134 
No. 2 I hardly can tell what to call, unless it is a coarctate cocoon or pupa, for this 
is within the dried larval skin. The imago of this is a long-antenned parasite with 
yellow legs and the size of Meteorus hyphantrie. This is not surely the Ichneumon 
“spoken of in Bulletin No. 10 as Limneria pallipes. I found thosein the webs. No. 3, 
the greenish secondary, was bred from this cocoon or pupa. Besides this green sec- 
ondary I have bred large numbers of small black parasites No. 4, from both Meteorus 
hyphantrie and these coarctate pup. Inclosed willalso be found some pupal shells 
of a fly taken from Mud-dauber cells. Though very numerous, I can not rear the 
perfect fly on account of the little black secondaries found inclosed with them. 
How do these flies gain access to the cells of the Mud-dauber, or do they deposit 
ove in spiders that the cells are filled with? Are the cocoons inclosed (No. 5) those 
of Apanteles hyphantrie? If so, [have bred the same species from the Fall Web- 
worm, from a large green larva, probably that of Sphinz 5-maculata, and a species of 
fall larve with tufts of yellow hair. I find the cocoons in the webs of Hyphantria 
cunea.—[A. N. Caudell, Indian Territory, September 23, 1891. 
REPLY.—No. 1 is Meteorus hyphantrie. (No. 2) is a Hyphantria larva parasitized 
by Limneria. The greenish secondary parasite (No. 3) is one of the species of Pitero- 
malus and the small black secondary (No. 4) is Elasmus atratus. The parasite from 
the fly puparia from the Mud-dauber’s cell is extremely interesting. Itis Melittobia 
pelopei. The great interest attaching to this rearing arises from the fact that the 
species of Melitobia have heretofore been reared only from hymenopterous insects. 
The eggs may be laid before the cells are closed by the wasp, or the adult female 
may gnaw through the cell. The cocoons (No. 5) are those of Apanteles hyphantrie. 
The species which you reared from the Sphinx larva is undoubtedly different, 
although belonging to the same genus. It was probably <Apanteles congregatus. 
= * *—[October 8, 1891. 
Notes on California Insects; the Vedalia and other Ladybirds. 
I inclose a box containing insect work and specimens. On the grounds of one of 
our citizens I noticed on a small tree of California Laurel ( Umbelluiaria californica), 
a peculiar folding of the points of many leaves, so as to form a triangular-shaped 
little house for some insect. I opened a few of them and found a little brown or 
black beetle about one-sixteenth of an inch long. Then I found another Ladybug, 
much larger, ocher color; then another, I think, six-stabbed. 
My impression is that some spider had folded the leaves, spun a web-like cocoon, 
and the Ladybugs have cut into it to get the spider or the eggs.—[L. D. Morse, M. 
D., California, September 10, 1891. 
P. S.—The place from which these specimens were taken is one of the finest 
in this vicinity. Two years ago it was completely covered with the Icerya. When 
Mr. Koebele came down here we planted the Vedalia there. The result has been 
wonderful—the place is now almost clear of the pest. 
The owner of the place says I ought to have a pension for the good I had done, 
but I told her that it was the Entomologist of the U. S. Department of Agriculture 
that deserved the credit. I was only a helper to carry out what had been started 
by others. 
REPLY.— ~ * * Iam unable to decide whether the peculiar folding of the 
leaves of the Laurel is the work of the spiders, the webs of which some of them 
contain, or the tent-houses or protections constructed by Tortricid or Pyralid larve 
in which to spin up and pupate. 
Both spiders and Lepidopterous larve construct retreats of this kind, and if the 
latter are the architects of the ones sent, the spiders and ladybirds were doubtless 
present to prey upon the larve or pupe of the Lepidoptera. 
You can probably tell by an examination of the fresh leaves whether a lepidop- 
terous larva has any connection with the work or not, and if you find anything of 
interest [ shall be glad to have you furnish us with specimens. 
< 
