oy eas i aa 
on the Biononucs of Southern Nigerian Insects. 391 
manner described by Lamborn [ibid., pp. 495-97]. I saw 
two empty Lycaenid pupa-cases on the shrub, which 
annoyed me because I had missed them. I do not think 
it would be possible to feed such a larva in the house, as 
the Membracid probably wouldn’t thrive on a cut twig. 
One would think that it would be a long time before a 
comparatively large larva would mature on such fare, and 
yet 1t is probably a more concentrated food than many 
caterpillars get. In connection with the food of the 
“ Hewitsonia” type of bark-frequenters [pp. 342-46] I 
have been examining the frass of various larvae micro- 
scopically, and it is to me a great wonder what they take 
out of the ingested matter. There is no question but what 
they feed on the “ cortex,’ by which I mean just the 
thinnest superficial layer (including epiphytic Algae, etc.), 
for their bites are not visible to the naked eye, nor have I 
picked them up with a lens. The Pterocarpus larvae 
|p. 383] passed abundant frass which was practically un- 
changed corolla tissue, unchanged as far as the eye could 
judge. I took in some fairly large moth larvae [p. 407] the 
other day which were feeding on a fern epiphytic on an 
Oil Palm. They ate at a great rate and passed frass as 
quickly. Unless their digestive fluids are very highly 
concentrated and very rapid in their action, they could 
hardly take anything out of the plant tissue. So perhaps 
the Lycaenid with his Membracids is wiser in his generation 
than these seeming children of light. I hope to get them 
when about to pupate, to examine their frass too. 
March 18, 1917.—I have now got several of the Lycaenids 
of the Membracid association to pupate. I have paid 
several visits since first finding the larvae. [Um sure now 
that Lamborn knew of it, for I recall him asking me if I 
saw any resemblance to a monkey’s face in the pupa. 
[For Lamborn’s observations on Lachnocnema see Trans. 
Ent. Soc., 1913, p. 470; but the supposed resemblance to 
a monkey’s face is in the pupa of Spalgis, also proved to 
be carnivorous by Lamborn and others: ibid., p. 475.] 
There is that suggestion certainly, but I think, at a little 
distance off, the effect is much more of the bird-dropping 
order, in a different way from that of the larva, for the 
colours are those of brown paper and putty, nicely blended. 
I tried hard to make more of their relation to the Mem- 
bracids, but without success. I saw one once again feeding 
on the droplet but not on the Membracids, but my visits 
