136 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



them placed as though they were the double rows of Microptt>r;/.r, 

 with alternate spines omitted, i.e., the inner spine is wanting on the 

 first abdominal segment, the outer one on the second, and so on 

 alternately ; laterally the spines appear to belong to the lower row of 

 the lateral series of Micropteryx, but the upper row is represented on 

 the thorax by two spines. A further point of resemblance in these 

 spines to those of Micropteryx is in their peculiar spiculate apex, 

 which reminds one much of the peculiar stellate spiculae of the knobs 

 of Micropteryx. 



With regard to the structure of the larva, Dyar says : " The setae 

 are highly modified, and their arrangement has been much specialised, 

 as shown by the fact that the last two thoracic segments are like those 

 of the abdomen. This is the case in no generalised type, and has only 

 been so perfectly attained in some of the highest lines of development 



in the Frenatae The curious abdominal legs are unique in 



the Lepidoptera. Probably they have been derived secondarily, and 

 have no homologues elsewhere." This, as will be seen from the 

 preceding paragraph, is not Chapman's opinion, since he homologises 

 the abdominal legs of Micropteryx (Eriocephala) with the suckers of the 

 Eucleid larva. 



Chapman considers that the two long setae on the 10th abdominal 

 segment of the larva are homologous with cerci rather than with any 

 ordinary tubercles or processes of lepidopterous larvse, and, comparing 

 these larvae with those of Panorpa, he points out that, in the disposition 

 of the tubercles and of the abdominal prolegs, the resemblance between 

 them is very close. The idea that the bristles on the last abdominal 

 segment are cerci, requires fuller investigation. It seems impossible to 

 correlate them with any of the ordinary appendages of lepidopterous 

 larvae, since they are only bristle-like appendages, and are quite 

 different from the ball appendages of the Eriocephalid larva that pro- 

 bably represent the usual tubercles in other lepidopterous larvae. It 

 is to be remembered that, though called bristles, they are of very large 

 size (for bristles) in comparison with the larva itself, and their struc- 

 ture hasnot yet been investigated (Chapman, in lift., March 25th, 1898). 



The Micropterygid egg is very remarkable. Those of M. calthclla 

 and M. seppella are spherical, but eggs of M. ainwanella, Hb. (= an<lt'r- 

 whella, H.-S. nee Hb.), obtained by Chapman, whilst we were at Cannes 

 in April last (1898), were obviously rather oval than spherical. The 

 size of a batch of eggs laid by a single moth exceeds in volume that of 

 the moth itself. This is due not so much to the size of each indi- 

 vidual egg as to the fact that the marvellous mealy or snowy appearance 

 of the egg-shell is developed after the egg is laid, and swells the latter 

 out to a much larger size than when it is first deposited. There can 

 be no doubt that the tiny points which give the egg this mealy appear- 

 ance prevent, as it were, close contact between the egg and the 

 object (moss ?), often very damp, upon which it is laid. The eggs are 

 laid in little masses, sometimes one heap contains from 70 to 80 ova. 



Meyrick says that the Micropterygids (Eriocephalids) consist of 

 about a score of species, inhabiting especially S. Europe, Asia Minor, 

 Syria, and North Africa. The imagines frequent blossoms (Carex, etc.), 



* "Classification of the Lepidoptera on Larval characters," American 

 Naturalist, 1895, pp. 1066 et seq. 



