LASIOCAMPA QUERCUS. 103 



Erica arboj-ea, Scoparia, Viburnum, Arbutus, Cytisus hirsutus 

 (Milliere), black poplar (St. John) ; Sorbus, Prunus padiis, Populus 

 alnus, Rubus (Favre), strawberry (Butler), 



Parasites. — Cryptus obscuius, Gr. (Rogenhofer), C. migrator*, 

 Fab. (Fitch), 10 $ s and i $ bred, February 2nd, from one cocoon, 

 and 3 3 s, May 9th, from another cocoon (Bignell) ; C. titillator, 

 Gr. (Tugwell) ; Op h ion ventricosum, Gr. (Marshall) ; Ophion undulata, 

 Gr. (Perris) ; Bassus nigritarsus, Gr. (Bignell) ; Limneria rufa, Bridgn., 

 bred from half grown larvae, the ichneumon larva? emerging from the 

 living caterpillars, April 5th and 21st, and making oval black cocoons 

 (Bignell); Metopius dentatus, Fab. (Farn); M. micratorius, Fab. 

 (Norgate); Gravenhorstia picta, Wiegm. (Giraud) ; Thryptocera bicolor, 

 Meig. (Bignell). [Patten observes that in the Wye valley, in the 

 wet summer of 1889, the larva? were attacked by a species of slug. 

 Tempel of Chemnitz notes that in 1897 he found in larva of this 

 species two tapeworms, about 25cm. long and 2mm. in diameter, 

 which were determined as belonging to the genus Mermis. Fom a 

 larva of the same species Werner also obtained three white Filariae, 

 7 — 7^ ins. long (S. E. Z, 1842, p. 158).] 



Habits and Habitat. — The males fly swiftly by day, especially 

 in the afternoon sun, and are attracted by a newly-emerged female 

 in a very marked manner (vide, antea, p. 41). One of the most 

 interesting of the many accounts of this habit, is that detailed 

 (Entom. Record, x., pp. 106 — 107) by Williams, who notes that larvae 

 were found on ivy near Southend, April 8th, 1898, spun up in due course, 

 the first on May 30th, $ emerged July 7th, taken out on 8th, $ carried 

 in a tin box and afterwards hung up on branch of tree in a muslin 

 cage, about 4 feet from ground, but 2 males only arrived ; on the 

 way back, at 3 p.m., 13 males attracted by the ? within closed 

 tin box, and, on the 10th, more were attracted by same $ . Another 

 2 emerged July nth, and towards Leigh (the £ being in tin box, 

 and this inside a closed leather bag) males were attracted in numbers ; 

 whilst near Hadleigh Castle, as he held the tin in his hand, the 

 males came up to it, against the wind, dashing round, sometimes 

 three or four at a time, and occasionally settling on the tin. 

 Fifteen absolutely perfect specimens were taken home, but a hundred 

 or more could easily have been captured if required. On the after- 

 noon of July 20th (nine days later) the bag (containing the tin in 

 which the ? had been) was being carried near Leigh, when many 

 males were attracted, and the bag being placed on the ground, some 

 $ s entered it to investigate. Clifford notes that, in Kent, on 

 August 1st, 1 87 1, he placed newly-emerged ?s in a box, which was 

 soon surrounded by males, whilst others flew around it in a circle. The 

 presence of the males was recognised by the captive females, who be- 

 came excited. No males came after 2 p.m., nor did any ? attract a 

 $ after she had once paired. Daws says that in the Penzance 

 district the males assemble in swarms to a newly-emerged female, 

 and Burrows notes that at Land's End on August nth, 1890, 

 he found the males assembling to a wild ? . Lampa writes 

 (Ent. Tids., 1886, pp. 155 — 158) on the assembling of this species, 



* Under the name of C. bombyci, the life -history of this parasite is well 

 described and illustrated by Bodidier (Ann. Soc. Ent. France, v., pp. 357 — 365, 

 pi. viii). 



