Eiqhtb Report of the State Entomologist. 1 87 



The caterpillar taken on the hop vine comes in such a shriveled and 

 broken condition that it can not be definitely named, but it is one of 

 the Sphinges, and an examination of its head indicates that it is prob- 

 ably that of Darapsa Myron. This species feeds on the grapevine and 

 the Virginia creeper, but many larva' leave their food-plants and wan- 

 der to other vegetation after they have reached maturity. I do not 

 know of any species of the Sphingida that feeds upon the hop vine. 



The caterpillar had been attacked by an ichneumon fly, which had 

 inserted within its body over one hundred eggs. These had hatched 

 and fed to maturity inside of the caterpillar, 

 when they ate their way out of the body, 

 each through a separate hole, and spun upon 

 its surface small, elongate, oval, white cocoons, RA ps^ mtron (Smer; ichneu- 

 standing on end, and, from their number, ^ zed by Apantelei conyre - 

 nearly covering the entire body, as shown in Figure 35. 



An unusual circumstance attended this particular brood of parasites. 

 While engaged in the spinning of their cocoon, they were discovered 

 and appropriated for the prey of another parasite — a small Chalcid 

 insect, of less than one-half the size of the larva which it attacked. A 

 Chalcid egg was inserted in each larva — not a single one being over- 

 looked. The cocoons w T ere completed as usual, but their architects 

 were thereafter made the food of their chalcid guests. As the result, 

 instead of the cocoons subsequently opening at their upper end, by a 

 nicely fitting hinged lid for the escape of the ichneumon fly, in each 

 instance the perfected chalcid — a pretty metallic-green creature, with 

 iridescent wings — has made its escape through an irregular hole eaten 

 near the end of the cocoon. 



The first parasite was in all probability Apanteles congregatus (Say) ; 

 the second, the chalcid, has not been determined. 



The " two worms with iridescent spots, shining with a metallic luster," 

 can not be named from the characters given. Could they have been 

 the dark brown chrysalids of the interrogation butterfly, Grapta inter- 

 rogationis (Fabr.), ornamented with its silvery spots? This and the 

 chrysalis of the comma butterfly, Grapta comma (Harris), are often 

 known in hop yards as the " hop merchant," and are thought by some 

 to foretell the future value of the crop, as the metallic markings may 

 be more or less conspicuous. — Country Gentleman, for September 

 27, 1888. 



