Article beginning on page 126.
Psyche 8:126-127, 1897.

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126 PSYCHE. [October 1897
but six and seven stages are not infre-
quent, while there are eight in Scepsis
and Apatelodes and nine and ten in
Arctians, while the European Nola
centonalis n~oults nine times, other
species shedding their skins six times
(Buck1er)i (Psyche, v, pages 420-422).
Callosamia @romethea moults but three
times as a rule. 02-gyia antiqua was
found by Hellins to moult from three to
five times. Riley found that in 0, Zeuco- stigma the males moult four times, the
female four but sometimes five times,
while Dyar states that in 0. gttlosa the male larvae moult three or four times,
the female always four times ; while in
0. antiqaa there are six stages, and
in the female seven. Lithocolletis,
Chambers thinks, as a rule n~oults eight times, Cornstock thinks L. hamadrya-
dda casts its skin seven or eight times. In the blow-fly (Calliphora) Leuckart
and Weismann haveinferred at least two
moults, while Weismann suspects that
there are as many as four. In 11fusca
domestics we have observed that the
larva moults three times; in Oestridae
there are three larval stadia (Brauer) . In Corethra there are four larval moults,
and Miall thinks there are probably as
many. In the phytophagous Hymenop-
tera there are three moults or four larval stages in Nematus erichso&z', but Dyar
informs me that less than four stages in saw-fly larvae is very rare, that he has only one record of less than five, and that that is doubtful ; five for Neinatid, six and seven foi'othcrs, is certair~ly the rule. LL The highest I have is the indication
of eleven stages for Harpiphorus vvari-
anus " (Can. Ent., xxvii, p. 208).
In Bombus we have observed five differ-
ent sizes of larvae and hence suppose the least number of ecdyses is five, while
we are disposed to believe that this
insect as well as wasps and bees in gen- eral shed their skins as many as ten
times during their entire existence.
The honey bee, Cheshire thinks, since
he has found the red and ruptured pel-
licles, probably moults six times before it spins its coco.on, or passes into the semipupa condition. (Bees and Bee-
Keeping, p. 20).
As to the cause of the great number of
moults in the Arctians and the beetles
experimented with by Riley, it would
seem that cold and the lack of food dur- ing hibernation were the agents in Arc-
tians, and starvation or the lack of food in the case of the beetles, such cause
preventing growth, though the hypo-
dermis-cells retained their activity.
DIPTERA OF THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO. - I.
BY C. H. TYLER TOWXSEND, LAS CKUCES, NEW MEXICO. In Scimce, for Dec. 8, 1893, the Organ Mountain range, which lies in writer gave a general description of the the Dona Ana county, some fifteen miles




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October 18~~.] PS?
to the east of the Mesilla Valley of the Rio Grande. Data on the life-zones of
these mountains are given in that article, and are revised somewhat in Transac-
tiuns Texas Acad. Science, i, p. 79.
A popularly written sketch of a trip to
the OrganMts. is given by Mr. Charles
H. Ames in Af-palachia for 1892. If
the reader will take the trouble to look up and familiarize himself with this lit- erature, he will have a fair idea of the more important topograpl~ical features
of these mountains. While not exten-
sive in area, they constitute a region of much interest from a biologic point of
view. Their highest peaks reach to an
elevation of 8,800 ft. above the level of the sea.
I. Eupeodes volucris 0s. One 9 .
Dripping Spring, Organ Mts. About
5600 ft. August 10. Length, 84 mm.
Legs reddish, bases of all the femora
black, hind femora with but little more
black than others, knees narrowly yel-
lowish. Stigma of wings very pale
yellowish, as is whole space between
auxiliaiy and first longitudinal veins.
Strange to say, there is some scattered
pubescence barely visible on lower half
of eyes. No pubescence is visible in
many other specimens that I have exam-
ined.
Also one 9. Soledad Canon. About
5000 ft. August 15. On flowers of
Afelam$odium cinereurn DC. Length,
7.5 nxn.
Later in the season both ifs
and 9 s were taken in the Sacramento
Mts.
It is a remarkable but well-known fact
that the sixth segment in the f of this
species is always unsyminetrical, and
points to the right. So far as I know,
the case is without parallel among the
diptera. The asymmetry consists in
the left lateral margin being oblique and nearly in a straight line with the left
lateral margin of the fourth and fifth
segments ; while the right lateral mqin
is evenly rounded in outline. The seg-
ment is thereby thrown out of line with
the longitudinal axis of the abdomen,
and is left pointing to the right.
a. Zodion splendens Jaenn. One
$. Soleclad Cation. About 5000 ft.
August 15. On flowers of Zinnia
gyandiflora Nutt. This is a large
specimen, measuring I I mm., and is
very pronounced in its markings and
coloration. The face and front, except
veitex, are unicolorous, both being of
the same clear light yellow tinge. The
fourth abdominal segment is wholly
pollinose, exceptthe pair of oval spots. Scutelium pollinose on whole upper
surface.
3. Zodion fdvz~~ons Say var.
aidominale Say. One 9. Soledad
Cation. About 5500 ft. August 15. On
flowers of Pectis &z$posa Gray ((let.
Ckll.). Length, nearly 7 1nm. Front
silvery dusted along orbits, yellow, red- dish-yellow at vertex. Thoracic dorsum
with a third. or median, more slender
brownish stripe. Second abdominal
segment nearly all yellow, hind border
brownish, and a faint median line pale
brownish. Anterior corners with a tuft
of black hair. First, third, and fourth
segments brownish ; sixth and basal
half of seventh reddish-yellowis11 ; all



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128 PSYCHE. [October iaw.
silvery pollinose. Pair of median stripes hardly apparent, and only 011 third scg- rnent. No black on legs or antennae.
Otherwise agrees with Williston's
description.
The common form of this species in
Kew Mexico, especially in the Mesilla
Valley, is the present one -that orig-
inally described by Say as &ominale.
It is characterized in general by the
front, median abdominal stripes, and
legs being as described above. The
thorsix has the median brown line less
conspicuous, or subobsolete ; the abdo-
men with at least second and sixth
segments mostly yellowish ; abdomen
sometimes wholly yellowish, in which
case the median stripes may be moder-
ately distinct but reddish. See section
I1 of paper on Gila Diptera (Psvcfie,
1897)~ for note on fwlvzyrons, typical
form.
4. Belvosia bifasciata Fab. One
Q . Dripping Spring, Organ Mts.
About 5600 ft. August 10. Not quite
the normal type, but near it. Facial
ridges ciliate half way up, but not as
high as lowest frontal bristles. Third
antcnnal joint about 2& times as long as second. Third and fourth abdominal
segments wholly deep golden, as in the
normal form. The claws in 9 of this
genus are always hooked and black on
tips. The 8 has the claws neaily
straight, and without black.
LIFE HISTORY OF PYROMORPHA DIMIDIATA H. S. BY HARRISON G. DYAR, WASHINGTON, D. C.
The larvx of Pyromorpha has previously
eluded detection on account of its peculiar habit. It lives beneath the fallen leaves in oak woods, feeding on the dead and decaying leaves. The larvae are solitary. The period from egg to cocoon is three months, June 15 to Sept. 15. The winter is passed in the co- coon as in the other species of the family. The coloration is dark brown and rather uni- form to harmonize with the situation in
which the 1x1-we live.
Egg. Elliptical, a little flattened above and below like Geometrid eggs, but more elon- gate and cylindrical than those. White, mod- erately shining, soft and thin-skinned.
Length I mm., height and width .6 mrn.
Reticulations distinct and regular, much rounde.1, like a series of contiguous circles. Stage I.
Head rounded, partly retracted,
black; width .3 mm. Body thick, slightly flattened, grayish white. Warts low, a group of hairs from tubercular bases, finely dotted spinulose, a small clear bulb at the base of each. Three warts and leg-plale seen, the larva wart with few hairs. Skin finely spin- ulose. The primitive first stage is absent. Sfage 11. Head retracted in the fold of
joint 2, black over thc vertices of the lobes, clypeus pale, mouth pointed, brown; width 4. mm. Body sordid gray, in marks. Hairs numerous, from large low warts: stiff, shut. pale with black tips, spinulose with basal bulbs as before. Feet normal. Later a faint whitish subdorsal line is seen against the dark fold within, a narrow brown dorsal line and faint mottlings low down on the sides. Cervical shield brown.
Sfage III. Head light brown with large
black eye, retracted in joint 2; width .6 mrn. Body thick and stout, densely hairy. Cervi-



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