298 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



[Folsom, in his remarks on insects in relation to plants,* 

 writes : — " Those who rear insects know how frequently cater- 

 pillars and other larvae are destroyed by fungi that give the 

 insects a powdered appearance. These fungi, referred to the 

 genus Isaria, are in some cases known to be asexual stages of 

 forms of Cordyceps, which forms Appear from the bodies of 

 various larvae, pupae, and imagines, as long, conspicuous, 

 fructifying sprouts." 



Of the life-cycle of fungi parasitic on the various stages of 

 Lepidoptera, the entomologist, as a rule, knows very little. 

 Possibly the study is one that appeals more especially to the 

 botanist, but the subject is not without entomological interest. 

 In the ' Entomologist ' for 1878 (vol. xi.), p. 121, there is an 

 article by the late Dr. F. Buchanan White entitled " Notes on 

 Certain Parasitic Fungi which attack Insects"; a figure of a 

 larva of Mamestra hrassica, with fungus thereon, is given. The 

 late Mr. W. H. Tugwell, in 1891, at a meeting of the South 

 London Entomological and Natural History Society, exhibited 

 some parasitic fungi that had destroyed a number of pupae of 

 Eucosmia certata in one of his breeding-cages. Some pupae of 

 Gortynajiavago, afterwards placed as an experiment in the same 

 soil, were also attacked by the fungus and killed (Entom. xxiv. 

 306). Another exceedingly interesting contribution to our know- 

 ledge of the vegetal enemies of insects is by Mr. F. V. Theobald, 

 published in the ' Entomologist ' for 1897 (vol. xxx.) p. 162 ; this 

 is also illustrated. Scattered through the volumes of this 

 Journal are several notes and articles on the " Vegetable Cater- 

 pillar of New Zealand " ; the latest, by Mr. Alfred Philpott, was 

 published in volume xxxix. p. 174 (1906). 



We may add that in future British " Vegetable Cater- 

 pillars " will have a place in the National Collections at the 

 Natural History Museum, South Kensington, and Mr. Hartley 

 Durrant, of the Museum, will be glad to receive such material. 

 — Ed.j 



MELITMA AURINIA, Eott., var. AURUNCA, Turati. 



By Philip J. Barraud, F.E.S. 



(Plate V.) 



This interesting form of Melitcea aurinia was discovered by 

 my friend Signore Orazio Querci, of Formia, on May 25th, 1909, 

 in the Aurunci Mountains at about 2500 ft. elevation, and a 

 month later on Monte Petrella at about 5000 ft. The Aurunci 

 Mountains are in southern central Italy, and lie towards the 

 Mediterranean coast, about mid-way between Eome and Naples. 



* • Entomology, with Special Reference to its Biological and Economic 

 Aspects,' p. 258 (1906). 



