72 



shown in all its stages.) The larva? are, 

 when full grown, from three-fourths of an 

 inch to one inch in length, and are soft 

 whitish worms with rows of squarish black 

 spots along the back. (Fig. 35, 4-) When 

 disturbed they throw back their heads and 

 jerk themselves about as shown in the figure. 

 Like those of the preceding species they 

 may be found upon the trees during July, 

 and spin dark compact cocoons from which 

 the flies do not issue until the following- 

 summer. I have recorded (Ott. Field-Nat. 

 Club Trans. No. 4, page 76) the presence in 

 destructive abundance of the larva? of this 

 or an allied species upon the red-pine (Pinus 

 resinosa) in this vicinity in 1881. Unfor- 

 tunately the observations necessary to iden- 

 tify the species were not made at the time, and I have since been unable to discover the 

 insects upon these trees. There are other species of Lophyrus, known to prey upon the 

 pines, but I have not been able to find any mention of their occurrence in Canada.* 



The genus Lyda contains larger species which are wider and more fattened, and 

 which have long, slender antenna?. The larva? also differ from those of all other saw-flies 

 in having no abdominal feet, and in having three jointed antenna?, and a pair of appendages 

 of similar form on the anal (last) segment, which is covered above by a hard horse-shoe 

 shaped plate. I have captured four or five species of these saw-flies on white pine, the 

 most abundant being L. mactdiventris, which appears in June and July. Larva?, some 

 of which are probably those of the species just mentioned, may be found lute in the season 

 feeding singly, or two or three together, in the clusters of leaves which they bind loosely 

 together with silk which they are able to se&'ete, freely and rapidly. Last August, I. 

 collected specimens belonging evidently to two species, but owing to an accident they all 

 perished, and further study will be needed to determine the question. 



Sub-Family 5. Cephix.e. 



The species, few in number, whioh belong to this sub-family, have the neck elongated, 

 the antenna? multi-articulate, 21-28 jointed, and the wings with two marginal and four 

 sub-marginal cells. Of their habits but little is known ; the larva? probably feed in the 

 new wood of different trees and shrubs. Three species belonging to the genus Phylhecus 

 are recorded from Canada, but they are rare and I have never met with any specimens. 



Sub-Family 6, Xyelin.e. 



These insects have the ovipositor exserted and nearly as long as the abdomen. The 

 antenna? are about thirteen-jointed, the third joint being greatly elongated. There appears 

 to be but one Canadian species, Xyela minor, a small blackish insect about one-tenth of an, 

 inch long with twelve-jointed antenna 1 . 



THE LARCH SAW-FLY— Nematus Erichsonii (Hartig). 



BY JAMES FLETCHER, OTTAWA. 



During the last year or two, a new and formidable insect-enemy to our forest trees- 

 has appeared in Canada, in the shape of the larch saw-fly, Nematus Erichsonii. The first 

 notice of this saw-fly as an American species was, I think, Dr. Hagen's short note pub- 



* The genus is omitted from the Check List of the Toronto Natural History Society, and Abbe Pro- 

 vwncher, in his admirable work (Petite Faune Entomologique du Canada, Vol. II., p. 228), states that he 

 had never met with specimens. 



