1944] Caddis Flies and Pitcher Plants 181 
The scanty evidence given above is highly suggestive that 
some species of limnephilid caddis flies have the habit of laying 
eggs in July in water contained by leaves of Sarracenia pur- 
purea, that the insects are able to escape from the pitchers, that 
the larvae live in the pitcher water and pupate there. Since the 
water contains proteolytic digestive substances, such a caddis 
worm would require an impermeable integument such as found 
in the pitcher plant mosquito wriggler ( Wyeomyia smithii ) and 
the larvae of the large fly, Sarcophaga sarracenioe. It is inter- 
esting to note in this connection that large maggots of the latter 
insect continued to squirm with life for over two hours in sev- 
enty percent alcohol, and it was not determined whether they 
died from alcohol penetration or from suffocation, since the low 
surface tension of the alcohol did not permit them to use their 
hydrofuge hairs for surface respiration. 
The writers were disappointed not to be able to obtain a 
definite answer on this matter, but the brevity of wartime vaca- 
tions and the limitations in pitcher plant supply cut their in- 
vestigations short. They hope that some readers of the present 
paper, having a nearby supply of Sarracenia purpurea (or other 
pitcher plant) will be able to get the answer to this interesting 
problem. They will be happy to assist anyone in the identifica- 
tion of larvae, pupae (preferably) or adults of Trichoptera 
found in pitcher plants. 
Bibliography 
Hubbard, H. J. 1896. Some insects which brave the dangers of 
the pitcher plants. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 3:314-316. 
Jones, F. M. 1904. Pitcher plant insects. Ent. News 15 : 14-17. 
1907. Pitcher plant insects II. ibid. vol. 18:413-420. 
1908. Pitcher plant insects III. ibid. vol. 19:150-156. 
1918. Dohriphora venusta Coquilett (Diptera) in Sarra- 
cenia flava. ibid. vol. 29:299-302. 
1920. Another pitcher-plant insect (Diptera, Sciariae). 
ibid. vol. 31:91-94. 
1921. Pitcher plants and their moths. Nat. Hist. 2 1 :296- 
316. 
1935. Illustrations of North American Pitcher Plants, by 
Mary Vaux Wolcott (Smithsonian Inst, of Wash.), 
pp. 25-34. 
