﻿STENOPTILIA 
  PTERODACTYLA. 
  369 
  

  

  30th, 
  and 
  was 
  a 
  pupa 
  May 
  23rd 
  ; 
  a 
  second 
  spun 
  up 
  May 
  23rd, 
  and 
  a 
  

   third 
  spun 
  up 
  May 
  24th, 
  a 
  fourth 
  May 
  29th, 
  and 
  two 
  more 
  May 
  30th. 
  

   The 
  larvae 
  attach 
  themselves 
  to 
  the 
  stalk 
  of 
  the 
  foodplant 
  for 
  pupa- 
  

   tion, 
  and 
  the 
  9th 
  and 
  10th 
  segments 
  turn 
  brown 
  and 
  have 
  a 
  shrivelled 
  

   appearance. 
  The 
  larva 
  of 
  S. 
  pterodactyla 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  much 
  more 
  lithe 
  and 
  

   pliant 
  nature 
  than 
  many 
  other 
  Alucitid 
  larvae, 
  such 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  Porrittia 
  

   yalactodactyla 
  and 
  Ovendenia 
  septodactyla 
  for 
  example. 
  These 
  latter 
  

   seem 
  rather 
  stiff 
  and 
  prefer 
  to 
  keep 
  their 
  bodies 
  all 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  plane, 
  

   but 
  that 
  of 
  S. 
  pterodactyla 
  will 
  twist 
  round 
  a 
  spike 
  of 
  its 
  foodplant, 
  so 
  

   that 
  half 
  its 
  body 
  may 
  be 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  stalk 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  half 
  

   bent 
  round 
  at 
  right 
  angles 
  to 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  fond 
  of 
  eating 
  the 
  large 
  

   blue 
  petals 
  of 
  the 
  Veronica 
  chamaedrys, 
  but 
  will 
  also 
  eat 
  the 
  young 
  seed- 
  

   vessels 
  and 
  young 
  leaves. 
  When 
  this 
  larva 
  is 
  placed 
  against 
  a 
  white 
  

   or 
  other 
  definite 
  back-ground, 
  it 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  conspicuous, 
  but, 
  when 
  

   seen 
  among 
  its 
  foodplant, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  certain 
  indefiniteness 
  about 
  it. 
  

   The 
  outline 
  is 
  much 
  softened 
  and 
  broken 
  by 
  the 
  larval 
  hairs, 
  and 
  also 
  

   by 
  the 
  hairs 
  growing 
  from 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  racemes 
  of 
  the 
  speedwell, 
  

   on 
  which 
  it 
  usually 
  rests 
  ; 
  besides 
  this, 
  the 
  pale 
  hairs 
  and 
  markings 
  of 
  

   the 
  larva 
  seem 
  to 
  allow 
  the 
  eye 
  to 
  see, 
  and 
  the 
  sight 
  to 
  pass 
  beyond, 
  the 
  

   larva 
  without 
  the 
  brain 
  perceiving 
  what 
  it 
  is." 
  Larvae 
  can 
  be 
  obtained 
  

   from 
  mid- 
  April 
  until 
  the 
  commencement 
  or 
  middle 
  of 
  June, 
  in 
  most 
  

   seasons. 
  Fletcher 
  found 
  f 
  allfed 
  larvae 
  June 
  13th, 
  1881, 
  at 
  Worthing, 
  and 
  

   imagines 
  flying 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time. 
  Larvae 
  from 
  May 
  4th-27th, 
  1904, 
  

   at 
  Cuxton 
  (Ovenden) 
  ; 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  June 
  14th-16th, 
  1904, 
  in 
  Thorndon 
  

   Park 
  (Whittle). 
  Hofmann 
  observes 
  that 
  the 
  larvae 
  live 
  in 
  May, 
  

   exposed 
  on 
  Veronica 
  chamaedrys, 
  eating 
  the 
  flower-buds, 
  unripe 
  seeds, 
  

   and 
  also 
  the 
  leaves. 
  Schmid 
  says 
  that 
  he 
  finds 
  the 
  larvae, 
  varying 
  in 
  

   size, 
  from 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  May, 
  feeding 
  openly 
  on 
  flower-buds 
  and 
  unripe 
  

   seeds 
  of 
  Veronica 
  chamaedrys, 
  at 
  Frankfort-on-Main. 
  

  

  Larva. 
  — 
  First 
  instar 
  (newly-hatched) 
  : 
  Pale 
  greyish-white 
  in 
  

   appearance, 
  really 
  white 
  with 
  black 
  dots. 
  Head 
  black, 
  a 
  dark 
  

   prothoracic 
  scutellum; 
  the 
  larva 
  is 
  just 
  1mm. 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  has 
  

   single 
  hairs 
  on 
  each 
  tubercle 
  ; 
  its 
  width 
  is 
  about 
  O-lGmm., 
  and 
  the 
  

   length 
  of 
  the 
  hairs 
  about 
  0*05mm. 
  Tubercles 
  i 
  and 
  ii 
  are 
  situated 
  

   widely 
  apart 
  ; 
  the 
  hair 
  on 
  i 
  is 
  directed 
  forwards, 
  that 
  on 
  ii 
  backwards, 
  

   on 
  iii 
  rather 
  forwards, 
  those 
  on 
  iv 
  and 
  v 
  outwards 
  and 
  a 
  little 
  

   divergently, 
  the 
  front 
  one, 
  v, 
  higher 
  and 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  hind 
  one, 
  iv; 
  

   that 
  on 
  vi 
  is 
  long, 
  touching 
  the 
  surface 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  larva 
  walks. 
  

   The 
  hairs 
  on 
  the 
  prothoracic 
  plate 
  are 
  the 
  usual 
  ones. 
  The 
  prologs 
  

   and 
  claspers 
  have 
  four 
  hooks, 
  and 
  the 
  former 
  possess 
  long 
  pedicels. 
  

   The 
  true 
  legs 
  have 
  very 
  long 
  claws, 
  and 
  no 
  observable 
  battledore 
  palpi 
  

   (Chapman. 
  June 
  30th, 
  1904). 
  First 
  instar 
  (fullfed) 
  : 
  Long, 
  slender, 
  

   of 
  rather 
  even 
  thickness, 
  but 
  tapering 
  off 
  slightly 
  at 
  head 
  and 
  anus; 
  

   segmental 
  incisions 
  very 
  marked. 
  Head 
  rounded, 
  almost 
  black, 
  the 
  

   prothoracic 
  shield 
  (scutellum) 
  and 
  anal 
  plates 
  dark 
  brown, 
  not 
  black 
  ; 
  

   skin-surface 
  apparently 
  quite 
  smooth 
  ; 
  spiracles 
  raised, 
  hut 
  nol 
  very 
  

   highly, 
  of 
  brown 
  colour; 
  hairs 
  as 
  in 
  larva 
  o( 
  Capperia 
  heterodactyla, 
  

   smooth 
  and 
  tapering, 
  not 
  fchorned, 
  and 
  of 
  dark 
  colour, 
  basal 
  plates 
  large. 
  

   Tubercles 
  on 
  the 
  abdominal 
  segments 
  are, 
  Land 
  ii,se1 
  brapezoidally 
  with 
  

   their 
  bases 
  well 
  separated, 
  iii 
  ;is 
  usual; 
  iv 
  and 
  v 
  also 
  normal, 
  forming 
  

   twin 
  spots. 
  On 
  the 
  meso- 
  and 
  metathorax, 
  i 
  and 
  it 
  are 
  close 
  together, 
  not 
  

   so 
  widely 
  separated 
  as 
  on 
  abdominal 
  segments; 
  i, 
  the 
  inner 
  and 
  smaller, 
  

  

  slightly 
  in 
  front, 
  ii, 
  the 
  larger 
  and 
  outer; 
  ui 
  ami 
  iv 
  areelose 
  together 
  as 
  

  

  