n6 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[June 



in the burrow in which it feeds. Regarding the errors in Mr. South's 

 life-history Mr. Bignell writes: — " It has been stated that the larva of 

 A. microdactylias feeds in or on the flowers of Eupatovium cannabinum ; I 

 feel quite certain that it feeds in the stem immediately below. In 

 many cases the plants attacked can be at once distinguished from the 

 dwarfing of the central head of blossoms, caused by the attack of the 

 larva on the terminal portion of the stem having been made when it 

 was so tender, so that the side bunches of flowers over-reach it. In 

 ordinary circumstances the head of blossoms is all on the same plane. 

 When the stem is attacked lower down, where it is harder, the blossom 

 is not affected. If the larva fed on the flowers and afterwards entered 

 the stem, I doubt very much whether there would be any swelling in 

 the stem, as the plant has ceased to grow when in full bloom. 

 Yesterday, I found a larva in a stem that was not in flower, and I 

 doubt very much its having come from another plant. In some plants 

 I have been able to see a small hole above the joint, where I should 

 think the larva first entered ; and the reason why the hole below is so 

 much larger is evidently to enable the larva to turn out its frass." 

 The editors add : — " The history of this species was detailed by Mr. 

 Buckler, in Vol. XII. of the Magazine, pp. 234-236. He found the 

 larvae in the stems, even in a very young stage, but his account was 

 not drawn up absolutely ab ovo ; so far as it goes it agrees altogether 

 with Mr. Bignell's observations " ("Entomologist's Monthly Magazine,''' 

 Vol. XXI., pp. iio-iii). Mr. South in the "Entomologist," Vol. 

 XVII., pp. 259-260, acknowledged his error of observation and agreed 

 with Mr. Bignell that the larvae did feed in the stems. 



Pupa — Strange to say this species also pupates in the stem, 

 clearing out a little chamber and attaching itself, as is common in the 

 family by its anal segment. Mr. Buckler writes : — " On August 2nd, 

 I opened a stem and found the pupa lying in a small cleared space 

 just above the middle of the mine, its head uppermost in a slanting 

 direction towards the entrance, its tail steadied by a few threads spun 

 on some frass, of which the mine below was full, there was some also 

 above, and a little about the entrance, dry and mixed with silk ; the 

 pupa itself was a quarter-of-an-inch long, rather slender, the thorax 

 rounded and well defined, emitting a 'few bristly hairs, the head and 

 eyes rather prominent, wing covers long, the leg cases reaching to the 

 penultimate abdominal ring from which they hang free ; on the 

 abdomen were sub-dorsal, lateral, and sub-spiracular rows of blunt 

 hook-like processes, in pairs, those on the last ring the most projecting; 

 the whole surface rather glistening ; and the colour a dark bronzy- 

 green " (" Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," Vol. XII., p. 236). 



Habitat — This interesting little species does not seem to be par- 

 ticular as to its habitat. I have found it abundantly in Wicken Fen, 



