76 



in profusion around Sydney, where nearly a score of hoppers 

 were found to he affected. It is therefore probable that they 

 will be found commonly throughout Australia, and that the 

 species are fairly numerous. 



GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE HISTORY OF 

 EPIPYROPIDAE. 



The following account is mainly taken from the study of the 

 species I call Aganwpsyche threnodes, it being parasitic on the- 

 sugar cane leaf-hopper and a few more Oi less closely allied Del- 

 phacids. This is the only species known to us, of which numbers 

 were obtained, which is obviously parthenogenetic, no male at 

 all having been bred. The female is sluggish, and generally com- 

 mences to lay very soon after emergence. The eggs were in- 

 variably fertile, very numerous, disc-like, of small size, and laid 

 in large numbers in a batch. In nature they were found depo- 

 sited on dead grass leaves, on which the cocoons were also col- 

 lected. The development of the embryo could be watched 

 through the thin egg-shell. The imago was not studied in th-; 

 field, but I bred a number of specimens of a Sydney species from 

 cocoons sent to Honolulu by Koebele, after my own return. 

 These were kept in a large cage over growing cane and in every 

 way reminded me strongly of a species of Fumca, with which f 

 was verv well acquainted manv years ago, w'hen I confined my 

 attention to the Lepidoptera. It was to the characters of Fuinrq 

 that I turned, when working out the material here considered, 

 feeling sure that the resemblance was more than superficial, and 

 the investigation has satisfied me that such is reallv the case. The 

 superficial appearance of the larva in most of its stages is admir- 

 ably described by Bowring in the words "a Coccus-like insect," 

 for the larva, and also to some extent the cocoon, of many 

 species greatly resembles certain mealy bugs in superficial ap- 

 pearance. In the well-grown larva of Agamopsyche the head i<^ 

 extremely small, and retractile; the mandibles minute and usually 

 wholly, or almost wholly, concealed beneath the labrum; and the 

 labium is produced into a spine-like process or spinneret, direct- 

 ed downwards. The larva is able to let itself hang down bv a 

 silken thread, and when freed from its host was often seen to do 

 this. The head bears a number of longish bristles, the body a 

 few inconspicuous ones. The eyes are distinct and set on a 

 darkly pigmented area, and so placed together on the head as 



