152 
SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Three examples of 0. pygmcea were also beaten at Hambantota 
from jungle scrub ; two of these pitched on the upper surface of 
Capparis leaves, and I noticed that they settled on the leaf with 
outspread wings, then gave a rapid upward jerk with the fore wings 
and settled down again quite quietly with wings outspread and 
closely appressed to the surface of the leaf. 
In Europe, however, their habits are rather better known, and the 
following summary is translated from Dr. Hofmann’s account of the 
Orneodidae of the Palaearctic region (“ Iris,” vol. XL, pp. 342-343) 
in the hope that it may assist local collectors in elucidating the life- 
histories of some of these little moths in Ceylon :— 
“ The larvae of all the species, so far as they are known, live in the 
inside of parts of plants, either in the flow r ers w T hose filaments and 
Figure 7. 
Ormeodid (£all in Scabiosa columbaria. 
Howard— Mareellia IV. 33.^ 
styles they consume , or in flower-stalks, branches, and young shoots, 
in which their presence forms gall-like swellings. 
44 Hitherto only the plant-genera Lonicera, Scabiosa, and Stachys 
are known to be food plants of Orneodid larvae. 
4 " The eggs, as has been directly observed in the case of 0. hexa- 
dactyla, and highly probably in the case of other species also, are 
laid.on the particular parts of the plants, an introduction of 
the egg into the interior of the plant not being possible owing to the 
soft condition of the short and thick female ovipositor. The young 
larvae must therefore first penetrate into their food plant from the 
outside. 
“ The larvae living in flowers change their dwelling several times. 
In general the larvae are slow and sluggish, and move around more 
smartly only before pupation. Notwithstanding their concealed 
mode of life, they are frequented not rarely by small Ichneumon 
flies and Tajhinids. 
