AN ICHNEUMON PARASITE OF MAMESTRA PICTA

Extract

On July 19th, 1881, a caterpillar of this moth was found on a cauliflower which had been brought from market, and was placed in a tumbler with some of the leaves. By the 21st it had shrunk considerably in size, and was greatly changed in appearance, the black and yellow markings that make this larva so conspicuous an object having faded to a dull whitish color. On the 22nd it was lying on the bottom of the glass and was revolving continuously. Under natural conditions it would, I believe, have entered the earth to go through its transformations, and the curious revolving motion might perhaps have been for the purpose of forming and smoothing its cell. On looking at it on the morning of the 23rd, a soft white flattened ichneumon larva had issued from it, and had commenced the construction of its coeoon by spinning a few white threads. By evening it had surrounded itself with a thin egg-shaped cocoon of a yellowish white color, through which the movements of the enclosed grub could be seen.