May '05,] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. I33 



On the 19th I made another trip to the Garret Mountain. 

 Judging from the abundance of eggs one week previous, I 

 expected to reap a harvest of the larvae ; but after a half day's 

 hard work I was glad to have eleven specimens. The rarity of 

 the larvae was easily explained, for on almost every plant was 

 one or more of the little black spiders. 



The young larvae feed on the small tender leaves, but when 

 the seed pods appear, these seem to be preferred, the larva 

 beginning to eat at the tip and moving backwards until it is 

 entirely consumed. When at rest it usually lies on one of 

 the linear leaves and is very well protected by the resemblance. 

 The full grown larva measures about 20-24 mm. in length, is 

 pale bluish green with white spiracles, and has a rather broad 

 mid-dorsal stripe of a yellowish color and a white longitudinal 

 stripe on each side. The body is scantily covered with short, 

 black, bristle-like hairs. 



The first larva pupated June 5th. The chrysalis is a very 

 peculiar looking object with the anterior part greatly prolonged 

 and drawn to a point, extending far above the silken girdle. 

 Most of the pupae were attached to the food plant, but a few 

 were fastened to the sides of the breeding cage. On this same 

 date (June 5th) I gathered on the mountain from the food plant 

 a number of small creamy yellow cocoons of parasites, and on 

 the following day I found two in my cage which seemed to 

 associate the parasite with the geiintia larva. A small Braco- 

 nid {Apa7iteles pergandei) emerged June 8th and a number of 

 others two days later. The determination was kindly made by 

 Dr. Ashmead.* 



Adult flies from the chrysalids issued in the early part of 

 July ; the late appearance was due to abnormal conditions, 

 though all but one specimen out of a dozen pupae produced 

 perfect imagos. 



In the fields the fly is usually distinguished from other 

 Pierids by its small size, whiter color and low jerky flight. It 

 seldom, if ever, alights and can be taken easily if approached 



*The species is described only in MS. and will appear in Dr. Ash- 

 mead's " Monograph of the North American Braconidae," now in pre- 

 paration. 



