26 



November, 1911. J 24S 



NOTES ON THE EARLY STAGES 



OF 



HALMONIA APPENDICULATA, Panz., 

 BY JOSEPH COLLINS. 



Reprinted from "The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," 2nd Series, Vol. xxii. 



During my holidays in the latter part of August, 1911, I devoted 

 some considerable time to working with the water-net, in a mill-stream 

 connected with the River Cherwell, near Oxford, for the rare Hsemonia 

 appendictdata, Panz., the locality being that already recorded for the 

 species, in E. M. M., vol. xlvi, p. 238. In the course of these operations, 

 I came across a strange-looking larva suggesting that of a Dipteron in 

 its appearance, among the water- weeds in my net. A day or two later, 

 I noticed several peculiar little cocoons attached to the stems of an 

 aquatic plant, among the debris which had become detached from the 

 growing plants and had found their way into the water-net. 



At the time I had no idea what these cocoons could be, and, therefore, 

 took a few of them to see what they would produce. Visiting the place 

 on another occasion, I found that one of these cocoons contained a fully 

 developed imago on the point of emerging, there being a hole at one 

 end. On closer examination, I was much pleased and surprised to see 

 a perfect specimen of H. oLjjpendicutttta inside, with legs and antennae 

 folded up snug and compact in this extremely small place. 



I had thus traced the complete cycle of larva, pupa and imago. 



