23 
out secondary parasites. Thus ouly 10 per cent of the cocoons pro- 
duced the species which made them, while 84 per cent were parasitized. 
Mr. Slingerland has recently reared this species in New York from 
Xylina laticinerea, and it is probably or may become a general parasite 
of free living lepidopterous larva\ 
Limneria valida Cresson. 
This species, which is also a parasite of Hyphantria ciinea, was one of 
the unimportant primary parasites of the Orgyia. It was not reared 
in 1895, but made its appearance among the rearings of July, 1896. It 
issued from collected cocoons of the Orgyia, and but three adults were 
reared, all issuing July 17, 1890. This apparent scarceness of the 
species was only apparent, however, for many of its empty cocoons 
were found among the 
cocoon masses of the 
Orgyia the following 
December. The co- 
coon is rather long 
ellipsoidal, averaging 
7.5 mm. in length by 
2.8 mm. in greatest 
diameter. It is com- 
posed of two distinct 
coverings, the outer 
one of weak, close- 
spun, crinkly, gray or 
gr ay i sh - b ro w n silk, 
readily peeling off in 
a sheet, and the inner 
one close, tough, 
parchment-like, dark 
brown in color, with golden reflections, of the type common among 
the Ophiouime. The adult issues from a round hole without a cap, 
gnawed almost precisely at one end, and, judging from the evidence at 
hand, hibernates as an imago. At all events, of the many cocoons 
examined December 11 to 17, 1896, all were empty. All of the cocoons 
found at this date were associated with spun-up larva? of the Orgyia, and 
none with the pupa? of this insect. In one instance a single Orgyia 
cocoon contained three of Pinipla inquisitor, all empty, and one cocoon 
of this Limneria, from which a hyper parasite had evidently emerged. 
Limneria sp. 
An allied and congeneric species issued in a single specimen on July 
16, 1896. Its abdomen was unfortunately broken off, and the specimen 
was otherwise damaged to such an extent as to render it of uncertain 
specific position. 
Fig. 10. 
-Limneria valida : Female from side, with empty cocoon at 
right, and male abdomen above— enlarged (original). 
