646 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



forwards continuing in a downward direction and at the same time curving 

 inwards and approaching the mid-ventral line but not quite meeting. The 

 larva then draws out the head and the remainder of the body through the 

 big opening thus formed in the old skin. The cast skins show this big 

 opening gaping widely. 



Larval habits. — After hatching from the egg, the young larvse rest for 

 some time upon the empty shells and then they disperse. They are very 

 active and move about rapidly until they find a suitable place where they 

 can lie in wait for small insects upon which they prey, and which afford 

 them food. They sit with opened jaws and as soon as any small insect 

 happens to cross the jaws, it is at once caught between them and 

 ultimately sucked dry. In order that the prey may walk unsuspectingly 

 over their jaws, the larvce hide their presence by covering their backs 

 with dust when they sit on the ground. In the insectary, some larvse, 

 which took up their position on a piece of brick, covered their backs with 

 red brick-dust. The dust is actually scraped from the surface by the legs 

 ^nd the jaws, and applied to the back by the jaws, the head being doubled 

 over the back for the purpose. In dust the larv^ hide by thrusting them- 

 selves into the dust with a backward movement. The larv^ do not run 

 after their prey, but always wait till it comes to them. They however 

 shift their position at night evidently with a view to finding a place 

 where food will be forthcoming. As they grow, the larvse lose the 

 quickness and activity they exhibited when quite young. Their sole 

 occupation is to sit patiently and without the least movement for hours 

 or rather days together, waiting for food to come to them. When the 

 body grows large and plump, they hide just under the surface of the soil 

 and keep only the jaws exposed and ready to catch the unwary prey. It 

 seems that the whole, or at least the major part of the larval state is 

 passed in the soil. The large body renders them incapable of climbing 

 or resting upon a vertical surface. Three larvae, about full grown, were 

 found in natural conditions, all on the surface of the ground and one 

 with a specimen of Trombidium grandissimum held in its jaws. Other free- 

 living Ascalaphid larvse are found, one of which is mentioned in Indian 

 Insect Life, p. 150. This larva seemed to belong to a different species 

 so far as the appearance goes. 



In the Insectary the larvae were fed with aphides, small caterpillars and 

 silverfish {Lepisma). They used to sit hidden under earth perfectly 

 motionless. As soon as a silverfish came near them, they woke up and 

 caught the prey with extraordinary celerity in the twinkling of an eye. 

 They showed much more activity and alertness in catching their prey, 

 when it was quick and active like the silverfish than when sluggish like a 

 caterpillar. A slow-moving caterpillar or a dead silverfish was hardly ever 

 caught even when placed between and touching the extended jaws. The 

 larvee will often seize prey much bigger than themselves and are dragged 

 out of the earth but do not let go their hold. Big silverfish always 

 dragged out the younger larvse from their hiding places, but were soon 

 overcome and rendered helpless. In such cases the larvse were often turned 

 upon their backs and continued sucking for some time thus lying upside 

 down ; then they would regain their natural position and try to hide again. 

 The silverfish was sometimes caught between the jaws and not between 

 their pointed ends. In such a case it was not injured so much and 

 struggled violently but was held tightly, the teeth on the jaws being thus 

 thrust into its body. When its struggles ceased, one jaw was moved, as 

 each is capable of being moved independently of the other, and the prey 

 pricked with its tip and apparently sucked. Then the other jaw also was 

 moved into a suitable position and the work of sucking went on. Frequo^ntly 



