430 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM V( 



outer net may be omitted. •Whether or not this is true of species t 

 Sisyra is yet to be investigated, although it seems possible. 



According to Brown (1952, p. 147), the areolaris larva accomplishi] 

 the spinning of the outer cocoon by first securing a firm foothol(j 

 then partially withdrawing its head within the prothorax, it moves i! 

 abdomen from side to side, at the same time ejecting from the spinner* 

 the viscid silk. This silk is looped in an arc to the other side, forming] 

 loose, usually hemispherical net. After this, the larva spins tli 

 smaller inner cocoon, which is anchored by five or sLx strands to tl 

 outer cocoon or substrate, by first spinning at one end, and th^ 

 reversing its position and spinning at the opposite end. At pupaticj 

 the last larval skin is pushed into the posterior end of the cocooj 



A series of 28 cocoons, probably mainl}^ vicaria, collected at Niggi 

 Creek, near Douglas Lake, Mich., on Scirpus and Eleocharis sterj 

 (kindly sent by Dr. Spangler) ranged from 3.5 to 5.3 mm. in lengj 

 (averaging 4.5 mm.), and from 1.7 to 2.4 mm. in width (averagi^ 

 2 mm.). The outer net of the cocoon of the specimen of areolar! 

 photographed measured 5.5 by 3.9 mm., the inner cocoon 4 by 2.6 mr 

 The cocoon of the specimen oijuscata from Holland (reared by L. 

 Byars) measured 5.5 by 3.5 mm., outer net, and 3.5 by 2.5 mn: 

 inner cocoon. 



Most adults of areolaris emerge at the end of the fifth or six: 

 day (Brown, 1952, p. 150), while some individuals of Sisyra or Climaa 

 take as long as 14 days (Needham, 1901, p. 557, 11 days; Withycomh 

 1925, p. 523, about two weeks; Old, 1933, p. 682, 8 to 14 daysj 

 After first freeing the antennae and other appendages, the pupa biti 

 and forces its way out of the cocoon. The pupa often leaves t; 

 cocoon completely before shedding its sldn, but sometimes she^ 

 it within after biting an escape hole and only partially emergin 

 A dark brown fecal pellet enclosed in a peritrophic membrane is d 

 posited within the first one or two hours following emergence. Mi 

 ing, which is lateral in position, may occur several hours to two wee 

 after emergence, sometunes in flight, usually in the evening or oi 

 cloudy day. A yellowish white spermatophore, less than 1 mm. 

 diameter in Climacia (Brown, 1952, p. 154), is deposited on the i 

 of the female abdomen, sometimes after three to five minute 

 Withycombe (1923, p. 524) described the spermatophore of Sisy^ 

 as being "apparently spherical, but slightly lobate." Ovipositi( 

 takes place in the evening, often only a few hom's after pairing, 

 as many as 45 or more eggs can be laid overnight by a single fema 



Brown (1952, p. 153) found pollen grains, which might have be» 

 consumed along with nectar, in the fecal pellets of areolaris and noti 

 that under laboratory conditions, on a restricted diet of gumdra 

 and water, the adults of areolaris died within two to three weeks, wi 



