IN ITALY AND SICILY IN 1844. 7 



this insect on the 15th of April on the mountains near Messina, 

 on some plants of Ferula communis, on the leaves of which they 

 lived. I have not noted what they were like in my journal, and 

 cannot now remember it. They changed to the pupa state along 

 with D. thapsiella ; and my five specimens of the perfect insect 

 emerged at Syracuse on the loth, 16th, 18th, and 19th of May. 

 The species does not seem to be at all abundant, since I only 

 found the larvae in a single locality. 



Depressaria veneficella, n. sp. [Described, see p. 31.] This occurs at 

 Syracuse on Thapsia garganica, where the Iarva3 are abundant in 

 the unexpanded umbels still enclosed within their sheaths : it de- 

 vours the flowers and the tender stems ; in the latter it bores holes, 

 so that not unfrequently the stems become black and die off. It 

 eats out the inner pith of the stem, into which it bores at intervals. 

 When the blossoms have unfolded, it spins them together and 

 remains amongst them. In company with these larvae I also 

 found those of Penthina tlmpsiana. On the 30th of April I found 

 larvae of the most different ages, even on one plant, where they 

 probably all came from one mother. 



Till nearly June I still met with the larvce around Syracuse. 

 On Mount Etna I found larvae on the 30th of June, on the Thapsia- 

 plants which are here and there abundant on the lower margin of 

 the wooded region, on which I likewise perceived distinct signs 

 that they had also nourished the larvae of thapsiella, which had 

 already disappeared. The pupation takes place, as in thapsieUa, 

 under decayed remains of plants in a slight cocoon after two to 

 three days. [Description of the pupa, see p. 32.] The perfect 

 insects made their appearance from the 20th of May to the 5th of 

 June, thus after remaining in the pupa-state from twenty to twenty- 

 four days. I obtained a few in June by treading down the then 

 quite dried Thapsia-pl&nts, whereby I caused them to fly. From 

 my larvae I obtained altogether few moths, and most of these have 

 become very greasy ; indeed grease seems to form more on this 

 species than on other Depressarice. 



The origin of the name of this species was as follows : Already, 

 when collecting the larvae of thapsiella, suspecting no evil, after 

 carelessly plucking the leaves of the Thapsia, I had remarked a 

 long- continued itching about the eyes, the ears, and the neck. 

 Being suspicious of the Thapsia, I made inquiry whether the 

 plant were poisonous, and was assured it was not so. Besides 

 this I had noticed a goatherd who cut down a whole armful of 

 these leaves and threw them to his goats, which devoured them 

 with great relish. But as the itching occurred every time I col- 

 lected Thapsia-leaves wherewith to feed my larvae I mistrusted 

 the plant. At Syracuse on the 30th of April, on the road which 

 goes over the ancient Acradina towards Priolo, I collected from 

 the Thapsia-plants which are there a whole pocketful of unde- 

 veloped umbels infested with larvae of veneficella. These being 

 enclosed in the sheath have a club-like appearance and are covered 

 with a slight rime. When I returned to the house I pulled 



