19 
It has also been reared from the tent caterpillar of the orchard ( Clisio- 
campa americana), from the melon worm of the South {Pliakellura hya- 
Mnata), and other Lepidoptera of economic importance. The species is 
found from California to Xew Jersey and south to the Gulf of Mexico. 
Cresson also records it from Canada. 
With the cotton worm, the larva of which is slender, this large para- 
site issues only from the chrysalis, so far as we know. With the 
tussock moth, however, it is the larva which is parasitized. Fig. 6 
shows admirably the appearance of a full-grown caterpillar from which 
the larva of this Pimpla has emerged and spun its cocoon. The cocoon 
is too big to be contained within the 
larval skin, which therefore splits longi- 
tudinally along the venter and serves 
simply as a dorsal cap. The only speci- 
men at hand which has been reared 
from this particular host was collected 
in the condition shown in the figure by 
Mr. Coquillett, at Chestertown, Md., 
October 30, 1895. It was brought to 
Washington, and from it the adult 
issued from the orifice shown at fig. 6 
on December 7. This would seem to 
indicate a hibernation in the imago 
stage, but it is quite possible that the 
emergence was premature, owing to the 
artificial temperature of the room in 
which it was kept, and that under 
normal conditions the hibernation would have been within the cocoon. 
The figures of the early stages (fig. 5 a,b, c) have been enlarged from 
those published in the Fourth Eeport of the United States Entomo- 
logical Commission, at page 112, and the larval mouth parts are proba- 
bly incorrect. The adult, however, was drawn from the specimen 
issuing from the cocoon above referred to. The species may at a glance 
be distinguished from either of the other Pimplas above mentioned by 
the narrow yellow bands on the dorsum of the abdomen.. 
The occurrence of the large cocoon in this instance is very interest- 
ing, since, when it infests the chrysalis of Aletia argillacea as well as the 
pupae of other species, this parasite not only makes no cocoon, but spins 
no silk. A number of empty pupa? of Aletia from which Pimpla con- 
quisitor had emerged have recently been examined with this point in 
view, and no trace of silk could be found. Very many specimens were 
reared from the chrysalids of this host during the cotton-worm inves- 
tigation. Most of them issued in the spring, but some made their 
appearance in the late autumn. 
Fig. 6. — Pimpla conquisitor : Two views of 
cocoon under skin of tussock moth cater- 
pillar—enlarged (original). 
