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Soc. 74: 109-12. OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIFE HISTORY AND MORPHOLOGY OF AGULLA BRACTEA CARPENTER (NEUROPTERA : RAPHIDIODEA : RAPHIDIIDAE) Adult raphidiids are moderate sized, slender, antagonistically, for 45 days and, at death, both predatory insects with elongate-cylindrical pro- had become variously mutilated from combat. thorax; head large, nearly horizontal, mandibles Eggs and hatching larvae of this raphidiid were strong, antennae long, threadlike; ovipositor long; removed from the jar, and rearing tests were cerci not developed; wings membranous, both started by the senior author at Pasadena, Calif., pairs similar, with numerous forkings, the costal under laboratory conditions. The resulting great cells with crossveins, subcosta not fused with the volume of material soon became so time-consum- first radial; legs similar, first pair attached at ing that the junior author was invited to cooperate base of prothorax, tarsi .5-jointed. Metamorpho- in the studies. The latter's rearings were con- sis complete; terrestrial. (Carpenter, 1936.) ducted at the U. S. D. A. laboratory at Whittier, While inspecting an orange orchard in North Calif., under room conditions. The conclusions Pomona, Calif., in late May, 1955, which was of workers who had previously given attention severely infested with black scale, the senior to the raphidiids, both in the United States and author observed unfamiliar white, elongated in Europe, mere that the complete life-cycle of larvae in the mature shells of these scales. Some snakeflies requires more than a single pear. The of these were held for observation, and they present authors desired, in part, to check on this proved to be raphidiids. Shortly afterwards belief, and to attempt to augment the information adult snakeflies were found in the same orchard. on raphidiid biology. Rearing activities were These proved to be of two species, one small and continued throughout 1956, and well into 1957. dark colored, the other a much larger species, and Before presenting the data on the rearing tests, somewhat paler. This was of considerable in- it would seem fitting to give a brief resume of the terest, since there appeared to be no previous developmental features as they have been ob- record of these insects from citrus orchards in served in the field. Southern California. A field collected male and By early September the larvae generally have a female of the large species, Agulla bractea car^.,^ completed feeding, at ~vhich time they seek were placed in a jar containing twigs infested with places for concealment and protection. These black scale in hatching condition. They soon locations include dry, rolled leaves; leaf-mold and Tvere observed to feed on the black scale crawlers, other trash under trees, as well as the trash and and on aphids. These adults lived together, dirt accumulation at the point of union of the main tree branches. In addition, the mature 'Accepted for publication June 21, 195i larvae may be found in the soil under trees, 2Identified by I?. M. Carpenter. beneath leaf accumulation or other protecting 130 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. 51 material. The larvae also form cells in rotten cast skin could be removed by the same process, wood. if carried further. Over-wintering occurs in the larval stage in the situations above described. When they are I11ORPHOLOGY disturbed during this period, they become active The Egg for the moment, but become quiescent when the The egg (fig. 19) of the present species of annoyance ceases. snakefly is banana-shaped, and of a pale-lemon In the orchards, pupation occurs during April color. Normally the shell appears smooth, but or May, and this may vary as much as 2 or 3 when cleared and viewed with transmitted light, weeks between years depending, probably, on the it is seen to be indistinctly punctate. The severity of the winter. The adults emerge micropyle protrudes as a prominent dome-shaped chiefly during May, and their life-span evidently process. X measured series of eggs averaged 1.72 is limited to two or three months, as they have mm. in length. The female, whose ovipositor is not been seen in orchards later than mid-August. nearly as long as her body, often inserts the egg The female has a pre-ovipositional period of a to a depth of one-half inch or more into the suit- week or ten days. Egg deposition appears to able material. Eggs are packed very closely cover a period from late May to mid-July. together, like cigars in a box. In the rearing Information is limited as to the exact location of work, it was found that females oviposited eggs deposited in the orchards. A few have been readily in ragged Eucalyptus bark, and in split found within mature black scales, but it is doubt- ends of twigs. ful that this is a preferred situation. Based on reports of earlier observers in other countries, The Larva and on the present laboratory experience, the First Instar. The first instar larva (fig. 4) is of indications are that snakefly eggs may be de- a rather unspecialized nature. It is universally posited under loose bark and cracks of wood, in pale, excepting the head which shows a weak porous sheltering material, and under mature beginning of pigmentation. All mouthparts are soft scales. From observations in the field, it present, but are greatly reduced in size, as if would appear that the major portion of egg- weakly functional. The mandibles are largely hatching occurs in June. hidden under the other mouthparts. The three When the foregoing chronological observations thoracic segments are well defined. The first are considered, it appears to be demonstrated five abdominal segments are subequal and similar; that a complete generation of this raphidiid takes the last five segments taper caudad. No pattern place in the period of a single year in Southern is visible on any of the segments. The legs are California. short and stubby; the tarsus is unsegmented, with no indication of the lobes which occur on REARING EQUIPMENT the third segment of the adult tarsus. The tip The exploratory rearings were at first con- of the tarsus (fig. 7) bears a pair of claws. The ducted by placing the insects in small glass vials, antennae (fig. 12) are short, stout, 4-segmented, and recording periodically the observations made the last three segments are subcylindrical. The through the side of the vial. This method made eyes are reduced to a pigmented blotch, close critical decisions difficult at times, and a rearing behind the base of the antenna. A series of first set-up was devised that proved to be highly instar larvae, 24 hours old, averaged 2.28 mm. satisfactory. in length. None was ever seen to feed, and they A cylindrical section was cut from the stem of did not increase noticeably in size. a semi-woody shrub, whose axial core was pithy. Second Instar. A series of second instar larvae, The pith was removed and the section was split when 2 days old, averaged 2.30 mm. in length, lengthwise, leaving hollow half-cylinders (fig. 16). and when 4 days old, averaged 2.90 mm. This The length of this unit was made somewhat stage closely resembles the first instar; the legs shorter than the inside diameter of the vial. The have lengthened slightly, the pigment has deep- surfaces, made in splitting, were painted lightly ened a little-both in the head and the other with adhesive, and the device was installed on the body segments. The mandibles are now clearly inside base of the vial, glued edges down, leaving visable. enough space at one end for access to the shelter thus formed.