392 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. IV, 



Larvae upon hatching, generally remain concealed for some 

 time feeding in a protected place, usually not feeding in the 

 open except at night or when very numerous, when they pass 

 out onto the leaves even in broad daylight. Some feed in 

 flower-heads (meles and nigrirostris, prob. also eximius and 

 comptus); others in the leaf -buds {posticus), but all when 

 numerous will defoliate their food plant. 



The larva when full grown spins a cocoon that may be 

 placed among the flowerets (nigrirostris) , on the upper surface 

 of the leaves (comptus); on or near the ground, in leaves or 

 other debris (posticus) or in the ground (H. punctata). Even 

 in the same species there is some diversity of habit. 



In those species where the cocoon spinning has been watched 

 the process is as follows (Folsom, Titus for Hyp. punctata, 

 Titus, Ainslie, Sadler for P. posticus, Titus for P. nigrirostris). 



In Hypera punctata the larva buries itself in a small oval 

 cell in the ground, slightly under the surface; this cell it smooths 

 with its head and by turning around and around with its body 

 in- the characteristic curved position; the other species do not 

 form cocoons in the ground. The spinning in the species 

 observed is done with the mouth. The first hairs are placed as 

 a round network on the surface where the larva is lying, then 

 lying on its back it reaches with the head to one side slowly 

 spinning the thread upward. The thread hardens and is thus 

 sometimes carried over to the other side making a framework 

 upon which to attach other threads. More often the threads 

 are laid down along the first network and gradually built up on 

 each side, the larva often puts its mouth or parts of its mouth 

 through the coarser network and fastens a thread outside. The 

 meshes are gradually reduced, in size by placing other threads 

 in both directions inside the first rows, this is especially true 

 with comptus and punctata. 



Every few seconds, or at least every half minute the larva 

 reaches back to the anus and apparently from some gland 

 secures a fresh supply of silk, the operation of securing this silk 

 can be better described as sucking than "nibbling" though it 

 partakes of the character of both. It may be that this is a 

 secretion from the malphigian glands as found by Silvestri to 

 occur in Lebia. Pupation occurs from one to three days after 

 the cocoon is completed. 



