NOTES ON LEPIDOPTERA 111
Mr. B. A. Whitworth, of Harold Park, writes that he and his son saw,
on separate occasions during the last week of February, 1952, a specimen
of the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui (L.)) on Maylands Golf Course,
Romford.
E. F. Williams.
An interesting case-bearing larva.—From a few sprigs of Sea Lavender
brought home ou the occasion of the Field Meeting on the 16th August,
1902, and inadvertently left out of water on a table, individual flowers
which had apparently fallen off were seen moving over the table. A closer
inspection revealed that in each flower was a larva partly protruding through
the base of the calyx. As the larva moved slowly forward, so it drew the
calyx and corolla behind it. This was on the 25th August.
I was interested to have the larvae identified and to know whether the
adult insect had laid eggs in each individual flower, whether the larva was
trying to escape from the flower (and if so, why did it not turn round and
escape through the open corolla end), and whether it was carrying the
flower around either as a protection or as a source of food, so I sent the
specimens to Mr. Bernard T. Ward in the hope that my queries would be
answered.
He identified them as the larvae of a microlepidoptera—Goniodoma
limoniella (Staint.). one of the Coleophoridae which are distinguished by
constructing cases in which the larvae live. This identification was later
confirmed by Mr. Ford.
I was most interested to learn that "The larvae of this insect feed on the
flowers of the sea lavender, using one of the flowers as a protective case.
When fully fed, they bore into the stem of the sea lavender, the by now-
dead flower they have been using as a case falling off. The hole in the
stem is sealed up with silk. The larvae hibernate in the stem until the
following June, pupate, and the moth emerges in the following month
(July). Apparently little is known about the oviposition or where the eggs
are laid, but the assumption is that they are laid in the flowers or flower
buds, as that is the food of the larva? when they hatch out".
Mr. Ward suggested that my larva? would die as there were no potted
plants of the Sea Lavender available for them to enter, and this proved
to be the case. However, I hope to make a search next year for some of
these larvae or the adult moths.
T. H. C. Bartrop.