The Zoologist — December, 1808. 1465 



Life- Histories of Sawflies. Translated from the Dutch of M. S. C. 

 Snellen van Vollenhoven, by J. W. May, Esq. 



(Continued hum Zool. S. S. 1419). 



Selandkia ovata, Linn. 

 Linnceus, Syst. Nat. ii. p. 924, No. 28, Ed. Gmel. i. P. V., p. 2660, No. 28. 

 Fabricius, Syst. Piez., p. 27, No. 25. Panzer, Fauna Germ., 

 Hi. tab. 3 (haematodes). Be Geer, Memoires (Goezes' trans.), ii. 

 2, p. 237, No. 5, pi. xxxv. figs. 1—11. Klurj, Die Blattwespen, 

 &c. (in Mag. Naturf. Fr. 8er. Jhrg., p. 62, No. 54. Lepeletier 

 de St. Fargeau, Monogr. Tenthred. p. 109, No. 316. Harlig, 

 Blatt. und. Holzicespen, p. 280, No. 51. Ratzeburg, Forst- 

 insecten, iii. p. 132, pi. 3, fig. 8. Dahlbom, Clavis Novi Hymen. 

 Syst. p. 32, No. 48. 



Selandria nigra, thoracis dorso rufo, tibiis basi albidis, capite tho- 

 racisqae lateribus punctato-scabris. 



Although this species is well known, and has even been described 

 by many authors (its name dating from Linnaeus' ' Fauna Suecica'), the 

 male has hitherto remained undiscovered. I can only attribute our 

 ignorance on this head to the following reasons : — In the first place, 

 the male is very probably differently coloured to the female, so that in 

 a collection it will not be readily matched with the female ; secondly, 

 it must be remembered that sawflies seem to copulate during the night 

 or in concealed places, so that it is extremely difficult to observe the 

 copulation of these insects, and will entirely depend upon a fortunate 

 chance ; thirdly, according to my own experience, it is anything but 

 easy to rear this species through all the stages of its metamorphosis, 

 so that probably those authors who have published their observations 

 have not succeeded with more than one or two specimens, which, 

 according to the calculation of chances, were much more likely to have 

 been females than males. 



There is another conjecture possible, which may serve to clear up 

 the question as to why we are acquainted with only one sex of such a 

 common species. According to this supposition, which, however, is 

 not in anywise based upon observation, and is thus purely hypothetical, 

 and only to be regarded as an idea, the larva of the male would not 

 have the white woolly covering, and for that reason would be less 

 conspicuous, and also, in consequence of that difference, would not be 

 taken for the same species. 



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