1092 



Insects. 



Midge observed at Sea. In the July number (Zool. 1010), which I have just re- 

 ceived with the August number, I see that you have headed my notice of the midge 

 "A Gnat observed two miles from land." Now a gnat it certainly was not; but a 

 Thrips, or some allied genus, to which I believe the term midge is usually applied. A 

 gnat might, I imagine, fly two miles without much difficulty. — F. Holme ; C. C. C, 

 Oxford. 



Parasitism of Chalcidites. 2. Pteromalus micans, (Olivier). Pt. bellus, (Ent. Mag. 

 iii. 466). This fly was first described by Olivier, in the * Memoires de la Societe 

 d'Agriculture,' xvi. 477, pi. 3, fig. 12; and more recently, MM. Herpin and Guerin 

 have published some interesting particulars concerning its economy. It is parasitic 

 on Chlorops Herpinii (Guerin), which is also the prey of Caelinus niger, an Ichneumon 

 fly. It is common in England and in Scotland, inhabiting corn-fields and grass-fields 

 which are infested by species of Chlorops. The parts of the thorax and the podeon 

 are more distinct than in most species of Pteromalus, and indicate an approach to 

 Seladerma and Lamprotatus, which have a more developed structure than is possessed 

 by the above-mentioned genus. — Francis Walker. 



a. Stylops Melittse. b, b. Larva of ditto. c. Abdomen of an Andrena, with three Stylopes. d. The 



ventral extremity of the female Stylops, showing the cleft at which the larvee emerge. 



e Pediculus Melittte, the larva of Meloe, found on Nomada signata ; this species is always of a bright amber 



colour. /. Pediculus Melittse, found on Andrena tibialis, of a brown or black colour. 



Observations on Stylops. In a prior number of ' The Zoologist ' (Zool. 949), I 

 find some highly interesting observations by Dr. Siebold, on the economy of Stylops ; 

 and the present communication is merely to show how far my own observations con- 

 firm the interesting account there given. About the end of April last I searched for 

 Stylopsed Andrenidae, and succeeded in capturing two specimens of A. Trimmerana, in 

 one of which there were three Stylopes, two in the third segment of the abdomen, of the 

 usual flattened scale-like form, and one in the second, not so much protruded, but cy- 

 lindrical in form ; and from this cocoon I had a male Stylops developed the day after 

 capturing the bee. I took great care of the bees, feeding them with sugar and water, 

 and supplying them with fresh flowers frequently. At the end of a fortnight one of 

 the bees died, without producing either a Stylops or its larva; but on examining the 

 remaining living bee on the 18th day, I observed three exceedingly minute little 

 creatures crawling amongst the hairs of the abdomen, and subsequently I observed 

 them, in considerable numbers, making their escape from the transverse cleft ob- 

 servable upon the upper side of the protruded extremity of the body of the female 



