9552 Insects. 



In the larval slate this insect pretty strongly resembles Neraalus 

 Salicis (see plate 3), and in the ])erfect state Nematus fulvus, Hart. 

 It appears to me that the imago has never been described, but the 

 larva is described by De Geer, loc. cit. ; his description is also referred 

 to by Brischke, in his account of Nematus Salicis, where he speaks of 

 a very nearly allied species which has probably been coufounded with 

 the one under consideration. 



I have only once had an opportunity of examining these larvas, and 

 that was in September, 1859, at which time 1 found a number upon a 

 poplar in my garden in the position in which I have represented one 

 at fig. 9. They are very easily distinguished from N. Salicis by this 

 position in which they rest, as also by the colour of the body and the 

 distribution of the black spots. They have twenty legs, as have all 

 the larvae of Nematus with which I am acquainted. Head entirely 

 shining, black, the first three and last three segments of the body are 

 orange, the intermediate part bluish gray. The ventral surface and 

 the first five pairs of abdominal legs are somewhat greener than the 

 back, which is blue-gray ; the stigmata are very small and obscure, the 

 last pair of abdominal legs and the anal legs are orange. On the first 

 three segments are a very few black dots, the largest being above the 

 legs of the second pair. Along each side of that part of the back 

 coloured blue-gray are three rows of shining black spots ; these do not 

 run together, and are most of them almost square ; there are, moreover, 

 two small elliptical spots just above each leg. Thus, besides the lint 

 and the relative extent of the colours, the number of rows formed by 

 these black spots affords a very good and ready characteristic to 

 separate this larva from that of N. Salicis, N. trimaculatus having six 

 and N. Salicis seven such rows. The last divisions, again, are but 

 little spotted, the penultimate segment only having at the end two 

 clearly defined trausverse rows of round spots ; above the anal valve 

 is a shining black spot, below which are two little black spines 

 (fig. 11). These larv« were also very voracious and were almost 

 continually feeding, sparing only the lower parts of the leaf-veins. 

 Shortly after I had found them they went into the ground, but not to 

 any great depth, and made their cocoons ; these were double, having 

 coarse meshes on the outside and were covered with grains of sand, 

 the inside being polished, smooth, fine and of a dark brown colour. 

 Fig. 12 represents the inner cocoon, which has been opened by the 

 wasp, lying inside the outer cocoon, this latter being torn open on one 

 side. 



1 was more fortunate with my brood than De Geer was with his; 



