Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/525

Rh Mr. M'Lachlan exhibited a portion of a wooden case containing hides from Shanghai, which was riddled with borings of the larvæ of this beetle.

Prof. Westwood remarked that some years ago the attention of the Society was drawn to the depredations of this beetle in a cargo of cork.

Prof. Westwood exhibited drawings of the pupa of a trichopterous insect (Anabolia nervosa), which swam about in water like a Notonecta, but used its middle legs as swimming apparatus. Prof. Westwood also made remarks upon the structure and situation of the mouth organs of the pupEe of Trichoptera, and stated that the mandibles of the pupae were unlike those of the larva, while these organs were quite aborted in the imago. The Professor suggested that the mandibles of the pupa were for the purpose of enabling the insect to eat its way out of the case in which it had undergone its transformation, and in which, after cementing down the mouth, it was obliged to turn itself completely round, so as to escape at the opposite free extremity.

Mr. M'Lachlan confirmed this view of the function of the mandibles of the pupæ.

The President next exhibited a small lepidopterous insect from Lake Nyassa, apparently a species of Psyche, which had been sent in a paper packet with a pupa-case of a Tachina, from which it was stated that the moth had been produced. Prof. Westwood was inclined to believe that the larva of the moth might have simply made use of the empty pupa-case to undergo its transformation in.

Prof. Westwood read a post-card from Mr. Albert Müller announcing the formation of an entomological station at Basle.

The President then referred to the lepidopterous larva attached to a specimen of the homopterous Eurybrachys spinosa, which had been handed over to him by Mr. Wood-Mason at the last meeting, and exhibited drawings of both insects, the former being evidently identical with the species formerly described as being parasitic upon Fulgora candelaria (Trans. Ent. Soc. 1876, p. 519). In the absence of direct observation, the President was inclined to believe that the relation of the lepidopterous larva to the Homopteron was one of true parasitism, the former insect feeding on the waxy secretion of the latter, it being well known that certain lepidopterous larvae of the genus Galleria feed upon wax.

Mr. Wood-Mason stated that the interesting specimen which he had handed to Prof. Westwood at the last meeting consisted of a lepidopterous larva clinging by its anal pair of prolegs to the free extremity of a stout, tough, flaccid cord, which was firmly fastened to the dorsal surface of the abdomen of the Homopteron. The specimens were captured in August or September, 1870, at Bangalore, South Lidia, by Mr. G. Nevill. The caterpillar was closely allied to Epipyrops (West.). The cord to which it was clinging, Mr. Mason considered to be the wet and matted remains of a