1890.] 231 



NOTES ON THE METAMORPHOSES op BRITISH LEPTOCBRIDM (No. 3). 

 bt kenneth j. morton. 



Section of BER^A. 



In the arrangement w hich Mr McLaeh]an adopts in the Catalogue 

 at the end of hia work on the European Trichoptera, this Section 

 comes first in the Family Leptoceridce. A wish to verify certain points 

 of habit and structure made it necessary to rear the insects over again 

 this season, and for that reason only the above sequence has been 

 departed from in these notes. 



The small black insects included in the Section used to be con- 

 sidered EJiyacopJdJidcE, but the discovery of the larva of BercBodes 

 minuta by Fraucnfeld, and some remarks on it by Brauer, suggested 

 their transference to the Lepioceridw. Some years ago the larva of 

 H. mimita was found by me here in plenty, and 1 have since discovered 

 the larvae of both B. pullata and B. maurus. All these larvae agree 

 with those of the typical Leptoceridce in possessing long posterior legs, 

 that pair in Berceodes being even longer than is usual in typical forms. 

 But it will be shown hereafter that the length is not attained in quite 

 the same way in the two Sections. There are other differences (such 

 for example as the presence in the larva of Berwa of 4-jointed maxillary 

 palpi against 3-jointed ones in Leptocerus) which make the constituents 

 of the Section as difficult to classify when viewed with regard to their 

 preparatory states, as they are when the perfect forms are considered. 

 Within the limits of the Section itself, the materials are by no means 

 homogeneous so far as the early stages are concerned. The character 

 of the antennae in all the larvae is decidedly I-eptoceridous. While, 

 according to our present knowledge, the balance of evidence is pro- 

 bably in favour of the Section remaining where it now is, the question 

 of its alliances requires and deserves further investigation. 



These larvae are small, slender and tapering ; head and anterior 

 thoracic segments comparatively robust ; head, pro- and mesothorax 

 more or less chitinous. They possess retractile anal filaments or 

 processes similar to those found in many Hy dropsy chidce, but less 

 prominent. 



III. — Ber^a maurus, Curtis. 



Larva : head rather large, when viewed from above almost circular in outline ; 

 clypeus rather broad ; hairs short and not numerous. Antennae prominent, con- 

 sisting of a cylindrical process on a rounded base, apex apparently obliquely trun- 

 cate, and bearing a single hair. Labrum transverse, with six bristles above and 

 ciliated beneath. Mandibles short and stout. Maxillse with a peculiar clavate hair 

 beneath; palpi tapering, 4jointed. Labium conical, apex blunt, palpi 2-jointed. 



