331 



AlsB margine antico non secto ; vena costali ad apiceru tantum tertiae longitudinalis, 

 uon ad quartani producta; areola basali antica iucompleta; vena ultima postica ex. 

 ilig sed distiucta. Femora omnia non iucrassata. 



. Sp. C. grandicornis. Earo in floribus Euonirai europei, in collibus subapenninis 

 ditionis pamiensis cum legi. 



THE CORN WORM OR BOLL WORM IN CALIFORNIA. 



By D. W. CoQUiLT.ETT, Los Angeles, Cal. 



lu the Fourth Eeport of the United States Entomological Commission, 

 pages 355 to 384, Professor Eiley lias given an exhaustive account of 

 the Corn Worm or Boll Worm {Heliothis armigera Hiibner). During my 

 residence in California I have made a few observations upon this insect 

 not recorded in the above report. 



While the normal habit of the full-grown larva is to enter the earth 

 to pupate it does not always follow this course. On the 9th of October 

 I found three chrysalids of this species in ears of corn, and on the 8th 

 of the succeeding month I found a fourth chrysalis iu a similar situation. 

 On the 7th of November a moth issued from one of the chrysalids first 

 mentioned, so there is no doubt of the identity of the species. 



Besides garden geraniums I have also found the larvtie feeding upon 

 the blossoms of a wild sunflower {Helianthus sp"?) and upon the seed- 

 pods of Malva boreaiis, as well as upon those of a leguminous plant 

 commonly known as " bitter clover," also upon the leaves of Cabbage, 

 Grape, and Pear, and I found a half-grown larva feeding u])on a green 

 pear into which it had already eaten a large cavity. In the same tree 

 were two other larvte of this species. 



In the work above mentioned Professor Eiley records having bred 

 from Boll Worms two species of Tachina flies — T. aletiw Eiley and T. 

 anonyma Eiley. On the 1st of June, 1888, several Tachinid larvte issued 

 from some of these worms, which I captured in Los Angeles, and soon 

 afterward impated ; the flies issued on the 14th of the same month. 

 Specimens of these flies were submitted to Professor Eiley for identifi- 

 cation, and under date of February 14 he writes me as follows con- 

 cerning them : 



I have glanced at the Tachina from Heliothis armigera and find that it differs from 1\ 

 anonyma and it does not seem to be represented in the Museum collection. 



The species is an interesting one on account of the great difference in 

 the arrangement of the bristles on the head and abdomen iu thedifiereut 

 sexes ; so great, indeed, is this difference that no person not familiar with 

 the facts in the case would ever suspect that the two forms are but the 

 opposite sexes of the same species. That they are such, however, there 

 can be no doubt, since I bred both forms from the same lot of larvae 

 and also captured three pairs united in coition. The species is evidently 



