12 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol., 70 



VERMILEO COMSTOCKII Wheeler 



Plates 1 and 2 



Habits.— -The eggs are deposited in sand, and the larvae form 

 conical pitfalls in which to ensnare small insects. 



Larva. — The dried larval skin is opaque white and is so distorted 

 that it is impossible to give any idea of the shape. It is fastened 

 at the tip of the pupa (fig. 11) ; near the caudal end of the larva, 

 and apparentl^y on the dorsum, are three pairs of very stout yel- 

 lowish spines which taper to a hook-like point ; the moutli parts 

 (fig. 6) are deep brown, semitransparent ; head capsule seen from 

 above pyriform in outline, the anterior portion irregularly sculp- 

 tured ; in the lateral view it is arched dorsally ; the long central rod 

 is broad and arched ; the small rods at the anterior end are parallel 

 to the main rod. 



Even after soaking this larval skin for a day or two I was unable 

 to add anything to the above. 



Pupa {fg. 11). — Medium sized, semitransparent, very faintly 

 yellowish wdiite, thorax semitransparent with a yellowish brown in- 

 fuscation and slightly larger in diameter than the abdomen; abdo- 

 men tapering slightly toward the apex. Head small, rounded; 

 antennal capsules elongated, pointed and slightly raised from the 

 undersurface of the head. Thorax longer than broad and smooth; 

 wing pads Avith numerous short rugosities; on the clorso-lateral 

 surface of the thorax, near the anterior end, is located the thoracic 

 spiracle (fig. u) ; this spiracle is very small, deep brownish black, 

 shining, with the narrow outer edge and the central design paler 

 in color; directly below the spiracle, directed forward and slightly 

 downward, is a long, tapering, spine-like bristle. Abdomen is com- 

 posed of eight segments of about equal length but tapering toward 

 the apex; on the intersegmental skin are two transverse lines com- 

 posed of very small, roughened areas which may be easily concealed 

 in the segmental folds ; near the antero-lateral angle of the segments 

 from 1 to 7, are the abdominal spiracles (fig. r), which are very 

 small, reniform, with an anterior concavity, and brownish black 

 with four radiating, narrow, dark yellow stripes. The last segment 

 is very narrow but otherwise can not be described on account of the 

 larval skin being attached in such a way that it can not be removed. 



Length, 8 mm.; diameter of tlforax, 1.75 mm.; diameter of abdo- 

 men at base, 1.25 mm. 



Larval skin attached to apex of puparium. Alta Meadows, Calif., 

 no date. Dr. W. M. Wheeler, collector. 



