256 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[December 



Mayasmarcha, Meyr. 



That ph:£odcictyla should be separated from MimcBseoptilus is very 

 evident. Its sexual demorphic condition and general build separates 

 it at once in its closest affinities with the remaining members of that 

 genus. With regard to the generic position of this species, Dr. Jordan 

 writes : — Pliceodactylus certainly does not belong to this group, nor to 

 any of the Swedish genera, but perhaps some Continental 

 entomologist has, unknown to me, already characterised the genus. 

 Its position is well indicated in Staudinger's list between the Oxyptili 

 and MiiuiBseoptili \ it there follows ehrenbergiantis, a doubtful European 

 species which I have never seen" ("Entomologist's Monthly 

 Magazine," YcA. Yl., p. 124-125). In the genus Marasmarcha, Meyrick 

 includes seven species, of which one is Leioptilus microdactyla. The 

 latter, however, seems to me more closely allied to other Leioptili than 

 to the other species included in Marasmarcha. Meyrick's diagnosis of 

 the genus is : — " Face with more or less projecting tuft ; ocelli obsolete; 

 ^ongue developed. Antennae two-thirds, in S ciliated (i). Labial 

 palpi moderate, ascending, slender, terminal joint moderate, pointed. 

 Maxillary palpi obsolete. Fibiae simple, outspurs nearly equal inner. 

 Fore wings bifid, cleft from before two-thirds; vein 2 from near angle, 

 3 and 4 from a point or stalked, 5 and 6 short, 7 from near 8, 8 and 

 g stalked, 10 absent, 11 from near angle. Hind wings trifid, third 

 segment without black scales in dorsal cilia; vein 2 from before 

 middle of cell. 3 absent, 5 and 6 very short, 7 and 8 divergent from 

 beyond cleft" ("Transactions Entomological Society of London," 

 1890. p. 448). 



(To he continued.) 



NOTES FOR BEGINNERS.— MICRO LARV^ 



FOR THE MONTH. 



BY GEO. ELISHA, F.E.S. 



With December we enter on a totally different mode of larvae 

 collecting- to that we liave hith:erto pursued, which if not quite so easy 

 or pleasant, is often more productive as far as bred specimens are 

 concerned, for now we commence our harvest of all those larvae 



