36. THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST, 
No. 10. Fruit Fly parasite (Opius Tryoni). Bred 
from Fruit Fly larvee from the berries of the White Ash 
(Schizomeria ovata), Narara, in 1911. 
This is a small Braconid, with orange-coloured body 
and dark abdomen. Both ovipositor and antenne are 
long compared with the body. They are fully described 
in Gurney’s report on the work of the Insectarium, Narara, 
in 1909 and 1910. These are shown to illustrate the con- 
trast between them and the large Megalyridw. In breed- 
ing these insects, I have specially noticed their wonder- 
ful powers of endurance. I have kept them in the larval 
stage for over twelve months, when they have hatched out 
into perfect wasps. . 
LIFE HISTORY OF OPHION, AN ICHNEUMON. 
(By Mabel N. Brewster.) 
I have been able to observe the life-history of an 
interesting ichneumon attacking the ecut-worm larva 
(Plusia) feeding on the leaves of Wisteria. The cater- 
pillars seemed to be parasitised only in the early stages 
of their larval life, when they were about. one-sixteenth 
of an inch in diameter and three-quarters of an inch in 
length. They move in a similar manner to the loopers, 
and if touched, either stretched stiffly out along the leaf 
surface 6r looped up and remained rigid. 
The caterpillars are of a pale-green colour, and nearly, 
always lay parallel to a vein, generally the midrib. 
I noted the presence amongst the caterpillars of 
several curious white cocoons, about one-quarter of an 
inch long, with black markings, and that near each of 
these there lay the shrivelled skin of a young cut-worm 
caterpillar. 
One morning, about 8 a.m., I noticed a caterpillar 
with the end of its body quite colourless, and on examin- 
ing it with the lens, saw a parasitic wasp larva in the act 
of emerging from its victim. The colourless portion was 
the head end, and the maggot was making its exit by the 
anal orifice of the caterpillar. By turning and twisting 
its body in a half circle the wasp maggot, which was green 
in colour, extricated itself from the remains of its host. 
At 8.25 p.m. the maggot was quite free, and crawled about 
