1918] Weiss and Nicolay — Closterocerus cinctipennis Ashm, 129 



the larvae of Phyllonoryter hamadryadella and P. ulmella, all of 

 which are leaf miners. Its habits are therefore similar to those of 

 other members of the genus and allied genera. During the sum- 

 mer of 1918, it appeared to be more common in the Brachys eggs 

 and the larvae of P. ulmella than in the other hosts and only on one 

 occasion was it bred from the larva of Brachys ovata. It consti- 

 tuted a serious pest in the eggs of Brachys sp., which we were trying 

 to rear and was very common in the mines of P. ulmella. Adults 

 of C. cinctipennis were most plentiful about the first week of July 

 and the pupal stage required about two weeks. 



The eggs of Brachys ovata and B. aerosa are too small to support 

 more than one parasitic larva but the mines of P. ulmella sometimes 

 contained as many as six pupae and the size of the mine indicated 

 that only one larva of P. ulmella had been present. All of the 

 Brachys egg except the shell is consumed by the larva of C. cincti- 

 pennis and pupation takes place within the shell. In the case of 

 the larva of P. ulm,ella, everything is consumed except the outer 

 skin and the alimentary canal and pupation takes place anywhere 

 within the mine. The eggs of Brachys which are normally whitish 

 and semitransparent before hatching become black when parasit- 

 ized. The larvae and pupae of C. cinctipennis appear to be very 

 similar to those of other members of the family. 



Larva: Length 1.35 mm. Width 0.4 mm. Grublike, whitish, 

 subcylindrical, glabrous, rounded anteriorly, pointed posteriorly, 

 anal segment divided, segmentation indistinct, oral cavity on 

 median ventral surface of head, mandibles almost invisible. 



Pt^pa; Length 1.4 mm. Width 0.5 mm. Naked, shining black. 

 The pupa is anchored to the floor of the mine with its posterior end 

 within the cast skin of the larva. Upon holding the leaf up to the 

 light the pupa is seen to be surrounded by from five to eight dark 

 spots arranged more or less symmetrically. These dots are the 

 ends of excrement like supports or beams which run from the roof 

 to the floor of the mine and which undoubtedly prevent the upper 

 and lower leaf surfaces from caving in on the pupa and probably 

 interfering with development. These supports are also present in 

 the parasitized Brachys eggs. 



Adult: The following is Ashmead's description of the male: 



"Length .04 inch. Head, pleura, sternum, metathorax and 

 abdomen blue; collar, meso thorax and scutellum golden green 



