95 
Where the entomologist may have a chance of meeting 
with these curious insects in their imago state (except, like 
myself, he seizes the fortunate moment when they are just 
ready to leave the body of the animal that supports them) is 
a question which I wish it were in my power to answer satis- 
factorily. We must first ask. In what state of the Melitta 
does it commit its eggs to it ? If in the larva the ha- 
bitation of this is usually at some depth under ground; and 
perhaps by digging where we observe them fly'mg about a 
bank, and entering their burrows, we might possibly meet 
with some. If in the imago (but it seems not easy to 
conceive that the Stylops with its soft abdomen, furnished 
with no strong aculeus or oviduct, can perforate the scaly 
mail of the Melitta to deposit its eggs, without indeed it 
insinuates them at the inosculations of the abdominal seg- 
ments) — in this case most probably it goes to work when 
the Melitta reposes, and may be a night-flyer; but it 
would not be very easy to see so minute a creature in the 
night. Perhaps a butterfly-net might be used with success 
about banks where we observe many burrows of insects. 
01s. The Pupae Mr. Sowerby has figured appear to be 
ovate, where as mine were linear. See. Jig. 2, and Monogr. 
Ap. Angl. v. 1. t. 14 ,n. 11 ./• 7 • 
Explanation of the Plate. 
Fig. 1. Male of Melitta albicans with a pair of the Pupae 
of Stylops Melitlce in its Abdomen. 
2. Abdomen of ditto magnified. 
3. Stylops Melitlce natural size. 
4. Ditto magnified, a a Eyes. I Scutellum. 
5. Head of ditto as seen under a powerful magnifier. 
a a lower branch of the Antennae, b b upper 
ditto, c c exterior Feeler, d d interior ditto. 
6. Part of the Trunk, a Thorax, b b Elytra. 
* 7. Underside of the Abdomen and Processes, a Ab- 
domen. b b Processes. 
W. Kirby. 
