194 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



know that a small percentage of female moths will always be carried 

 up by the males." Another goes so far as to say the cart-grease ring 

 round the trees " is of no use at all." Here, then, is the additional 

 aid towards wide distribution. As to why males are not frequently 

 captured on the wing when carrying up the females, I should say it 

 is because the species is not often netted. — J. Arkle ; Chester. 



Abundance of Hepialus lupulinus Larv^, and a Parasite thereon. 

 — The past winter has been noted for its abundance of the larvae of 

 the garden-swift moth {H. lupulinus). They have been and are still 

 in many parts of Kent attacking the roots of various plants, especially 

 the strawberry. Amongst those sent me I have noticed the constant 

 habit, when attacking that fruit-plant, of eating right up into the 

 crown of the plant, as we see in others of this genus. In the first 

 samples sent me I failed to see any signs of the pest until the root- 

 stocks were split up. They destroy the plants entirely, and also eat 

 the rootlets of the runners. In the majority of instances they, how- 

 ever, live free in the soil, feeding upon the rootage from the outside, 

 especially when they are attacking mint, which seems a favourite 

 food-plant. Notices of this attack have been sent me from various 

 places in Kent, from near Dorking, and near St. Neots. Amongst two 

 packages sent from Canterbury and Kimbolton, I found several speci- 

 mens of Anthocoris, which evidently destroy the Hepialus larvae under- 

 ground. Their method of procedure is to crawl upon the larva's back, 

 and then plunge their beaks into the skin behind the head. Soon 

 after this operation the larvae seem to sicken and die, numbers that 

 were sent me from Canterbury last month having evidently succumbed 

 on the journey from this cause. To make certain, however, I kept a 

 number of these larvae with a few of the Anthocoris sent, and watched 

 them in this carnivorous habit. The larvae seemed to know what was 

 going to take place, for the instant the "bug" got upon the back of 

 its prey the latter wriggled backwards in that curious manner common 

 to the lupulinus larvae. This hemipteron moved about in the loose 

 earth amongst which the garden-swift caterpillars abound with con- 

 siderable ease. — F. V. Theobald ; Wye Court, Wye, April 24th, 1896. 



An unusual Habitat for Cossus ligniperda Larvae in Winter. — 

 On the 23rd of this month (April) some larvae, full-fed, of the goat- 

 moth were forwarded to me from Bruton in Somerset, that were found 

 about eight or nine inches below the ground and about four feet apart, 

 in soil that was used last year for dahlias and sunflowers, and which 

 has been free from vegetation since. One had already commenced to 

 spin its cocoon beneath the soil, which they continue to do, although 

 wood has been put in the cage. The cocoon is made up of the grains 

 of earth loosely united together with silk. Although the larvae often 

 leave the trees for a short time, I can find no records of them perma- 

 nently taking up their abode for pupation in the ground. — F. V. 

 Theobald ; Wye Court, Wye, April 24th, 1896. 



[Several instances are recorded of the pupation of the larva of 

 this species either on or just below the surface of the ground. Some- 

 times it has been dug out of the earth. — Ed.] 



