1903.] E. P. Stobbing— Alar appendages of Ohermes abietis-piceoe. 57 



On the acquisition of alar appendages by the Spruce form of Ohermes 



abietis-pice&e MS. in the N.-W. Himalayas. — By E. P. St ebbing, 



F.L S , F.E.S. 



[ Received 27th March 1903— Read 1st April 1903.] 



In July 1893, Mr. Smythies, late Conservator of Forests, Central 

 Provinces discoverd the winged form of a species of Ohermes issuing 

 from galls or pseudo-cones (see fig. d) on spruce (Picea Morinda) trees at 

 Deobati in the Jaunsar Forests of the N.-W. Himalayas (elevation 9,200 

 ft.) Mr. Smythies stated that only immature forms were to be found in 

 the galls in May and June, the first winged individuals observed issuing 

 on July 21st. These insects were identified by Mr. E. B. Buckton, F.R.S., 

 as the species Ohermes abietis of Linnaeus and Kaltenbach. 



The above facts are recorded ,iu Indian Museum Notes, Vol. Ill, 

 No. 5, the species being noted as new to the fauna of India. I can find 

 no further mention or data about this insect. 



In May, June, and a portion of July, in 1901, and the latter part of 

 May, all June, and half of July, in 1902, the writer toured through the 

 Jaunsar and Simla Hill Forests, and whilst observations were noted 

 on the habits of other insects, many quite new to science, a careful study 

 was made of the Ohermes. The notes then recorded are still far from 

 complete, but the important and interesting discovery was made that 

 whereas, as in Europe, the insect spends one generation of its life in 

 pseudo-cones upon the spruce (Picea Morinda), the individuals of the 

 alternative generation of the parallel series live, not upon the larch as in 

 Europe, since the tree is not to be found in the N.-W. Himalayan 

 Forests, but upon the silver fir (Abies Webbiana). Owing to this habit 

 I call the insect Ohermes abietis-picese, MS., to distinguish it from the 

 Ohermes abietis-laricis of Europe. We shall here only concern ourselves 

 with the acquisition of alar appendages and method of escape of the 

 winged individuals from the galls found on the Spruce, leaving for a 

 future paper full descriptions of the forms and habits of the other indivi- 

 duals of the parallel series of this most interesting insect. 



As noted by Mr. Smythies, throughout June only small immature 

 larvoe are to be fouud within the false cones. In the first week of May I 

 have found the eggs, laid in patches on the bark of the twigs and main 

 stem of the tree by the winter female, to be abundant. Little purple 

 larva? (see plate, fig. a) hatch out from these and slowly increase in size 

 throughout the rest of May, June, and early days of July, by which date 

 they become full-grown. An examination of the cone shows that even 

 whilst still quite small it is partitioned off into chambers, figs. e,/,each con- 



