BY FREDERICK A. A. SKUSE. 
1151 
the insect. ... At the back of this irregular chamber the 
larva constructs a small hole, into which it retreats with great 
rapidity when alarmed,” »tc., &c. In November (Ent. Mon. Mag. 
XXIII. p. 133) Osten Sacken, in a short note, asserts that Mr. 
Hudson’s account about the luminous insect-larva from New 
Zealand leaves him little doubt that it belongs to the Myceto- 
philidte. The description of the glutinous web, the rapid 
motions of the larvje gliding upon it, and their retreat into 
holes when alarmed, showed a remarkable agreement with his 
observations on the larvae of Sciophila, described in detail in his 
article, “ Charactei’S of the Larvae of Mycetophilidae,” in the 
Proceedings Entom. Soc. Philad. 1862. He did not remember 
whether his Sciophila were shining or not. Osten Sacken then 
goes on to mention that Wahlberg had observed luminous larvae 
of Mycetophilidae. 
Upon describing to Mr. Masters the habits of the larvae 
of Ceroplatus, and showing him the above accounts and a 
plate containing figures of the metamorphoses and life-his- 
tory of Ceroplatus tipuloides (Ann. des Sc. Nat. 2nd Ser. 
XL), illmstrating a monograjdi of the genus Ceroplatus^ by 
Dufour, he at once remembered having seen larvae whose habits 
and form corresponded to those of this genus ; but although 
this is the right time of the year to look for specimens, 
neither Mr. Masters or myself, probably owing to the dryness of 
the season, could find any traces of them. The species which I 
have named Ceroplatus Alastersi occurs in the perfect state 
plentifully in November and December, and odd .specimens even 
u[) to March. 
Reaumur (Mem. p. s. a I’Hist. des Ins. Vol. V.) publishes a 
long account of his observations on the young stages of a ai)ecies 
of Ceroplatus. The paper by Wahlberg containing the account of 
Ceroplatus sesioides is translated in the Htett. Ent. Zeit. 1819, 
pp. 120-123. 
Perris gives some accounts of the life-histories of some species 
of Mycetophila in the early numbers of the “ Anuales do la 
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