SOLENOEIA CEMBRELLA. 187 



thorax ; on the back of the metathorax are two lateral brown spots ; 

 anal flap shining dark brown (Hofmann) . 



Pupa. — Dark brown head and back, the ventral area yellow-brown 

 (Hofmann). 



Food-plant. — The lichen growing on the trunks of pine trees 

 (Milliere). 



Parasites. — Hemiteles gastrocoelus bred by Hofmann. 



Habits and Habitat. — The males and females emerge from the 

 cases in about equal numbers — Hofmann obtained 15 males, 25 females, 

 and 25 ichneumons out of some 70 cases collected at Erlangen. 

 The males generally emerge in the evening or early morning, and the 

 females, which do not differ from those of the sexual 8. triquetrella, await 

 them seated on the outside of the case. They lay no unfertilised eggs, 

 but will remain from 10 to 14 days if prevented from pairing, and will 

 die on the outside of their cases without ovipositing. In confinement, 

 Zeller says that the males fluttered without moving much, and when 

 frightened they crept under a piece of bark, or stood still, their wings 

 drawn roofwise over the body ; they fly very lightly. They also easily 

 cripple when emerging, saccular dilatations filled with a yellowish 

 fluid being frequent. They nearly all emerged in the early morning and 

 late afternoon. Linne found the cases from which the original 

 specimens were bred on trunks of Pinus sylvestris, and such references 

 as are made to the habitat of 8. cembrella, confirm this as its usual 

 position. De Villers records it from the stems of the P. sylvestris in 

 southern France, whilst Zeller collected on April 9th, 1851, above 100 

 cases in three hours in an old fir wood near Glogau. They were to be 

 found on the trunks of both old and young trees at an elevation of 

 from l-Jft.-Gft. from the ground, chiefly on the south side, on the green 

 growth which forms the base of the fir lichens. On many trees no case 

 could be discovered, generally only one, more rarely two or three, 

 whilst in some instances as many as eight cases were found on one 

 tree. As tbey are similar in colour to the green growth on which they 

 rest, they are difficult to find, yet, with a little practice, it is doubtful 

 whether one misses any ; some larvae were still on the move, most, 

 however, had already spun up, and it was found best to chip off the 

 little bits of bark to which the cases were attached. A few solitary 

 ones were found on the loose leaf-like skin of the bark. The cases are 

 fastened by the " head " end very firmly, and lie almost flat upon the 

 bark. Hofmann notes that at Eatisbon the cases may be beaten from 

 old lichen-covered pine-trees, and again, full-grown, in spring. At Erlan- 

 gen the insect is found in an old fir wood, sometimes more and some- 

 times less abundant, the cases resting on the trunks with the free end 

 downwards, and the ventral side lying close to the trunk, so that they 

 are difficult to see ; seldom more than two or three cases are found on 

 a trunk, and these from 2ft-Gft. from the ground. A few were also 

 found on trunks in a little oak wood that is on the border of a large 

 iir wood. Wocke says that the larva is obtained full-grown in early 

 spring in Silesia on pine and deciduous trees, but notes it from 

 Fogstuen on birch. Snellen says that it is fairly common in the 

 Netherlands, occurring in pine woods regularly in both sexes ; 

 Moeschler sa ys that it is widely distributed in Upper Lusatia, and espe- 

 cially common in the heath country. Milliere notes the larva as fixing 

 its case after hybernation in the spring, on the trunks of pines in the 



