70 SUB-FAMILY LOPHYR1NA. 



Sub-family LOPHYRINA. 



Antennae from 17 23-jointed, serrate beneath, and more rarely on 

 the upper side as well in ?, flabellate doubly or singly in <. Wings 

 with one radial and four cubital cellules, but the first transverse 

 cubital nervure may be obsolete. The second and third cellules 

 receive each a recurrent nervure. Lanceolate cellule with a straight 

 cross nervure, constricted in the middle (Monoctenus) or petiolate 

 (Cladomacra). Costal cellule wide, with an oblique cross nervure. 

 Transverse basal nervure usually straight, and received close to 

 cubital, or curved and received at a little distance from it. Posterior 

 wings with two or, more rarely, one middle cellule. Head narrow, 

 rounded, and retreating behind the eyes, which are placed nearly in 

 the centre. The head is somewhat convex in front, almost straight 

 behind. Labium 3-lobed, labial palpi 4-jointed ; maxillary 6-jointed. 

 The outer lobe of the maxilla is longer than inner, and is narrow 

 and sharply pointed at the apex. Mandibles usually with two sub- 

 apical teeth. Pronotum large, a little hollow in front of the tegulse, 

 rounded and projecting at the sides. The head is closely pressed to it, 

 and is placed considerably lower down than the mesonotum, which 

 rises from the base. Fore lobe of raetanotum not developed ; cenchri 

 touching scutellum. Abdomen broad, thick, broadly rounded at the 

 apex. Hypopygium large, oval. 



The ovipositor is very strongly built. The saw 

 proper has strong toothed crossbars. The most singu- 

 lar structure connected with the ovipositor is the basal 

 portion of the sheath, which is very large and narrowed 

 to a point at the apex ; the apical piece being attached 

 to the apex following the curve of the basal scale. 



The larvae are cylindrical, elongated, almost glabrous, 

 have twenty-two feet, and generally are pale or bright 

 green in coloration ; if the former the bodies bear black 

 marks as a rule. They are attached exclusively to 

 Conifers, to which, from their great numbers and 

 voracity, they have been known to do enormous 

 damage. Most of them are social, feeding in com- 

 panies on the pine needles ; and usually they do not 

 leave a branch until every leaf has been devoured. The 

 eggs are laid in the pine needles to the number of ten 

 or twenty, each female probably laying close on 100 

 eggs. The double cocoon is mostly spun at the foot 

 of the pines ; more rarely on the branches. Some of 

 the larvae give out a resinous exudation from their 



