8608 



Insects. 



the larva is feeding: body obese, decreasing in size towards both extremities; the 

 incisions between the segments deep and well marked ; each segment has six flattened 

 warts ranged in a transverse series, uone of them very conspicuous, but e;ich emitting 

 a thin radiating fascicle of short stiff bristle-like hairs, among which are interspersed a 

 few longer silky hairs; every part of the upper surface, the warts alone excepted, is 

 covered with minute elongate black papillae, which, viewed sideways, impart a black 

 tint to the surface ; these minute papillae remind one forcibly of those stalked glands 

 often observable in plants having a viscous surface. Median line of the back obscure 

 white, narrowly bordered on each side with reddish purple ; adjoining these narrow 

 borders is a broad yellow stripe, swelling into a rounded lobe on each segment ; below 

 this stripe the sides are reddish purple ; belly and claspers dingy yellowish white, legs 

 shining black. In general appearance, and in some of its characters, this larva 

 resembles that of Limacodes Testudo, while its hirsute warty surface reminds one of 

 the ursine group; it differs but little in any important character from Zygaena, and 

 certainly, in connection with that genus, constitutes a family exactly intermediate 

 between the Cochliopodidse and that large group to which Nola and Lithosia belong. 

 Its food-plant is Rumex acetosa (sour dock or sorrel) ; it is full fed at the end of April, 

 when it spins a white, very thin but very tough cocoon, attached to the stems of grasses, 

 and in this it changes to an obese brown pupa, the anterior extremity of which is 

 rather acute, the posterior remarkably obtuse ; the dorsal surface is evidently incised 

 at the division of the segments as in the larva, and the posterior margin of each seg- 

 ment slightly projects over the anterior margin of the segment next following ; the 

 wing-cases are ample and well-defined, and the cases of the legs extend slightly 

 beyond the extremity of the abdomen. The perfect insect appears in June. I am 

 indebted to Mr. Wright for the opportunity of describing this larva. — Edward 

 Newman, 



Description of the Larva of Zygcena Filipendulce. — Hybernates when very small 

 at the roots of grasses, Sec. ; feeds again in April and May. Rests in a straight pos- 

 ture, with both legs and claspers attached. Falls off its food-plant when touched or 

 disturbed, feigning death and rolling itself in a ring, the extremities meeting. Head 

 very small, retractile within the 2nd segment: body short, obese, somewhat onisci- 

 form, slightly decreasing in size towards each extremity; the incisions between the 

 segments deep and distinct. Head shining black, with the clypeus and a spot at the 

 base of each antennal papilla yellow ; ground colour of the body dull yellow-green, 

 with six longitudinal series of velvety black spots; one series, consisting of ten spots, 

 on each side of a median dorsal line, one series on each side just above the spiracles, 

 and one series below them on each side of the ventral surface; each spot in the dorsal 

 series, when the larva crawls, is distinctly seen to be double or composed of two spots, 

 one on the anterior and the other on the posterior margin of each segment ; when the larva' 

 is at rest these meet so exactly that each pair has the appearance of a single spot ; the 

 lateral series is composed of spots, which are still more evidently double ; and the third or 

 ventral series on each side is composed of still smaller and less distinct spots, and on 

 account of its situation is very imperfectly visible from above ; it is continued as a band 

 round the posterior margin of the 12th segment ; each segment has eight rugose patches 

 or flattened warts arranged transversely, and each of these emits a thin radiating fascicle 

 of short silky hairs, each individual hair emanating from a minute black dot ; the hairs 

 are either black or pale, the latter predominating. The legs are opaque green at the 

 base, black and shining at the apex ; the claspers dull green, their fringe of recurved 



