CHARLES W. HOOKER, 83 



The life history has already been discussed on page 14, and 

 need not be repeated here. The cocoons are found in the 

 soil or under shelter near the place where the host has trans- 

 formed. The fact that many females of this species are taken 

 in trap lantern reduces the value of such traps considerably 

 as a means of combating injurious insects. 



Economic importance. — Records seem to indicate that this 

 is one of the most valuable species of the genus, since it 

 preys on several insects of considerable economic import- 

 ance. It has been frequently reported as parasite of the 

 army worm {,Heliophila unipunctaYiz.yN .) and Prof. Lugger's 

 report shows that it is a very efficient check to that pest. 

 It has also been reared from the Zebra caterpiller {Mamestra 

 picta Harr.) another injurious species, and Dr. Dimmock 

 reports it, Proceedings Entomological Society of Washington, 

 IV, p. 153, 1898 — as bred from a pupa of Prionia bilineata and 

 of a bombycid. 



Hosts. 

 Alabama {Aletia) argillacea Hubn. ; bred specimen. 

 Coelodasys unicornis Abb. and Smith, Ins. Life, III, p. 155, 1890. 

 Cutworm spp. ; Riley, Third Rept. U. S. Ent. Comm., p. 128, 1883. 

 Dipterous Solidago gall ; Felt, N. Y. State Mus., Bull. 76, p. 109, 1904. 

 Heliophila unipuncta Harr. ; Idem. 

 Mamestra picta Harr. ; Smith's Ins. N. J., p. 620, 1910. 



trifolii Rott ; Felt, N. Y. State Mus., Bull. 76, p. 109, 1904. 

 Scoliopteryx libatrix L,. ; Felt, Idem. 



Schizurx concinna Abb. and Smith ; Felt, N. Y. State Mus., Bull. 

 76, p. 109, 1904. 

 " unicormis Abb. and Smith ; Idem. 

 Telea polyphemus Cram. ; Idem. 

 Lepidopterous larva; Insect Life, III, p. 155, 1890. 

 Falcaria {Prionia) bili7ieataVa.Q.\i. ; Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., IV, p. 153, 



1898. 

 A bombycid moth ; Idem. 



Location of specimens. — The U. S. National Museum collec- 

 tion contains specimens of this species from Fox Point, 

 Alaska; Canada; Santa Cruz Mountains, Cal. ; San Forge, 

 Lower California; Reno, Nevada; Colorado; Arizona; Piano, 

 Cypress Mills, and Victoria, Texas ; Milwaukee, Wis. ; Agri- 

 cultural College, Mich, ; Illinois ; St. Louis, Mo. ; Ithaca, and 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XXXVIII. 



