331 



AlsB margine antico non secto ; vena costali ad apicem tantum tertise longitudinalis, 

 non ad quartam producta; areola basali antica iucompleta; vena ultima postica ex. 

 ilis sed distincta. Femora omnia non incrassata. 



Sp. C. (jrandicornis. Raro in iloribus Euonimi europei, in collibns subapenninis 

 ditionis parmensis eum legi. 



THE CORN WORM OR BOLL WORM IN CALIFORNIA. 



By D. W. CoQUiLLETT, Lo8 Angeles, Cal. 



In the Fourtli Report of the United States Entomological Commission, 

 pages 355 to 384, Professor Riley has given an exhaustive account of 

 the Corn Worm or Boll Worm {Heliothis armigera Hlibner). During my 

 residence in California I have made a few observations upon this insect 

 not recorded in the above report. 



While the normal habit of the full-grown larva is to enter the earth 

 to pupate it does not always follow this course. On the 9th of October 

 I found three chrysalids of this species in ears of corn, and on the Sth 

 of the succeeding month I found a fourth chrysalis in a similar situation. 

 On the 7th of November a moth issued from one of the chrysalids first 

 mentioned, so there is no doubt of the identity of the species. 



Besides garden geraniums I have also found the larvae feeding upon 

 the blossoms of a wild sunflower [Helianthus spf) and upon the seed- 

 pods of Malva horealis, as well as upon those of a leguminous plant 

 commonly known as " bitter clover," also upon the. leaves of Cabbage, 

 Grape, and Pear, and I found a half grown larva feeding upon a green 

 pear into which it had already eaten a large cavity. In the same tree 

 were two other larvse of this species. 



In the work above mentioned Professor Riley records having bred 

 from Boll Worms two species of Tachina flies — T. aletice Riley and T. 

 anonyma Riley. On the 1st of June, 1888, several Tachinid larvse issued 

 from some of these worms, which I captured in Los Angeles, and soon 

 afterward pupated; the flies issued on the 14th of the same month. 

 Specimens of these flies were submitted to Professor Riley for identifi- 

 cation, and under date of February 14 he writes me as follows con- 

 cerning them : 



I have glanced at the Tachina from Heliothis armigera and find that it differs from 2\ 

 anonyma and it does not seem to be represented in the Museum coHectiou. 



The species is an interesting one on account of the great difference in 

 the arrangement of the bristles on the head and abdomen in the difterent 

 sexes ; so great, indeed, is this difl'erence that no i)erson not familiar with 

 the facts in the case would ever suspect that the two forms are but the 

 opposite sexes of the same species. That they are such, however, there 

 can be no doubt, since I bred both forms from the same lot of larv^ 

 and also captured three pairs united in coition. The species is evidently 



