1893 1 247 



Tlie larva has two modes of feeding. Either it burrows amongst 

 the buds, spinning as it goes, and causing more or less deformity of 

 the flower-spike, which, together with the small spun-up heaps of 

 frass, betray its presence, or it mines into a leaf. In this case, unless 

 the leaf be a very small one, it is generally so thick and fleshy, that, 

 although the larva tunnels backwards and forwards in its substance, 

 there is very little sign of its work apparent on the surface ; and one 

 is often surprised, on breaking open a leaf, to find how much it has 

 been hollowed out. It quits its mine when full-fed, and in captivity 

 pupates in the earth in a slight cocoon or amongst rubbish. The first 

 brood feeds in May, being full-fed towards the end of the month, and 

 emerges at the end of June ; the second brood feeds in the latter part 

 of June and July, and emerges in August, but is rather more uncertain 

 than the first in its time of feeding and emergence, though the first 

 emergence is occasionally retarded (Ent. Mo. Mag., xxvii, 48). 



Mr. Barrett has described this larva (Ent. Mo. Mag., xvi, 261), 

 so I hope he will excuse my giving further particulars, which I do for 

 the sake of comparison. 



Mr. Threlfall records Asfer tripoUmn as a food-plant of this 

 species (Ent. Mo. Mag., xv, 89). 



Larva of Lita insfabilella : — 



Length, about 4"'. Body of uniform width, tapering in the two segments at 

 each end. Head rather flattened, about half the width of the middle segment. 



Head, prothoracie and anal plates slightly darker than the gro.und-colouf, 

 polished, with the jaws, palpi, and posterior and lateral margins of head and pro- 

 thoracic plate, blackish ; prothoracie plate with a pale dorsal line, and the anterior 

 margin whitish. 



Ground-colour pale dirty yellowish-green ; 3rd and 4th segments sometimes 

 rather brighter. Markings dull brownish-red, viz., a dorsal line, subdorsal line 

 (which is sometimes more or less double, the lower part sending a branch downwards 

 at each extremity of each segment, sometimes merely an irregular broad line), and 

 a faint spiraeular line, all occasionally obsolete on segments 3 and 4. Usual warts 

 small and blackish, but as a rule not striking to the naked eye. Spiracles incon- 

 spicuous, outlined with blackish. Legs blackish. Bristles very inconspicuous, of 

 the ground-colour. 



The larva mines a leaf of Atriple^ portulacoides, completely eating 

 out the fleshy inside in patches, making the leaf appear whitish-green, 

 and whitish when dryer. It also spins up to a slight extent the shoot 

 on which the leaf is placed, and generally attacks two or three leaves 

 on the same shoot in succession. It makes a small round hole in the 

 skin of the leaf, and through it ejects all its excrement, so that its 



