13 



ber 17, to the number of twelve or fifteen on a branch of apple about 

 four inches long and on which some five or six tree-hoppers were ovi- 

 positing. The other little parasitic fly is a Trichogramma, and has been 

 described by Mr, William H. Ashmead as T. ceresarum (Canadian 

 Entomologist, vol. xx, p. 107, 1888). 



DESCRIPTION OF THE EARLIER STAGES. 



The egg is about one-sixteenth of an inch long, slightly curved, 

 tapering towards the outer end and more rounded at the inner oue. It 

 is without markings, of a dirty, whitish color, and cylindrical, except 

 as more or less angulated by the jiressure of the wood and the adjacent 

 eggs. 



The early larval and nymphal stages have never been carefully 

 described. In general, liowever, the larvae and nymphs resemble the 

 adult, but are wingless and covered along the center dorsally with 

 numerous forked or barbed projections, in this particular resembling the 

 same stages in the very closely allied tauriria^ which Dr. Eiley has fig- 

 ured. (Fig. 6, c and d.) 



Mr. Jack has described what is probably the last nymphal stage as 

 follows : 



The full grown larva is about 8'"™ ja length, and light green in color, somewhat 

 lighter than that of the mature insect. The young larvye appeared to be of a darkei' 

 green than they were at a later period of their growth. The general shape is tri- 

 angular, like that of the mature insect, but the broad horn-like projections are not 

 seen in the larva. The eyes are prominent. On the front of the elevated thorax, 

 and behind each eye are two short, strong spines, one above the other, armed with 

 several lateral prongs or forks ; higher up, near the apex of the triangular shaped 

 thorax, are two more, somewhat larger armed spines, and the last two visible tho- 

 racic segments are each provided with a pair of these branching spines that are still 

 longer. There are also a pair of these spines, each armed with about 6 or 7 barbs, 

 on each of the abdominal segments next to the terminal. These are graduated in 

 length, the shortest being on the last segments, and the longest hardly more than a 

 millimeter in length. The thoracic spines project forward, while those on the 

 abdominal segments are drawn forward at the base and then curved back, strongly 

 suggesting the dorsal fin of a fish. On the last segment, which is long and tapering, 

 there are two short armed spines directly above the anal opening, which is terminal. 

 The ventral surface of the abdomen is scatteringly covered with short, strong brie ties 

 or hairs. The legs are also covered with stifl" hairs. 



FOOD-PLANTS. 



The larvfc aud pupae, as well as the adults, feed on all sorts of 

 succulent vegetation, such as weeds and garden vegetables, and are 

 apparently not particularly fond of the apjile, much preferring the 

 more succulent annual plants. Mr. Jack reports that he found the 

 adults feeding on the young and tender shoots of the apple, near 

 the ground, by which I suppose he means the water shoots, for cer- 

 tainly after very careful and repeated observations in an orchard 

 which was so infested as to be nearly ruined, I failed entirely to find 

 any indication of the feeding of larvae or adults on apple. The injury, 

 then, in this direction, to fruit and shade trees, is practically not 

 3613— No. 1 2 



