PTEU0PH0RUS HIERACII. 355 



They feed on the common wood-sage, Teucrium 

 scorodonia, and are now just changing their first skins ; 

 they do not feed down the stems of their food-plant 

 like those of some of the other " pluines," but eat the 

 young leaves first. (N. Greening, 2nd May, 1867 ; 

 E.M.M., June, 1867, IV, 16.) 



I was again at our forest on Saturday last, and at 

 first had some trouble in finding the larvae of P. 

 hieracii; but I soon found out how they feed. 



When I first found them they had not changed their 

 first skins, and were sitting on the top of the leaves. 

 After the first moult, they at once go down the stem 

 until they get to within about an inch and a half of 

 the bottom, and then eat the stem just halfway 

 through, causing the parts of the plant above where it 

 is bitten to bend down, and soon to become half dead 

 and very soft ; on this part the larva feeds, and as the 

 plant, getting only a small supply of sap, is not able 

 to grow up, the neighbouring plants, in two or three 

 days, overtop it and cover it up, so that one cannot 

 see it till one looks well for it under the other plants. 



One plant supplies food enough for a single larva ; 

 for as soon as the bent part is eaten the larva is full- 

 fed, and it then descends to just below where it had 

 bitten the stem half through, which is very short and 

 stiff, and attaches itself by the tail, and changes to 

 pupa with its head downwards. 



It will be perceived what a clever little fellow this 

 larva is ; for, in the first place, by stopping the growth 

 of the food-plant, and allowing the neighbouring plants 

 to shoot above it, it has at once a snug place of con- 

 cealment ; and then the upper part of the plant being 

 bent down, or inverted, while the larva still attaches 

 itself to what was the upper side of the leaf, it is effec- 

 tually protected from rain (for none of these plume 

 larvae, I think, like wet) ; and lastly, when it is full- 

 grown, a very stiff short stem of its own preparing, 

 nicely covered over so that the wind cannot disturb it, 

 is ready for it to affix itself to before becoming a 



