OVA AND YOUNG LARVA OF CHRYSOPHANUS AMPHIDAMUS. 399 



A. sijmpJiyti, Schrank. — Wye, October 13th, 1911. A single 

 apterous female on groundsel flower-head. I have been unable to 

 find more of this very marked species. 



(To be continued.) 



DESCRIPTION OF OVA AND YOUNG LARVA OF 

 CHRYSOPHANUS AMPHIDAMAS. 



By W. G. Sheldon, F.E.S. 



Whilst at Mattmar in the province of Jemtland, Sweden, I 

 discovered on the under sides of the leaves of Polygonum viviparum 

 on June 5th last several Chrysophanid ova. I did not see them 

 actually deposited, but they were identical in every respect with 

 ova I obtained by dissecting a female of Chrysophanus amphi- 

 damas, and as they differ markedly from the ova of all the other 

 species of Chrysophanus occurring in Sweden, which are well 

 known, there cannot be the slightest doubt that they are those 

 of this species. 



The description of the ova is as follows : — Horizontal 

 diameter 20 mm. ; vertical diameter 50 mm. ; diameter of 

 micropyle 15 mm. ; shape spherical, somewhat flattened at the 

 crown ; colour a clear, frosted white, when looked at from above ; 

 but when viewed sideways the ovum has a beautiful opalescent 

 sheen. 



The surface is covered by a network of deeply pitted cells, 

 rounded, but with irregular outline ; six of these cells surround 

 the micropyle. 



Larva emerges by eating a large hole at the apex of the ovum, 

 removing the micropylar area, as well as a portion of the sur- 

 rounding cells. 



The first larva emerged on June 23rd ; the micropylar area 

 for the two or three days previous to emergence became of a 

 leaden tinge. 



The newly emerged larva is about one millimetre in length, 

 of a dull greenish white colour, thickly covered with long white 

 spines ; it commenced at once to feed on the under side of 

 the leaves of P. viviparum alongside the midrib, forming a deep 

 channel in which the young larva was almost hidden, and eating 

 the lower cuticle of the leaf only. 



The larvae emerged whilst I was in Lapland, and in con- 

 sequence of my being unable to keep the food-plant in water, the 

 leaves curled up, which they have a great tendency to do, and 

 probably crushed the larvas ; at any rate I did not see them 

 after they were four days old. 

 Youlgreave, South Croydon : October 21st, 1911. . 



