on the Bionomics of Southern Nigerian Insects. 411 
of its length, from about 5 feet from the ground upwards, 
and the circumference of the stem would not be less than 
25 or 30 inches. For the most part the web is of single 
texture, but the larvae appear to pupate gregariously, and 
over the place selected for pupation the web is several 
layers thick and each pupa is immediately surrounded by a 
very tough piece of the fabric. I have bred out quite a 
number and found no parasites. I may say, too, that 
Para trees here are almost without exception infested with 
Oecophylla, and I am sure give rise to much “ bad” Yoruba 
among the tappers. Oe¢ecophylla is a most unreasonable 
animal, hardly ever waiting to be attacked. Unconsciously 
I should think they do much to protect these little moths, 
for they run freely over the protecting fabric and few other 
things share their hunting-grounds. How the little moth 
gets out is a question I cannot answer. The first larvae I 
found were under rather an old dilapidated fabric, and I 
thought they were some sort of Coleopterous type. I ought 
perhaps to add that there are normally on Para trees brown 
patches of bark, free from lichen, which are difficult to tell 
at a distance from the web of these moths—teally difficult _ 
to tell. 
Moor Plantation. 
Jan. 8, 1918.—During the week-end I was at Agege. I 
had to go down and pay the men, besides checking two 
months’ rubber yield, so that, as I only got down on Satur- 
day—6 hours in the train—and back here yesterday, I 
had to work most of Sunday. I managed, however, to 
secure some excellent specimens of the Para moth web, 
which I will send next mail. I can’t get time—indeed, 
haven’t quite enough material—to send this mail. I also 
got cocoons of a Hymenopterous parasite, but so many are 
hyperparasitised that I doubt if Pll get a specimen of the 
original. I saw quite a dozen tiny Chalcids or Braconids 
on the surface of one web. I also found a few Dipterous 
puparia, but practically all parasitised. It is the larva that 
is attacked. 
May 28, 1918.—While at Agege I had a hunt for the little 
Para moth parasites. They are a Dipteron of some kind 
and an Ichneumon, but I couldn’t find one that hadn’t been 
parasitised in turn by a tiny Chalcid or Braconid. The latter 
I frequently found inside the “ web.” I am in hopes that 
I may yet get the original parasites, for the moth is very 
plentiful at present. 
