1894.] 123 



ON THE PEOBABLE CASE OF MOLANNODES ZELLERI, McL., AND 



SOME NOTES ON THE LAEVA. 



BY PROP. PR. KLAPALEK, F.E.S. 



Three years ago I chanced to collect in a brook near Jablonne in 

 East Bohemia some young larvae and empty nymph cases, which, 



though I have not been able to confirm this 

 opinion by rearing, I hold as belonging to 

 Molannodes Zelleri, McLach., which had been 

 found rather abundantly in the same locality 

 in the foregoing year. The reasons of my 

 belief are based especially on the form of 

 the case and larva. There is, except Mo- 

 lanna angicstata, Curt., no other allied species 

 as yet known from any part of this king- 

 dom, and it is not very probable any will be 

 found here. As I do not hope to be able 

 soon to observe the whole metamorphosis, 

 and as the case and larva themselves are 

 interesting enough to deserve attention, I 

 will give here some preliminary notes on them. The cases show in 

 every respect the greatest resemblance to those of Molanna angustata, 

 Curt., which have been, from their singular form, several times de- 

 scribed.* They are made of fine sand grains mingled with small plates 

 of mica and minute particles of black bark, so that they are semipellucid 

 and black spotted. The inner tube narrowed gradually behind and a 

 little curved downward, has its sides and the upper part of the anterior 

 margin dilated. But it is easily to be distinguished from the case of 

 M. angustata by the side margins. These are, in the Molanna cases, 

 broader and distinctly separated by a shallow groove from the tube 

 proper. In Molannodes, on the contrary, the slightly arched upper- 

 side of the case passes insensibly and directly into the side lobes. 

 The transverse section of the case appears, therefore, triangular, 

 rounded beneath, slightly arched above, and with sharp side angles. 

 The posterior end of the case is narrowed as in Molanna, open above, 

 and having an appearance as of a groove. The case is 14 mm. long 

 and 4 — 5 mm. broad. 



The larva is also very similar to a Molanna larva. Its posterior 

 legs are proportionately somewhat longer, their tibiae show likewise 



* Dr H. Hagen : Ueber Phryganiden Gehiiuse (Stett. Ent. Zeit., 1864, p. 223). K. J. Morton : 

 Notes on the Metamorphoses of British LeptoceHd(e (Ent. Mo. Mag., Ser. 2, vol. i, p. 128). KhipS- 

 lek : Die Metamorpho.se dcr Trichopteren, Ser. 2, p. 88. 



L 2 



