brood may occur, and individuals of these 

 have lived until mid-October (1920). 



Eggs are laid singly, or more often in fairly close clusters 

 of up to about twenty, on the undersides of leaves or 

 som.etimes on tree-trunks and twigs, in the vicinity of 

 aphids. The species appears to have a penchant for beans 

 (attacked by Aphis rumids L.), rose and apple trees. 

 The egg is about -9 mm. long, green when laid, supported 

 on a footstalk of from 7-8 mm. length. In four or five 

 days it assumes a greyish tint, darkening until hatching, 

 which takes place in from six (70° F.) to nine (60° F.) days. 



The young larvae rest for a time on the empty eggshell, 

 then descend to the attaching surface and often reascend 

 other egg-stalks to suck out the juices of their, as yet 



