^4: G. C. DUDGEON — PARASITES OF WEST AFRICAN SILK-WORMS. 



Observations in connection with the cocoons o£ A. infracta and A, moloneyi 

 show that they are very hirgely parasitized by at least one species of Ichneu- 

 MONID.E (Hymenoptei-a), two Ph y citing (Lepidoptera), and a Tachina 

 (Diptera). 



The Ichneumon belongs to a species which is placed in the British Museum 

 collection under the name of Cryptus formosus, BruUe (described in 1846). 

 This is a shining-black insect, with some red upon the head and pronotum 

 and a broad white band on the middle of the antennae, the wings being- 

 purplish blue with a broad hyaline bar. M. Fleutiaux in " L'^nap/ie 

 moloneyi et ses parasites '"' (L^Agric. Prat, des pays chauds, No. 71, Feb. 1909, 

 pp. 162-3) mentions a similar insect attacking A. moloneyi in the Western 

 Sudan^ which has been named Cryptus vittatus, Tosq. (Mem. Soc. Ent. Belg., 

 v., 1896, p. 148). In making a comparison of the descriptions of the two 

 species, there does not appear to be any character of sufficient importance to 

 separate them. For this reason the British Museum identification should 

 probably be applicable to both. C. formosus has been obtained by me from 

 the cocoons of A. infracta^ from Ibadan (Southern Nigeria), and from those 

 of ^4. moloneyi from Muri (Northern Nigeria). 



Two moth larvae of the subfamily Phycitin^e have been found infesting 

 the cocoons of Anaplie. One of these is Metoecis carnifex^ Coq., which 

 perforates the newly-formed cocoons of A. infracta, and pupates within the 

 cocoon envelope. The insect probably attacks and destroys the silk larvae 

 when they are just preparing to pupate, as the perforated cocoons are found 

 to contain excreta only after the parasite has passed out into an adjoining 

 cocoon. Sir George Hampson remarks that another species of Metoecis 

 has been bred from the cocoons of A. moloneyi. 



From some batches of cocoons of both species of silk moths examined by me 

 in 1908, a number of Tachinid flies emerged, but these have not been 

 identified further than being placed in the genus Tachina, M. Fleutiaux 

 mentions a specimen of Tachina hella, Meigen *, as having been bred from the 

 cocoons of A. moloneyi. 



* Mr. E. E. Austen states that tlie actual identity of the Tachina hella of Meigen is very 

 doubtful. It is, however, certainly a Eiu'opean species, and it is not likely therefore to occur 

 in Tropical Africa. — Ed. 



