Article beginning on page 224.
Psyche 9:224-225, 1900.

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larvae of Microdon mutahilis were com-
pletely ignored by the ants in a mixed
colony of Formica sawgu inea-fusca..
But he observed that the fly, which is
covered with delicate yellow pile, was
assiduously licked by F. sun.gu/neu
although it soon died.
Except for this
last observation, which relates only to
its imaginal stage, Microdon may be
regarded as belonging to Wasmann's
category of synoeketic myrmecophiles,
or indifferently tolerated guests, a great company which also comprises the tiny
crickets of the genus Myrmecophila. *
The imagines of a number of species
of Microdon have been described from
North America but they all appear to
be rare insects. Thcy fly reluctantly
and are fond of lurking about the roots
of grasses and other plants in situations where they readily elude the observation of the most careful collector. I am un-
able to conjecture to which of the de-
scribed Mexican species the larva ob-
served in the Pseudomyrnia nests be-
longs. The a&ompanying photograph
will enable any future observer to iden- tify it without much difficulty, even if it should be found, as I have no doubt
it will be, in the nests of other species of ants in Mexico and Central America.
NOTES ON THE MATING OF ATTACUS CECROPIA AND OTHERS. BY CAROLLNE G. SOULE, BROOKLINE, MASS.
In most of the large collections
of
cecropia cocoons which I have examined
the female pupae have outnumbered the
male by about five to one, twice by three to one. For this reason I have inferred
that the males were
polygamous, and
this spring I have tested them, as the
moths emerged very early.
Close observation has convinced me
that the female cccro;*/a requires sixteen hours out of the cocoon before she is
ready to mate. In no instance did a
female protrude the whole ovipositor
*See Wheeler, The Habits of Myrinecopliila nebras- censis Bruuer. Psyche, Oct., I~W. pp. 111-115 ; and Wits- maun, Zur Lebensweise der Ameiaeiigrilleu (Myrmeco- phila). Natur u. Offenbarung. 47. Bd. iqox pp. 729-152). sooner, and in nu instance did the male
in the cage with her attempt mating or
seem in thc least attracted or excited
before the protrusion of the whole ovi-
positpr. Partial protrusion occurs ear-
lier.
I feel convinced that there is a differ- ent odor diffused when the whole ovi-
positor is protruded, in the case of all the large Saturniids, and often T think I can detect it in spite of the previous
powerful odor of both male and female.
With one exception no female flew or
moved about the cage after her wings
were expanded until mating had taken
place, nor did any female show the least sign of noticing the male or of preference



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for any male except in one other instance when the female vibrated her wings rap-
idly after the male had been flying about her for nearly an hour.
The first exception was a female which
began flying about a male trying to mate, but for some reason none of three males
mated her.
One pair mated at midnight, but no
others mated before four A. M., though
the males' flying and quivering began
sometimes an hour earlier, sometimes
less.
Eleven males mated, remained in coi-
tion for about sixteen hours, then mated a second female each a.bout eight hours
later. No male mated a female which
had been maled before, - of this set.
One male mated tlie same female on
two successive mornings, she having laid over one hundred eggs in the interval.
The male then ma-Led a second female
on the next morning, but coition lasted
only about eight hours. On the next
morning the male mated a third female
and remained in coition until near mid-
night.
The following morning the male mated
a fourth female. coition lasting sixteen hours, and this female he mated again
tlie next morning although a fresh one
was put in the cage. Coition lasted
about sixteen hours the second time
also.
The next morning Die male mated a
fifth female, coition lasting from about 4 a. in. till 7.25 p. m. when the female freed herself by violent struggles. The
male was flying about the sixth temale
within live minutes, and after fifteen
minutes of displaying his wings, flying, and quivering, settled clown into quiet
for the night. At precisely 4 a. 111. the male mated the sixth female with no
preliminary flight or display except that of the previous evening.
The hour of mating was very near 4
a. m. in every instance, never later than 4.30.
No new female emerged and the next
day passed without mating, but on the
following morning the male mated tlie
6th female for the second time. She
resisted vigorously and coition was
short.
1'he next day there was no coition
there being no fresh female, and the
male died, having mated nine times in
thirteen days.
The eleven males which mated two
feinxles each had no opportunity of mat- ing others as no oilier females emerged
in time. It seems fair to bclicvc that
the male cecrofia is very polygamous.
Three males were in boxes with lace
over the tops, and so placed that they
could not see the female in the cage.
They were perfectly quiet nnlil ilie
female protruded (.he whole ovipositor
when, in less than two minutes, they
were flying excitedly about tlic boxes,
stopping only when the female malec!
with the male in the cage.
From observations with pro~/zdhr:r
a/;~/ilifr~fl, and cecrofia it seems 111 : there is some emanation from the cå´- i- positor which attracts the male, .LIX
that no male will mate or approae'.~ a




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female without being attracted in this
less passive, flying about in as much
way.
excitement as the males, and vibrating
Females of Samia cynthia do not their wings faster and faster when not protrude the ovipositor as much as do
flying, quivering all over, and waving
the other Attacine moths, and are far
their wings, in a peculiar manner.
LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GE0MJCTRIDAE.-XXIII BY HARRISON G. DYAR, WASHINGTON, D, C.
^CantJioty$e crocataria Fah. The larva
and pupa of this species have been described by Packard, Bodes, French and Forbes, but no complete life-history has been given. Egg:
Laid in patches of six to twenty.
Elliptical, flattened, concave on two sides but rounded, wedge shaped from side view, the thick end flattened, subtruncate; shagreened by a minute granulation and with traces of hexagonal reticulations which are indicated only, chiefly by the minute bordering pores which appealy as white specks in certain lights. Shining light green. Size .7 X .5 X .3 mm.
Later turning rather dark red.
Stage I.
Head rounded, slightly bilobed,
pale brownish ocherous, a narrow dark line on the posterior angles, not shining, ocelli black; width .3 mm. Body moderate,
normal; white, subdorsal and medioventral purple-brown bands, moderate, straight,
reaching from joint 2 to 13, the subdorsals a little divergent on joints 2 and 13. Tubercles and setae minute, dark, inconspicuous. Feet pale outwardly; segments faintly annulate, uniform, incisures not marked. Shields&
concolorous, not cornified. On eating, the color became greenish from the food show- ing by transparency.
Stqe 11.
Head erect, rather higher than
wide but not above joint 2, pale luteoiis with a blackish stripe on each side across ocelli to near vertex, behind which the color is whit- ish; width .55 mm. Body normal, a little flattened. Uorsum whitish green, a broad red-brown subdorsal stripe, divergent on joints 2 and 13 to the anal feet; sides green, whitish on subventral fold; a ventral stripe like the subdorsal but single, reachirg from the head to joint 13. Feet pale; skin smooth. Stafe III. Head rounded, somewhat flat-
tened before and held obliquely rlat; pale greenish, obscurely white streaked vertically, the rather large antennae and ;I stripc on the sides bearing ocelli white, the stripe faintly dark edged before; ocelli black; width .9 niin. Body moderate, normal, ;L little flatten- ed; anal' plate slightly pointed, anal feet triangular, excavate behind with anal prongs which equal the plate. Light grccn, four white lines in the dorsum ; a subdorsal (or rather lateral) band of smoky brown, fainter than before; a greenish white stripe on the subventral "told; subventer faintly white lined, the bruwn ventral stripe like the sub- dorsal in color. Feet. pale, tubercles and setae small.
Sfag-e IV. Head rounded, squarish, flat- tened hut convex in front, antennae large; held out quite flat; whitish with green tint, obscurely mottled brighter on the sides, a blackish band on the lateral angle forming a bend at antennae to moulh, crossing ocelli ;



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