42 
PARASITES OF THE MEAL SNOUT-MOTH. 
Apanteles carpatus Say. — This little braconid was reared m numbers 
from refuse hay, meal, and other feed infested with Pyralis farinalis, a 
large quantity of which was kindly brought me from Lakeland, Md., by 
Mr. F. C. Pratt, of this division. A cocoon of this moth was noticed 
that was unusually firmly attached to the jar, a sufficient quantity of 
silk being used to completely conceal the inclosed chrysalis. This 
chrysalis was found to have been perforated near the head, the hole 
corresponding in size to that of a parasitic larva of the species in ques- 
tion. The parasites began issuing in August, being present in the 
largest numbers at the time of the greatest abundance of their host, 
viz, during the hot weather toward the closing days of September and 
the 1st of October, and disappearing at the end of the latter month 
with the decrease of the moths. It reappeared in our rearing jars 
together with its host the following April. 
Two other household hosts are known for this species: The clothes 
moths Tinea pelUonella and Trichophaga ta/petiella (Tinea tapetzella). 
The former was reared at Adrian, Mich., June 17, 1885, the latter at St. 
Louis, Mo., in July, as has already been recorded in Insect Life (Vol. 
Ill, p. 15) 
Carcelia leucanue Kirkp. — From the same rubbish from which was 
obtained the preceding parasite two dipterous larvae were taken 
August 17. One was placed in alcohol, the other in ajar of moistened 
earth, in which it immediately buried itself, the living imago appear- 
ing September 10. This is a common, well-known parasite of the army 
w orm, Leucania unipuncta. 
Clausicella tarsalis Ooq., another tachinid described in the Journal of 
the New York Entomological Society of June, 1895 (Vol. Ill, p. 56), 
from Illinois, bred in upwards of a dozen individuals from the same 
material. 
Unfortunately it can not be positively asserted that the two tachinid 
flies above mentioned are parasitic on P. farinalis, but such is probably 
the case, as the true genus Tachina is known to parasitize lepidopterous 
larva?, and genera, nearly related to Clausicella, have the same habits. 
Melanophora roralis Y. d. W., a dexid, is mentioned by Brauer (Zwei- 
fluegler d. Kais. Mus. zu Wien, Yol. Ill, p. 76, 1883) as parasitic on 
this moth. 
Spalangia rugosicollis Ashm. — A single individual of this rare chal- 
cidid was also reared from the Pyralis-infested material, but as other 
species of this genus are known to infest Diptera it will most likely 
prove to be parasitic on one of the two tachinids occurring with it. 
This opinion is strengthened by the discovery with it of a puparium of 
about the same size as the Tachina, which shows an exit hole that cor- 
responds well with what would be made by the hymenopteron. 
Exoclius mansuetor Grav. — This ichneumonid is mentioned as a para- 
site of P. farinalis in England by Eev. J. Hellins in his account of 
