﻿40.— 
  NOTES 
  ON 
  THE 
  LIFE-HISTORY 
  OF 
  TWO 
  SPECIES 
  OF 
  

  

  CELYPHID^. 
  

  

  (Plates 
  L— 
  LI). 
  

  

  % 
  S. 
  K. 
  Sen, 
  B.Sc. 
  

  

  (1) 
  Celyphus 
  obtectus, 
  Dalm. 
  (Plate 
  L). 
  

  

  In 
  nature 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  on 
  cow-pea 
  leaves, 
  old 
  green, 
  or 
  yellow 
  

   leaves 
  — 
  especially 
  the 
  latter 
  — 
  being 
  generally 
  preferred. 
  The 
  eggs 
  

   are 
  generally 
  deposited 
  scattered 
  along 
  the 
  veins 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  surface 
  

   of 
  the 
  leaves. 
  

  

  Imagines 
  are 
  hardly 
  observed 
  at 
  noon, 
  but 
  are 
  seen 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  

   in 
  the 
  earlier 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  day 
  jumping, 
  instead 
  of 
  flying, 
  from 
  twig 
  to 
  

   twig. 
  

  

  In 
  captivity 
  Celyphids 
  laid 
  eggs 
  in 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  situations, 
  on 
  leaves, 
  

   in 
  empty 
  tubes, 
  on 
  cork-pieces, 
  etc. 
  A 
  gravid 
  female 
  has 
  a 
  remarkably 
  

   bulging 
  abdomen 
  and 
  can 
  lay 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  60 
  to 
  70 
  eggs. 
  They 
  are 
  

   laid 
  singly. 
  

  

  The 
  egg 
  is 
  about 
  1 
  mm. 
  in 
  length, 
  white, 
  elliptical, 
  blunt 
  at 
  both 
  

   ends, 
  with 
  four 
  longitudinal 
  ridges 
  which 
  meet 
  at 
  the 
  extremities, 
  the 
  

   spaces 
  between 
  the 
  ridges 
  being 
  finely 
  transversely 
  striated. 
  A 
  central, 
  

   narrow, 
  shallow 
  depression 
  runs 
  longitudinally 
  along 
  the 
  middle. 
  Close 
  

   to 
  the 
  extremities 
  are 
  two 
  parallel 
  rows 
  of 
  greenish 
  spots, 
  the 
  ridges 
  

   themselves 
  being 
  also 
  finely 
  and 
  indistinctly 
  spotted. 
  The 
  ridges 
  join 
  

   to 
  form 
  a 
  rather 
  thick 
  protuberance 
  in 
  one 
  extremity 
  whereas 
  in 
  the 
  

   other 
  extremity 
  the 
  two 
  middle 
  ridges 
  do 
  not 
  quite 
  meet 
  so 
  that 
  there 
  

   is 
  a 
  fine 
  slit-like 
  depression 
  in 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  end. 
  The 
  incubation 
  period 
  

   is 
  from 
  four 
  to 
  five 
  days. 
  

  

  In 
  nature 
  the 
  larvae 
  are 
  found 
  occupying 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  of 
  old 
  

   green 
  and 
  more 
  frequently 
  of 
  degenerated 
  yellow 
  leaves 
  and 
  they 
  have 
  

   been 
  frequently 
  found 
  covered 
  with 
  small 
  bits 
  of 
  moist 
  cow-pea 
  flower 
  

   or 
  pieces 
  of 
  moist 
  leaf. 
  

  

  Larvae 
  hatched 
  out 
  in 
  captivity 
  at 
  first 
  remain 
  coiled 
  round 
  the 
  

   egg-shell 
  for 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  three 
  hours 
  after 
  which 
  they 
  slowly 
  uncurl 
  

   themselves 
  and 
  move 
  about 
  apparently 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  food, 
  the 
  flies 
  being 
  

   bred 
  out 
  on 
  moist, 
  slightly 
  rotten 
  cow-pea 
  leaves. 
  

  

  The 
  larva 
  is 
  white, 
  translucent, 
  tapering 
  at 
  both 
  ends 
  and 
  with 
  

   13 
  segments. 
  The 
  fifth, 
  sixth, 
  seventh, 
  eighth 
  and 
  ninth 
  segments 
  are 
  

   subequal, 
  the 
  larva 
  being 
  broadest 
  at 
  this 
  region. 
  The 
  apical 
  portion 
  

   has 
  two 
  fan-like 
  processes 
  consisting 
  of 
  several 
  rows 
  of 
  indented 
  plates 
  

  

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