Tue BIoLoGy OF THE CHRYSOPIDAE 1301 
First molt 
In Chrysopa oculata, the appearance of the chitin at the time of the 
molting is shining and glassy. On closer study, the stout setae so 
characteristic of second-instar larvae can be seen regularly folded across 
the body beneath the old first-instar cuticula. The setae of the pro- 
thoracic tubercles are folded ventrad and caudad. They fold, there- 
fore, around the body, and come together on the midventral line. 
Where it occurs, this prominent black line on the venter is one of the best 
indices of early molting. The setae of the other thoracic and the abdom- 
inal tubercles are folded across the dorsum. They are dark to black, 
and become fairly distinct just before molting. The old setae appear 
wholly black and somewhat shriveled. The ends of many are bent 
downward or broken. Most of them appear to be more or less withered. 
The coloration of the second instar’ can also be seen, but instead of 
appearing sharp and brilliant, the colors are dull and indistinct. 
Just prior to molting, the larva takes no food. Some time before 
molting, it generally engorges with food; but just prior to the process, 
aphids may walk over the larva without being attacked. The larva 
also experiences some difficulty in walking at this time. It appears 
- that the pulvilli do not adhere well to the substratum; their hold slips, 
and apparently the anal secretion is too copious and this also retards 
them. In all species the head capsule is somewhat distorted, especially 
posteriorly. 
As a typical case the molting of a first-instar larva of C. oculata, as 
observed under the highest-power binocular, is here described. This 
larva was observed to be ready to molt, and with a camel’s-hair brush it 
was removed to a slide. Soon there was noted a drop of a gelatinous 
anal secretion, which held the tail to the slide. The larva began to 
twist and pull. The legs appeared to be practically useless. The seg- 
ments of the tail began to contract as units, in regular order, beginning 
with the last and going forward about every seven seconds. This con- 
tinued for four and one-half minutes. The end of the abdomen was then 
seen to free itself of the molt, which was shown by a shift forward. The 
contractions continued, and in a half minute the cuticula was free over 
the thorax and the abdomen also. It must next be forced open. The 
body was pulled forward by a series of wavelike contractions, comparable 
to those seen in the hatching embryo and the molting pupa. With each 
forward pull there was left a little more clear space in the tail region, 
and the thorax became more distended. The old cuticula during this 
process remained securely cemented to the slide by the end of the abdo- 
men, this constituting the fixed point on which the larva pulled. After 
three or four rapidly repeated shifts, a split began on the mid-dorsal 
