1892.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



157 



THE PTEROPHORINA OF BRITAIN, 



BY J. \V. TUTT, F.E.S. 

 (Co7itinucd from p. 1L3). 



Larva — The lar\-a of this species which varies very much in 

 colour, was hrst described by ]\Ir. Gregson and afterwards by Mr. 

 Porritt. Ylx. Gregson describes the Larva as: — "Half an inch long, 

 rather stout; colour, light yellow-green, semi-transparent (to the 

 naked eye pubescent), with three rows of spines on each side of the 

 dorsal line, which is a very narrow claret-coloured, streaky mark, 

 commencing on the second or third segment, and dying away as it 

 approaches the anal segment; sub-dorsal and spiracular lines not 

 visible in some specimens, in others, slightly so as light streaks; 

 spiracles dark rings ; head small, slightly darker than the body and 

 retractile; the larva tapering towards the head and anus." "The 

 larvae feed upon the common centaury in July, August and 

 September" ."Entomologist,"" p. 350). Stainton says: — "Larva 

 on seeds of Eiiihra-a centaurt a. IX-X "" (" Manual, "" IL. p. 442). Mr. 

 Gregson foreshadov/s the variation of the larvje of this species in his 

 description just quoted. Of this variation I wrote : — " Like all other 

 plume larvEE that I know, tlios^ oi loew'n are very variable. I made the 

 following note some time ViiT\e\^o. :—-\Loewii larvae vary very much ; 

 some have a red stripe, some pinkish, others with scarcely any trace 

 of dorsal or other longitudinal markings""" ("Entom."', XXII., p. 105). 

 Although the larvae occur continuously from June to September, I have 

 never noted or heard of their capture m October, one of the months 

 given in the " rvlanual."" Stainton erroneously thought the larvae 

 followed tlie imago m the same year instead of preceding it. Mr. 

 Porritt writes : — In the middle of August last, ^Ir. Thomas Parmiter 

 of Cattistock, Dorchester, kindly sent me a nice supply of full-grown 

 larvae and pupa? of this species. The larva is slightly less than half 

 an inch in length, and of proportionate bulk ; head much smaller than 

 the second segment, the lobes rounded and polished ; body cylindrical 

 and uniform, tapering a little posteriorly; segmental divisions fairly 

 defined, and a tuft of several short hairs springs from each of the 

 indistinct tubercles. In colour, there are two extreme varieties, and 

 the larva varies between these forms. \'ar. i has the ground colour 

 of a delicate pale-green, strongly tinged indeed with yellow; head pale 

 yellowdsh-green, the mandibles and ocelli brown; medio-dorsal 

 stripe dark green or purple in different specimens; sub-dorsal stripes 

 yellow, and there are two other fine but very faint yellow lines, one 

 above and the other below the spiracles; segmental divisions also 

 yellow; spiracles black, very narrowly encircled with white. 



