42 
I bred another specimen, a male, from the same lot of flour- 
moth larvae, which, although certainly different from typical males- 
of Bracon hebefor, is probably only a small variety of this species. 
Mr. Ashmead characterizes it as follows: “It differs markedly in 
several particulars—number of joints in antennae, its more elon¬ 
gated shape, much smaller size, and in color; but until the oppo¬ 
site sex is bred, it would be better to consider it only as a vari¬ 
ety of hebetor.” This little braconid has been bred from the In¬ 
dian meal moth, Plodia interpunciella , in Massachusetts. I have 
reason to believe that we may expect some good results from it 
in this country. Out of several hundred flour-moth larvrn sent 
me by the California miller, only one moth emerged, all the oth¬ 
ers having been destroyed by the little parasites, of which I re¬ 
moved twenty-seven specimens from my breeding-cage. It is 
surprising how easily these little creatures can be colonized. It 
is only necessary to collect a quantity of the webbed flour con¬ 
taining the flour-moth larvae and place it in a breeding-cage, into 
which the parasites are afterward introduced. Here they multiply 
rapidly, and can be liberated at will in the worst-infested parts 
of the mill. I have suggested this expedient to the president of 
the milling firm from whom I received the larvae. 
I will now give, somewhat in detail, notes of my own observa¬ 
tions on Bracon liebeior. When I discovered this little parasite, 
I noticed that several of the flour-moth larvae were lying in the 
bottom of the cage in a helpless condition, although presenting 
the fresh and plump appearance characteristic of living larvae. 
Upon examination I found that they were not dead, but in a state 
of lethargy. Two larvae in this condition were removed from the 
cage and placed in a glass tube, where they remained perfectly 
motionless, but still gave on the fifth day evident signs of life by a 
slight movement of the thoracic segments when touched with a 
needle point. This movement was not noticeable on the sixth 
day, and the larvae were dried up and shriveled two days later. 
It is quite probable that this paralysis is caused by the adult 
parasite, but in what way has not yet been worked out 
satisfactorily. I have now several experiments in progress to 
determine this point if possible. I have observed the same 
paralytic state in larvae of Canarsia hammondi , and in nearly 
every case have found the eggs of Bracon gelechice either 
on the body of the larvae or on the silk or web imme¬ 
diately over them. In this latter case it is very important 
that the larvae should not move after the eggs of the par¬ 
asite have been deposited, as the little grubs hatching from them 
are legless, and could not crawl far in search of food. I am of 
the opinion that B. hebetor deposits its eggs in much the same 
way. I have not seen the eggs of this species, but have found 
grubs just hatched attached to the external surface of the flour- 
moth larvae In one instance, September 18, 1895, I removed a 
larva from a cage with five grubs, just emerged, feeding upon it, 
two of which were removed aud placed in alcohol, and the others 
were left for development. The following morning, at 8 o’clock. 
