7572 Insects. 



Tlie youngest larvae ate irregular holes in the middle of the leaves, 

 the more advanced ate from the margin of the leaf towards the midrib, 

 which was at last the only part of the leaf left. The head (figs. 1 and 2) 

 was of a greenish pale brown colour, with a transverse and a longi- 

 tudinal stripe over the crown, both of an ochreous-brown ; the jaws 

 were of a colour resembling burnt ochre, the eyes were seated in round 

 black spots ; some small gray hairs projected upwards from the head ; 

 the skin of the body was deeply wrinkled, shining, pale green, and 

 appeared as if transparent, so that the white tracheae were clearly 

 visible on both sides ; the spiracles had green margins. The six 

 thoracic legs were glassy green ; the twelve abdominal, as also the two 

 anal prolegs, of the same colour as the body. The hind pair of thoracic 

 legs were generally retracted, and not resting on the leaf; the last 

 pair of abdominal legs were also often withdrawn under the skin, as I 

 have endeavoured to represent in fig. 2. On the last segment of the 

 body were observed the above-mentioned yellow projections with 

 brown margins ; this segment was also covered with short white hairs. 

 As the larvas had but just moulted, and acquired a new skin, the head, 

 as well as the body and the anal horns, were pale green and shining; 

 before they took to the! earth my larvae assumed a darker tint, and the 

 green began to pass into brown. Their greatest length was 1^ lines, 

 and the breadth 1 line. 



From about the 17th to the 20th of September these larvae crept 

 into the earth, which I had given them for the purpose, and spun them- 

 selves simple brownish black cocoons, which it is unnecessary to 

 figure. On the 2oth of September I found three perfect insects had 

 made their appearance. On the 1st of October two others appeared, 

 and on the 2nd I counted two more. They were all females. The 

 remainder died in the larva state, or were found dried up in the 

 cocoons. 



This Nematus is by no means a rare insect, and appears to occur in 

 various parts of the country. Although I have never met again with 

 the larvae, and thus have never bred any males, 1 have no doubt that the 

 male insect I am about to describe belongs to this species, since I 

 have frequently taken it in gardens in company with the female. The 

 perfect insects are from 2^ to three 3 long, and have an expansion of 

 6 lines, the males being smaller than the females. 'Jhey belong to that 

 division of the Nemali which have the anterior portion of the anal cell* 



* The sawflies are dislinguisbed from all other Hymenoptera by the anal cell 

 beiii"' divided longiludiniilly into two parts ; to the anterior of these Hartig has given 

 the name of Area laiiceolutu, in which be is fullowed by the aulbor of these descriptions. 



