132 
Psyche 
[June 
Supposed Luminosity Of The “Trilobite-Larv^e.” 
It has been stated from time to time that some of the 
“trilobite-larvse” are luminous. 
The first entomologist to make such a statement was Kolbe 
(Ent. Nachr., No. 3, 1887, page 38). He states that “Das 
Konigl. Museum bekam wieder um eine Anzahl dieser Larven 
von Hr. von Faber, die derselbe in Padangan der Westkliste von 
Sumatra gefunden hat und welche anscheinend ubereinstimmen 
mit den schon seit langer Zeit in Besitz des Konigl. Museums 
befindlichen Exemplare aus Java. Nach Angabe der dortigen 
Bewohners sollen sie im Dunkeln leuchten, aber ich habe keine 
Gelegenheit gehabt es selbst zu sehen Man sieht daher 
dass nicht nur die Larven der Lampyriden und einiger Tele- 
phoriden (Phengodes) sondern auch von Lyciden leuchten.” 
As seen this statement is entirely based upon the natives’ 
vague information. It is more than credible that a confusion 
with Lampyrid larvse has taken place for no other reliable en- 
tomologist, who has handled “trilobite-larvse” — with one excep- 
tion, which will directly be dealt with — has been able to observe 
any luminosity. Kolbe’s conclusion that certain Lycids show 
luminosity is certainly very rash and can hardly be taken seriously. 
The only white observer who mentions something about 
personal experience with luminous “trilobite-larvse” is Shelf ord 
(Rep. Brit. Assoc. 1901, page 690). In a short note he refers to: 
“Some other Malacoderm larvse of considerable size (50-80 
mm.) were frequently met with, but their life-histories were not 
traced; in fact these larvse have long been a complete puzzle to 
entomologists, since no adults of corresponding size are known. 
The external features of one form has recently been described by 
Bourgeois (Bull. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1899 page 58-63); the head is 
extremely like that of the Lycid larvse noted above and in other 
points of its anatomy it agrees with those forms In 
another form with a pair of phosphorescent organs in the penul- 
timate segment of the abdomen the cuticle is glandular.” 
To what larva the latter statement refers, we get no further 
information. I have carefully examined all the “trilobite-larvse” 
in the Sarawak Museum, but fail to find even the slightest trace 
