97 



This larva, if it attacked only the extended footstalks of the seed-heads might 

 be treated, but it secretes itself as well within all the folds and enveloped spaces 

 of the seed-stalk, parts that can not be reached except by unfolding. 



We have treated the affected plants with kerosene emulsion, whale-oil soap, dry 

 Paris green, Paris green in water, per-oxide of silicate, and other articles, and all to 

 no effect. 



No parsnips being at hand to feed the larv?e upon, a lot of flower- 

 heads of the Wild Carrot {Daucus carota) were placed in the breeding 

 cage with them. After a short interval large numbers of the larvae- 

 gathered around the cut ends of the stems and began feeding thereon. 

 They were noticed, also, to be cannibalistic in their habits, several be- 

 ing seen to attack one of their number and devour it in a very short 

 time. They did not like the flowers of the Carrot, but bored into the 

 stems. On the loth of June more larvoe were received, the umbels in- 

 fested by them being completely spun together so that thej^ could not 

 expand, and the greater part having become brown and decayed. In 

 a few instances the larvae had entered the stem. 



On the 14th of June a few of the larvae changed to pupae in the midst 

 of large masses of excrement. On the 18th about a dozen more pupated, 

 some at the bottom of the jar and others on the flower-heads or any 

 other part of the plant, while others still pupated between the folds of 

 blotting-paper placed purposely at the bottom of the jar; all inclosed 

 in a slight web. On examining the stems of the Carrot, July 12, on 

 which they had fed, it was found that several had entered to undergo 

 their transformations. 



According to Bethune the species remains from 11 days to 2 weeks 

 in the pupa state, in Canada beginning to appear about the 1st of 

 August. Stainton gives the length of time passed in the pupa state in 

 England as 3 to 4 weeks. 



The moths which we reared in 1883 issued between July 30 and August 

 4 ; those from Mr. Landreth the present year issued from June 25 to 

 July 10. They have the habit of creej)ing into the crevices of the soil, 

 and are then not easily detected. 



DESCRIPTIYE. 



De Geer first described both the larva and the moth in part 1, vol- 

 ume 2, of the Memoires. A brief but good description of both is also 

 given by Stainton in the Tineina, while Bethune has fully described 

 the larva, pupa, and imago under the name of ontarieUa. 



No description of the egg of this species has been published, and we 

 have not yet obtained specimens. 



The larva (Fig. 13, a and hj varies in general color from a light yel- 

 lowish or greenish to a bluish-gray, and has conspicuous black piliferous 

 spots normally placed, the head and cervical shield being black. Its 

 average length when full grown is 12 millimeters. 



The pupa (Fig. 13, c) is dark brown, unarmed and normal, and is 

 inclosed in a slight silken cocoon inside the hollow stem of the plant. 



