1980] 
Pupedis — Spongilla-fly Larvae 
307 
= 8). Distribution data on these specimens are found in Parfin and 
Gurney, 1956; Poirrier, 1969; Poirrier and Arceneaux, 1972; and 
Brown, 1974. Specimens were not available of the sole remaining 
new world sisyrid for which larvae have been collected, S. apicalis 
Banks. The specimen of C. striata is actually a prepupa, a stage 
which retains the larval features; it was found in a cocoon collected 
with others from which adults of C. striata were obtained. The 
larval specimens from Baja California were identified as Climacia 
from one deformed adult raised from a pupa found in the immediate 
vicinity of the larvae. Despite the adult’s very close resemblance to 
C. californica, a species identification could not be made; the larvae 
are treated in this paper as belonging to an unknown species. 
Larval Characteristics 
Two distinct features can be used to separate the third instars of 
Climacia species from those of Sisyra. On all sisyrid larvae, there is 
on both sides of the abdominal dorsal midline a small tergite, with 
two seta-bearing tubercles on the first abdominal segment and three 
on segments two through seven. The tergites on terminal segments 
eight and nine are modified and in a lateral position. The 
morphology of the tergites and tubercles on the first seven 
abdominal segments is essentially identical except for segment six. 
In Sisyra larvae the lateral-most tubercle is elongated to approxi¬ 
mately twice the length of the others and its seta is thinner and 
longer than the other two (Fig. la). The middle tubercle on the 
tergite is clearly on the median side of the elongated tubercle, more 
so on 5”. vicaria than on S. fuscata. In Climacia larvae it is the 
median tubercle of the three that has become elongated, and no 
other tubercle is associated with it (Fig. lb). As in Sisyra, the seta of 
the elongated tubercle is longer and thinner. The absolute length of 
this seta can be used to separate some species of Climacia (Poirrier 
and Arceneaux, 1972). Large, sharply pointed, blade-like cuticular 
projections ring the apex of the elongated tubercle of C. areolaris 
(Fig. lc). In other Climacia species these projections are small or 
even microscopic (Fig. Id). Both Sisyra species also possess these 
microscopic projections on the elongated tubercle. 
The other distinguishing feature is located dorsally on the eighth 
abdominal segment. On abdominal segments one through seven, for 
all sisyrid species, a minute seta can be seen just medial to the 
