414 entomological news. [Dec, '07 



and another Exyra, semicrocea Gn. replaces rolandiana. These 

 two Exyra, ridingsii and semicrocea, differ remarkably in 

 some of their habits. 



Ridingsii passes the winter in the larval stage in a care- 

 fully constructed hibernaculum. These hibernating larvae occu- 

 py sealed chambers low down in the dry stems of the leaves 

 of iiava, much more rarely in minor. This chamber is con- 

 structed in the dry corky frass which fills the lower portion 

 of the leaf in which the larva has been feeding, is ceiled with 

 an arched button of closely compressed particles lined beneath 

 with silk, the leaf forming the walls and another accumulation 

 of packed frass the floor. The space occupied by the larva 

 (see Plate XV), is usually about an inch in length, but is some- 

 times much longer. This portion of the leaf, dry and dead 

 in iiava, green in minor, shows no trace of feeding, though 

 the larvae become active long before leaving their winter quar- 

 ters. About April 15th, they leave these hibernacula, ruptur- 

 ing the ceiled roofs and creeping up through the loose frass 

 above. After an interval of several days spent apparently with- 

 out feeding, during which they may be found in the litter 

 of dry and broken leaves of the preceding year, they creep 

 up the tender new leaves, eat a round hole in the side, and 

 immediately creep in. This occupies only about two minutes, 

 and is the method of entrance without regard to whether the 

 leaf chosen is a mature one, open at the top, or an unopened 

 one. In the former case the larva ceils the open top with a 

 transparent but strong silken web, and sometimes, but rather 

 exceptionally, cuts a groove around the leaf internally, which 

 eventually aids in bringing about the collapse of the upper 

 portion of the leaf. This year, however, fully ninety-five 

 per cent, of the larvae chose immature, unopened leaves, the 

 earlier leaves having been killed by the late frosts. In these 

 closed leaves the larvae invariably commence feeding at the top 

 of the leaf, soon causing the hood and closed lips of the leaf 

 to collapse (see Plate XV), thus effectually closing the tube 

 and obviating the necessity for a ceiling web, which, however, 

 is sometimes spun some distance down the tube. The notch- 

 cutting habit was not practiced in any of these immature 



