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op Si, APRIL, 1912.

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Ent. News, Vor. XXIII. Plate 2X.

ih Hf
Wey
Wy,

H. E. EWINGy DEL.

MOLTING PROCESS OF TETRANYCHUS TELARIUS L.—ewina.

ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS

AN

D

PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION

ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA.

WOK.) ol.

APRIL, 1912.

No. 4.

CONTENTS:

Ewing—Notes on the Molting Process
of our common red spider (Tetra-

nychus telarius L.) (Acarina)...... 145
Neils—Wing Production in Aphids
(QRIETH) anceooasco0GODe GdUGOseOo 149
Williamson—The Known Indiana So-
matochloras (Odonata)......-...-. 152
Blaisdell—Hibernation of Cicindela se-
AMUSE (CSOLCG Ps) yatta iain ec sloleisneie.s vies « 156

Aldrich—Flies of the Leptid genus
Atherix used as Food by California
Meats (Dp ts) eioisie o)e ole 'sieiele ice oie 0.0: 159

Braun—Notes on Chambers’ species of
AMinleina(eepidsysiecicinese\s<isiele\e:o:e. 010101 163
Busck—A new Microlepidopter of the
genus Epicallima Dyarfrom Penna. 170
Slosson—Collecting at the Water Gap. 171
Felt—New West Indian Gall Midges

(COI) )CoosnécodoopoodbeecolEDnoDoDE 173
ESCUICOTIAIS faelelfoiesmstelsicie sicieleieriiele'e/- =ce\+16 178
Notes and News....-...-ceceececeseees 180
Entomological Literature ............. 185
Doings of Societies ...-........c00.ee0% 191
Obituary—Prof. John B. Smith........ 192

Notes on the Molting Process of Our Common Red
Spider (Tetranychus telarius L.) (Acarina).
By H. E. Ewine, Corvallis, Oregon.
(Plate X)

As far as the writer has been able to ascertain, we have no
record of any one having witnessed the molting process in any
of the red spiders. Since the members of this family (the
Tetranychidae) are themselves almost or quite microscopic in
size, this fact is not surprising. In order to get any valuable
observations of the process, it is necessary to use the com-
pound microscope; and since the molting process occurs but
three times in the life of an individual, and occupies only a few
minutes many weary observations would ordinarily have to be
made in order to see it.

OBSERVATION OF THE MOLTING PROCESS ON THE STAGE OF
THE MICROSCOPE.

While working out the life history of our common red spider
(Tetranychus telarius 1,.), a species which is known to every
keeper of a greenhouse and to almost every gardener or or-
chardist, I was fortunate enough to observe the complete pro-
cess of molting of a quiescent larva into the nymphal stage.

145

146 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

This was in the early part of the winter of 1909, at Ames,
Iowa, where some extensive experiments on this species were
being carried out.

The following detailed account of the process and the subse-
quent actions of the newly emerged nymph are given almost
word for word as I have them from the records taken at the
time.

At 11.50 A. M. on December 11th, I came into the labora-
tory as usual to take notes on the breeding cells. These cells
were very small glass stender dishes. Each was small enough
to be placed on the stage of the microscope, and each contained
a single, isolated individual upon some very small, one-leaved
plant. The larva in cell A 25 was observed along with the oth-
ers, and at first I saw that the larva had fixed itself for a molt.
But to my surprise as I examined it more carefully, I thought
I saw it move slightiy. At once I took my hands off the micro-
scope to be sure that this apparent motion was not due to my
own movements. The larva was now seen clearly to move. Its
body was moved back and forth and sideways, but the legs
were kept still. Suddenly in a single instant the skin of the old
larva burst all the way across the body just behind the scapu-
lar groove on the dorsal surface. In another instant some of
the dorsal bristles of the cephalo-thorax were released as if
they were springs, and projected in almost their normal posi-
tion. At the same time the eyes of the emerging nymph burst
into view.

Now began a series of side motions and of backward strains.
The hindmost larval legs were used, being extended laterally
and slightly anteriorly. At the same time the muscles of the
body gave it a wriggling motion. These motions continued for
about one minute when the whole anterior part of the new
nymph began to be drawn out of the anterior part of the old
larval skin. This motion was at first rather slow until the an-
terior legs were released from their old sheath, when all of a
sudden the whole nymph pulled loose from the anterior part of
the old skin.

The now half emerged nymph, having thus shed its coat, so

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 147

to speak, began to cast off the remainder of its “old garments.”
This consisted of that part of the old skin covering most of the
abdomen and the third pair of legs. The individual walked
away about twice its own length, and after a few movements,
which apparently were used for fastening the posterior part of
the old skin to the surface of the leaf, it calmly walked out of
the rest of its “garments.” The whole time consumed in cast-
ing the skin was less than four minutes, beginning with the first
noticed movement of the inert larva.

The new pair of legs which now appeared (there being four
pairs in the case of the nymph, while only three pairs were
present in the larva) were smaller than the rest and could not
be used in walking for some time. This pair appeared just back
of the third pair, as is the rule in the case of other Acarina. The
larva now walked about some, but all the time it kept flexing
and extending its added pair of legs. It was “trying them out”
so to speak, before it could use them in walking. At 12 o'clock
this nymph went to the base of the plant and stretched out its
legs, and lay motionless, doubtless exhausted by the ordeal of
the molting process. It remained in this position from 12
o’clock to twelve minutes after 12. Now its body began to
move and soon it was “trying out” its legs again. After about
three minutes the nymph began walking, but it was a shaky,
unnatural gait. It kept this up until 12.17, when my observa-
tions ceased.

SomE GENERAL Notes IN REGARD TO THE MOLTING PROCESS.

The molting process in this species is always preceded by a
quiescent period of several hours. This period is perhaps used
in the reformation of some of the bodily structures, but cer-
tainly not many.

In assuming a position at the beginning of the quiescent
period previous to the molt the legs are always extended, and
they are nearly always attached to a fine web which the species
spins.

One of the chief uses of the web which is spun by this spe-
cies is as an aid in the molting process. ‘The cast skins are
nearly always found fastened to some threads of this web.

148 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [ April, ’12

Frequently the posterior part of the cast skin is left attached
to the anterior part, and is not torn entirely apart from it, as it
was in the case of the individual which was observed molting
under the microscope.

Although I never have observed the second and third molt-
ing processes, a study of the second and third cast skins would
indicate that it is essentially the same as the first one.

THE Four STAGES OF THE MOLTING PROCESS.

From the observations made of the molting process it may
be divided into four stages.

The first stage (Fig. 1). This stage begins with the first
movements of the body, and ends with the complete transverse
rupture of the old integument.

The second stage (Fig. 2). This stage begins with the
transverse rupture of the old integument, and ends with the
complete shedding of the anterior part of the old skin.

The third stage (Fig. 3). Includes that part of the process
between the casting of the anterior part of the old skin, and
the complete freeing of the body from the posterior part of
the old skin.

The fourth stage (Fig. 4). Includes that part of the process
coming after the last part of the old skin has been cast and
extending until the rest period due to exhaustion sets in.

A Par? OF THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE MoLtTING Process AS RECORDED.

Ames, Iowa, December rth, 1909.

Time: Individual in cell A. 25.

A.M.

11.50 The first movements noticed in the quiescent larva. These
movements were back and forth and sideways, with the legs
fixed at their tips by means of the tarsal claws.

11.54 Last part of the old larval skin is detached from the body.

12.00 The new nymph stops “trying out” its new pair of legs, the
hindmost pair; and stretches itself out motionless and pre-
sumably exhausted.

12.12 Period of rest is broken by the “trying out” of the new and
old legs, but not by walking upon them.

12.15 Nymph begins walking about although its gait is not steady.

12.17 Observations stopped.

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 149

Wing Production in Aphids (Hemip.).
By J. D. Newts, University of California, Berkeley, Cal.

The results obtained by Doctor J. Loeb by the use of
chemical salts on micro-organisms, suggested to Professor
W. T. Clarke that some of the polymorphism exhibited by
Aphids might be due to the action of such salts. Accord-
ingly he experimented with a series of salts*.

The method of introducing the salts into the insect was
as follows: Cuttings of rose, bearing a single apterous vivi-
parous aphid (Nectarophora rosae) were planted in five
four-ounce tumblers containing washed and sterilized sand. The
sand was wetted with saturated solutions of magnesium
chloride, magnesium sulphate, potassium phosphate, sodium
hydrogen phosphate and pure water, respectively. Records
extending through a period of three weeks were kept with
the result of an apparent and very striking effect of mag-
nesium salts. Since this paper is not accessible to many,
the results obtained by Professor Clarke are given in de-
tail in the following table:

September Experiment MgCl, |MgSO,| K,;PO, NaH ,PO, | H,O
Total Number of Aphids...... 263 142 | S aceure
Percentage of winged forms.) &g g2 0.4

October Experiment
Total Number of Aphids....... 254 268 217
Percentage of winged forms.| 73 I

November Experiment |
Total Number of Aphids....... 233 228 227
Percentage of winged forms.,; 80 77 | 4.4

February Experiment |
Total Number of Aphids... 278 271 295 146 | 252
Percentage of winged forms. 78 84 2 oO hi es?

As pointed out in a paper by Professor C. W. Wood-
worth on Winged Aphids + the wilting of plants results
in a slowing down of the birth rate, also in bringing about

* Journal of Technology, Vol. 1, Berkeley, California,
+ Entomological News, March, 1908.

|

150 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [ April, ’12

a spontaneous production of young with wing pads. Many
species of Aphids increase until the condition of the plant
is wilted or curled, due to the poisonous effect of the lice
or the lack of water; then they produce winged forms and
free the plant entirely.

There seem thus to be two possible explanations of wing-
production in these experiments; first, there may be a stim-
ulative action due to the chemicals, or second, it may be
due to the slower development after hatching and after
feeding begins. This slower development of tissue gives
more opportunity for the development of wings, which
would otherwise be sacrificed to the development of such
‘issue as the reproductive system under more favorable con-
ditions. This retarding in development is brought about by
the wilting effect produced by several agencies, as drought,
excessive infestation of the plant by the lice, the prepara-
tion of the plant for winter conditions, or perhaps artificial-
ly by the presence of magnesium salts.

The writer undertook to verify the determinations made
by Professor Clarke and obtained the following results:

r=

Ist 3 days| 2nd 3 days | 3rd 3 days| Total | Percentage of
wn wn wn | wn
Material 2 g 2 g 2 E 2 g
2] Sie) 8 |S | So) Slee ee
—Q e ina) e faa) : ioe)
= = = =
Me SO Wcivenass 5a IO0 10 8) AS 22g een gI.3
FS Orctseieascctes sy) 12 fo) 14 2” | Bah oy 5-9

These results completely confirmed those obtained by Pro-
fessor Clarke, but bring out the additional fact that after the
first three days all the MgSO+* aphids developed wing pads.
This makes it possible to determine quite accurately the time
during the development of the insect at which the action of
magnesium became effective.

A series of experiments were made by the writer to dis-
cover whether the determination of the future development
into winged or wingless aphids occurred before or after

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 151

birth. Professor Woodworth, in the paper quoted above,
has pointed out that a distinction may be made between the
two forms as soon as they have accomplished their first molt,
thus placing one limit to this cfitical period. These experi-
ments were conducted in the following manner: A cutting
of rose bearing a number of young apterous viviparous ap-
hids (Nectarophora rosae) was planted in a four-ounce
tumbler containing washed and sterilized sand and watered
vith a saturated solution of magnesium sulphate. In a like
manner a cutting with aphids was wetted with water. Since
in the former experiments the aphids born during the first
three days did not show the effect of the salt, three days were
permitted to pass and then as soon as the young were born
on the plant treated with magnesium sulphate they were
carefully transferred to a fresh cutting bearing no aphids
planted in sand, to which only pure water had been added.
Those born on the plant in water were likewise transferred
just after birth to a plant bearing no aphids, which had been
planted in sand watered with magnesium sulphate. The fol-
lowing table shows the results:

Chemicals used
Piantmonmwiichwpitthe OCCUEKEd) .....ceese.e es + cases MgSO, H,O

Plant to which newly born aphid was transferred ..H,O MgSO,

pesucent developing wing, pads ....<660 ces nelhes oe ve o 100%

From this table it will be seen that the effects of mag-
nesium salts on the wing production of aphids is due strictly
to the salt taken by the insect after birth and that the feeding
during the first day of its existence determined its future de-
velopment.

These experiments do not answer the question whether the
magnesium is a stimulant to the development of wing-buds
or a retarder of the general development, but the much slow-
er development of the ovaries and the slower increase in to-
tal body weight, which has been readily observed in the ex-
periments, would seem to favor the latter idea.

The writer proposes to show the morphological differen-
tiation between these two forms which occur during this
stage in a subsequent paper.

152 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [ April, ’12

The Known Indiana Somatochloras (Odonata.).
By E. B. Wittramson, Bluffton, Indiana.

In the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia for 1839, Thomas Say, in a paper read July 12,
1836, says of his new Libellula tenebrosa, “Inhabits Indiana.”
Twenty-five years had elapsed since the Battle of Tippe-
canoe; and just twenty-five years more were to pass when
the cicadas and the darters with their capital W’s announced
another war. And forty years after the beginning of that
war passed before a Somatochlora was again recorded for
Indiana. Well did Professor Needham include one Somato-
chlora in his discussion when he wrote of “Two Elusive Drag-
onflies.” (Ent. News, 1905).

In these sixty-five years between the captures of Soma-
tochloras in Indiana, the State had passed from a wilder-
ness to cultivated lands. Where the farmer as a boy caught
cat-fish and snapping turtles, he plowed corn as a man. The
smaller streams became tile ditches; the primitive forests,
fields and pastures. What changes took place in the original
plant and animal inhabitants of the State are known very
meagerly even for the most conspicuous forms. The pass-
ing of the obscurer has not left a trace. Of the wild turkey
and the deer we know something, but who has concerned
himself with the extinction of an orchid or the loss of a
cragonfly? That these questions already difficult are to be
answered in the future while data are yet obtainable is scarce-
ly to be hoped. Philanthropy is concerning itself in pure
science mainly in attacking problems whose solutions may
be as ready for the student thirty generations hence as at
the present time. Unfortunately no one will find an oppor-
tunity to collect native orchids or Somatochloras in Wells
County, Indiana, a thousand years from now. The humble
apology of the writer of local lists to the student of the
anatomy of the cat is not in good taste.

Thomas Say, then, in 1836, recorded L. (Somatochlora)
tenebrosa for Indiana. On June 4, 1901, Mr. Chas. C. Deam

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 153

took a teneral female Somatochlora in Fountain County,
which Dr. Calvert, several years ago, determined as /linearis.
Along Flat Creek in Wells County, on July 2, 1911, I took
a male S. charadraea, and two days later, at the same loca-
tion, took a male of S. linearis. These are the State records,
scanty because of the nature of the dragonflies themselves,
but especially because no one is employed, or has the leisure,
to give the subject attention.

The capture of no other known species could have fur-
nished a greater surprise than charadraea. ‘The only other
specimen known was taken at an altitude of about 8,000
feet in Bear Creek Canon, Jefferson County, Colorado, by
Ernest J. Oslar. The elevation of Flat Creek is about 800
feet, and its name is indicative of its character, which is
anything but that of a mountain torrent. Flat Creek is a
tributary of Little River which it joins just above Mardenis,
Huntington County. Little River, meeting the Wabash
River at Huntington, is the shrunken descendant of the Fort
Wayne outlet of the extinct Lake Maumee whose waters
once passed into the Wabash. Flat Creek passes into Hunt-
ington County from Wells County about one and one-half
miles south of the Allen County line. Its last 200-300 yards
in Wells County is through brushy and rank second-growth
woodland on the Simmers sisters’ farm. In Huntington
County it passes into a large open field, and above the Sim-
mers woodlot it runs for nearly a mile through practically
open fields and through the barnyard of the J. M. Settle-
meyer farm. Mr. Settlemeyer has made some borings in
the creek bottom on his farm obtaining a limited but con-
tinuous artesian water supply. He tells me that prior to
these borings the creek dried up in summer. Early in July,
1911, when I collected there, it averaged possibly 3 feet in
width and carried a very small amount of water. The creek
bottom will average about 3 feet below the land surface in
the adjoining woodland. Its course is meandering, and in
a few places there are perceptible ripples over gravel bot-
tom. The water is generally only a few inches deep, but

154 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

there is one pool where the water is possibly 2 feet deep.
The banks are grass-grown or bare in places, with much
willow herb and some lizard tail. The water is warmed by
its exposure in fields, and is fouled by barnyards and the
visits of domestic animals.

On July 2, 1911, en route to Little River, I reached the
bridge over Flat Creek on the Wells-Huntington Counties
line at about 8 A. M., and leaving the motorcycle on the
bridge, started up the creek through the Simmers woodlot.
At a short distance I saw a dragonfly, hovering like a
Tetragoneuria, over a ripple. It left the ripple, flying up-
ward and being lost to sight. It appeared again at the rip-
ple, not approaching by following the creek, but “dropping
down from the clouds; and it disappeared as it had in the
first instance. After a few moments’ wait I followed the
creek through the woods to the fields beyond without see-
ing any dragonflies. On my return, as I walked in the creek
bed, a flash of black, yellow and green danced for a second
before my eyes and as it passed to one side the net over-
took it,—a brilliant male of S. charadraea. Possibly half
an hour more was spent at the creek, and no Somatochloras
were seen. Leaving the creek I went to Little River near
Mardenis where I expected to find Macromias, and where
I hoped, after my experience at Flat Creek, I might find
Somatochloras. Collecting here without success and think-
ing over the morning’s experience, I became more and more
convinced that the first Somatochlora seen was a different
species from the one captured. The first one seen showed
no yellow at all in the two good views I had of it, while
the one captured gave me a distinct glimpse of yellow,
though I had but the most fleeting glance at it on the wing.
So before noon I returned to Flat Creek, first a mile below
where I had collected in the morning, and later at the former
woods. But at neither place did I see any Somatochloras.

The next day, Monday, I made a hurried early morning
trip to the creek in the Simmers’ woods, and saw the Soma-
tochlora again,—a good view and one that convinced me it

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 155

was not charadraea. That evening I rode to the creek again,
a total of about 55 miles traveled that day, but in the last
hour or two before dark I failed to catch a glimpse of
Somatochloras. I slept that night in Settlemeyer’s barn and
in the morning followed the sun’s first rays into the Sim-
mers’ woods. Twice I got good though distant views of the
Somatochlora. He would drop down from over the trees,
pass along the creek for a short distance, and leave like
a flash. Then an hour passed and no sign of him. As I
stood in the creek near where I had caught charadraea the
Sunday before, planning my next trip after the wretch that
was making the glorious Independence Day a mockery,
there was a flash over a large red haw tree and in the same
breath the net got him as he started to rise in passing me.
And this one was S. linearis. Wallace somewhere tells of
a headache which seized him when a butterfly slipped to
freedom from his fingers. Waking and sleeping I had seen
this dragonfly for nearly forty-eight hours, and my emotions
I believe were as intense. On subsequent trips to the creek
I failed to see any Somatochloras.

The colors of charadraea are as described in Ent. News,
January, 1907, with the following notes:

Labrum largely brown, greenish or paler at center, clypeus brown,
lighter at center below to meet pale on labrum; frons in front, below
metallic area, brown; no yellow on vertex, On abdominal segment 2
an additional small yellow spot above the yellow of the genital lobe.

Eyes nile green, brilliant. Yellow markings chrome yellow, tend-
ing to gamboge.

The living colors of linearis may be briefly described as
follows:

Labrum yellow; face brown, clypeus paler at center; frons obscure
yellowish on either side against the eyes, above and slightly in front
metallic dark blue; vertex and occiput dark, nearly black; eyes bril-
liant nile green; rear of eyes pale brown.

Thorax metallic without other color excepting the sclerite between
the front wings which is pale lemon. Legs black, brown at base.

Abdomen black, segment I brown above; a large rounded pale yel-
low spcet at base of genital lobe; lower lateral margins of 3 and 4
edged with gray; small lateral basal yellow spots on 5-8, all about
the same size, most distinct and bright on 6 and 7, dullest and smallest
ng hint of lateral basal spots on 3, large but dully colored and ill

efined.

156 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

Hibernation of Cicindela senilis (Coleop.).
By Frank S. BLAIspELL, Sr., San Francisco, California.

It has been my custom for several years to spend the Thanks-
giving Holidays at Vine Hill, Contra Costa Co., California.

Vine Hill is a railroad station on the Santa Fe Railroad,
about three miles south of Benecia Bay. The region is settled
up, and the land divided up into ten- or twenty-acre ranches,
fruits and chickens being the main productions.

The marsh land, bounding the southern shores of Benecia
Bay, sends an arm inland to the south for quite a distance,
and the irregular edge of this saline area reaches the ranch
at which I stop. The country in general is rolling; hills of two
or three hundred feet elevation are quite common. Upon one
hill in particular there are a number of white oaks on the
northern and northwestern slopes.

The weather was moderately cold and dry on November
24th to the 27th, 1910, and insects at this time are all in hiber-
nation. Collecting consists mainly in hunting out all crevices
about buildings and fences, turning over of rocks and of pull-
ing off the bark of trees. Beating oak trees over an umbrella
yielded many good things. The Coccinellide were particularly
in evidence.

After having collected from all of the oaks I took to the
grain fields, where ledges cropped up here and there. Finally
I worked my way to the borders of the saline flats. A short
distance from the edge of a grain field, and within the marsh
boundaries, a small barren knoll with croppings of a ledge
attracted my attention. Heretofore it had never yielded any-
thing more than a few Bembidium indistincta and Thicanus
californicus. ‘The surface of the ground is always crusted
over with a saline exudation or deposit; this barren spot is
not much more than one hundred feet square, and not much
more than three feet above the general level. It is bounded
by the saline marsh plants—mostly what I take to be Salicornia.
About the ledge were three or four loose and flat rocks, which
measured about two and one-half feet in length and one and
one-half feet in width. As I looked about it occurred to me

Vol. xxiii] _ ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 157

that it was an ideal place for Cicindela senilis. After tipping
over a number of small stones, I approached one of the large
rocks mentioned above, and as I did so, I noticed that the
lizards had been feeding upon a species of Cicindela. Close
examination of the fragments proved them to be the remains
of senilis. A new record, for I had never found them at Vine
Hill before.

After turning over the large rock I noticed a small hole
(B) at the edge of the impression (A) made by the rock,
as shown in the accompanying diagram. I also observed that
there was something whitish in that hole, and with my forceps

I extracted a C. senilis. It was torpid from the cold. At the
mouth of its burrow there was a small pile of dirt (B), which
looked like a miniature gopher mound. This little pile of
dirt was not the only one, for all around the rock impression
there were numerous others (C).

An idea occurred to me and I began to dig, and Cicindela
senilis began to appear by the twos and fours. They were at
different depths, none deeper than three inches (G), and there
was distinct evidence of galleries. There was no evidence
of larve, and the little piles of dirt told the story very clearly,—
that these insects had retired to this rock and dug their way
beneath it for the purpose of hibernating through the winter.

158 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

Having exhausted that colony, I passed on to another large
rock, raised it, and again I could see signs of burrows and
one or two senilis were in sight. So I determined upon a more
systematic study of the burrows. ‘The diagram shows the re-
sults.

There was one main gallery (D) with branches leading dis-
tinctly to the margins of the rock impression (A), and each
branch was closed with dirt as before; some of the branches
ended blindly (EF).

In one end of the gallery I found five individuals that exhib-
ited scarcely any signs of life; in the blind branches of the
gallery there were usually one or two specimens. The main
gallery was not more than one-half to one inch below the sur-
face of the dirt (broken lines), and came to the surface
wherever the continuous line (F) is shown in the diagram.

A number of individuals were enclosed in oval cells (G),
resembling a pupal cell; these were apparently cut off from
any exit, or at least I could not trace it to the margin of the
rock impression. But as a rule a pile of dirt was opposite to
these isolated cells, as in cases where the connection was evi-
dent.

I consider that the gallery was not community property
through instinct, but through accident, as each Cicindela in
nearly all instances had its corresponding pile of dirt at the
margin of the rock impression. In most cases it was clearly
to be seen that a burrow had been dug from periphery to
center, and that the dirt had been pushed outward interruptedly
as indicated by the transverse markings of the filled burrows.

The different individuals of the colony, in working centrally
beneath the rock, would eventually meet each other, their bur-
rows uniting; this being the case, it would undoubtedly modify
and convert the gallery into community property, with the re-
sult that there would be an amicable association of individuals,
which at other times would be decidedly bellicose.

Such an association apparently aroused a latent social in-
stinct that is so well exhibited by many other species, especially
the Coccinelidae, and for that matter some species of Cicin-
delae are social, but not all.

OO ar

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 159

Sixty-four specimens were collected from beneath three
rocks, and I was well satisfied that many more could be found
beneath other immovable rocks of the ledge.

These insects did not develop beneath the rocks, but on the
other hand sought these protected sites to hibernate.

Flies of the Leptid genus Atherix used as Food by
California Indians (Dipt.).*

By J. M. Avpricu, Moscow, Idaho.

In March, 1911, as I was making plans to investigate the
Ephydras and other insects of western salt and alkaline lakes,
I wrote to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington,
mentioning the well-known use of an Ephydra at Mono Lake
as food by Indians, and asking if any information could be
procured for me in regard to other places in the West where
such food was used. The Commissioner obligingly sent a cir-
cular to employees of the service in the West, which elicited
several responses, one of which brought the first intimation
of the use of a Leptid fly as human food.

Mr. Joseph A. Garber, farmer in charge of the Yainax ike
agency, Yainax, Oregon, wrote down two statements made to
him by Indians living at or near the sub-agency, which I am
permitted to publish. The Indian name under which it is re-
ported that the Ephydra was used was “Koo-chah-bie,’ and
this was used in the circular of inquiry.

“Statement of Chief Ben Lawver:

“Ben Lawver, an old Modoc Indian now living at Yainax
sub-agency says that this fly which was used for food by the
Indians was called by the Modocs and Pitt Rivers Ha-lib-
wah, but after the flies were prepared for use as food, the
product was called Koo-chah-bie. There are a few of these
flies on Sprague River in this county and they are still called the
Ha-lib-wah fly by the Klamath Indians.

* This paper is one of the results of an investigation carried « on
with the aid of an appropridtion from the Elizabeth Thompson Science
Fund.

160 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [ April, ’12

“About forty years ago when the Indians used the Koo-chah-
bie as food, they would go to Pitt River in Modoc County,
California, at a point about ten miles down the river from
where the little village or town of Canby now is. The time
for gathering the flies was some time in the early summer.
The Indians would place logs across the river in about the
same manner that a present-day log or lumber boom is con-
structed. Then they would go up stream and shake the flies
off the willow bushes growing along the banks of the river.
The flies falling on the water would float down stream and
lodge against the logs in great quantities. As many as a hun-
dred bushels could be gathered in this way in a single day.
The Indians used a kind of basket to dip the flies from the
water and carry them to the place where they were to be
prepared for food.

“A pit was dug in the ground about 1%4 to 2 feet deep
and about 2 feet or more square. Then two layers of stones
were placed in the bottom of the pit, each layer being about
three inches thick. A wood fire was built on these stones and
more stones were put around and over the fire. When the
fire was burnt out and the stones were hot, all the stones were
removed except the bottom layer. Then green tules or green
coarse grass was spread out on the bottom layer of rocks. The
walls of the pit were lined with hot rocks also, and this inclos-
ure lined with tules or grass. The oven-like inclosure was
then filled with the flies. These were covered with green
coarse grass and the whole covered with more hot stones.
Water was then poured on the hot stones of the walls of the
pit, the hot stones converting it into steam.

“As soon as the water was poured on, dirt was hurriedly
thrown over all to the depth of several inches. The flies were
allowed to cook in this manner until the heat was pretty well
expended. The dirt and grass were then removed from the
top and the mass allowed to cool. When sufficiently cooled
the product was taken from the oven and was ready for use as
food. In this state it was called by the Modoc and Pitt River
Indians ‘Koo-chah-bie.2 When cold Koo-chah-bie is about
the consistency of head-cheese, having a reddish brown color
and can be cut into slices with a knife.”

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 161

“Statement of William Turner Jackson:

“William Turner Jackson, a Pitt River Indian now living
near Yainax, Oregon, says that he saw this fly forty or more
years ago, when he was a mere boy, in great quantities on a
mountain side about eight or ten miles northeast from the
postoffice or village of Lookout, in Modoc County, California.
It seems that these flies, according to his statements, would
gather at or near the head of a small canyon through which
flowed a small stream of water. He never saw them at any
other place in quantities and if one would go a quarter of a
mile from this point in any direction there would be practically
no flies. These flies gathered there some time in the month of
May, and could be gathered by the tons. The trees, bushes and
rocks were covered with them in places to the depth of five or
six inches. Hence it was no trouble to gather them, for they
could be scraped off the rocks and trees into great heaps. They
would alight on the Indians until they were literally covered
with them.

“The time of gathering them was in the cool of the morn-
ing when they were all settled and too cold to fly. In the heat
of the day the air would be so filled with them as to exclude
the sun and one could see but a short distance. (Where the
flies came from and where they went to from this place is not
known by the Indians who gave me this version of the inci-
dent.—J. A. G.)

“Indian Jackson also says that the flies were gathered in
great quantities and prepared for food.

“A large pit was dug in the ground and the same materials
used in constructing the oven as those mentioned in the Ben
Lawver statement. But before the flies were put into the
oven they were dumped into large baskets and mashed up and
kneaded like a housewife works her paste when preparing to
bake bread. The mass is made into loaves like bread and
placed in the oven side by side. There may be a half dozen
or more layers of these loaves in one oven with the hot stones
between the layers. A great quantity could be cooked or
baked in one oven in this manner. When this product was
baked and dried it could be sliced from the loaf and used as
food.

162 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

“The food was called at that time and place by the Pitt
Rivers ‘Why-hauts.’ When the Indians had gotten as much
of the Why-hauts as they needed for winter supply, they car-
ried it away to their places of living. A great deal of this
was used as winter food.”

The two places described by the Indians are both on Pitt
River in the southern part of Modoc County, the northeastern
county of California, and are not much more than ten miles
apart by the data given. The two Indians it will be noticed
belonged to different tribes, which probably accounts for slight
differences in handling the flies. I believe both accounts are
truthful, although the quantity of material secured may be
a little exaggerated.

The identification of the fly as a member of the genus
Atherix is very easy. About the year 1900 I was at Logan,
Utah, early in July, and joined a fishing party which drove to
a point southeast of Avon, in the south end of Cache Valley,
on a small stream in the mountains. I distinctly remember
seeing masses of flies of the genus Atherix come floating down
the stream, and in one spot where a stick lay partly under
water they would lodge so that a handful could easily be picked
up. At the time I had no place to put the insects for preser-
vation, and did not collect any, but I recognized the genus.
In the summer of 1808 also, at Hailey, Idaho, or a few miles
above the town, I noticed on the underside of a wagon bridge
crossing Wood River masses of old dead flies that had appar-
ently been attached to the timbers of the bridge for several
years; they were hanging over the water. Material which I
collected here was afterwards destroyed by a fire in the Uni-
versity of Idaho, and again I am not sure of the species, but
I collected Atherix variegata at Hailey on another occasion.
It would be necessary to collect in the Pitt River region to
feel certain of the species of the above account by the Indians.

The explanation of the gregarious habit of the fly is that
the females deposit their eggs collectively in this manner. The
female does not fly away from the egg mass, and other females
gathering on the outside of the cluster and also depositing
their eggs results in the formation of a mass of eggs and

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 163

flies several inches deep. An instance of this is cited by Ives,
in Entomological News, i. 39, 1890, and Dr. Riley, comment-
ing on the case in Insect Life, 1i, 386, 1890, mentions some-
thing similar, but possibly not the same. The Ives material
came from Pemberton, New Jersey.

This habit in Atherix is much better known in the European
Atherix ibis, in which it has often been described. Verrall
(British Flies, v, 288, 1909), quotes a condensed description
of the habits of the species from Walker (Jus. Brit. Dipt., 1,
70)—“The female of this fly is gregarious, and attaches its
eggs in large clusters to boughs hanging over streams, and
there remains, and shortly dies. The cluster is generally pear-
shaped, and sometimes contains many thousands of dead flies,
and continually receives accessions by new comers settling
upon it. When the larva is hatched it falls into the water, its
future residence; it has a forked tail about one-third the
length of the body, and has the power of raising itself in the
water by an incessant undulating motion in a vertical plane.”
Williston, in the 3d edition of his Manual of North American
Diptera, p. 160, also refers to this habit.

Notes on Chambers’ species of Tineina (Lepid.).*
By ANNETTE F. Braun, University of Cincinnati.
Coleophora vernoniaeella Chambers.

Coleophora vernoniaeella Chambers, Can. Ent., X, 114, 1878; Dyar, List
N. A. Lep., No. 6051, 1902.

Antennae whitish, basal joint without a tuft. Labial palpi white;
second joint with a very small projecting tuft and tinged with brown-
ish ocherous on its outer side, third joint sometimes brownish ocherous
on its outer side. Head and thorax white. Forewings whitish, with
the extreme edge of the costa near the base dark brown, and marked
with longitudinal ocherous and fuscous lines, distributed as follows: a
longitudinal streak from the base through the cell, bifurcating about
the middle of the cell, the upper branch following the upper side of
the cell and curving down into the cilia just below the apex, the
lower branch extending outwardly almost straight and reaching the
cilia just above the fold; a second ocherous streak just below the fold

*(Continued from December, 19009.)

Tt

164 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [ April, ’12

and parallel to it. There is sometimes a third ocherous streak just be-
low the costa for about one-half the wing length. There are three or
four ocherous streaks lying between the costal veins. In the darker
specimens these streaks and also the longitudinal streaks before
described are more or less flecked with fuscous scales. Cilia somewhat
ocherous. Hindwings grayish ocherous, cilia the same. Legs whitish,
the anterior pair dark brown along their outer sides. Expanse: 13-14

mm.

Chambers described this species from larval cases only, not-
ing particularly the extreme length of the cases. The largest
cases are almost an inch long, although the usual length is 15
to 18 mm., almost straight and cylindrical, but slightly taper-
ing and roughly three-valved at the apex. The full-grown
cases are found upon the leaves of Ironweed (Vernonia fas-
ciculata Michx.) during May and the early part of June. One
leaf may contain as many as six or seven mines. The mines
are irregular in shape, often a centimetre or more across. At
the time of pupation the case is usually attached to the stem.
The imagoes appear during the early part of July.

Chrysopeleia purpuriella Chambers.

Chrysopeleia purpuriella Chambers, Can. Ent. VI, 73, 1874; XI, 9,
1879; Psyche, III, 64, 1880; Dyar, List N. A. Lep., 6133, 1902.

This species was originally described from captured speci-
mens and later (Can. Ent., Vol. XI) Chambers says, “Its food
plant is unknown and certainly its habits of life must differ
from those of ostryaeella, for no mine similar to that of the
latter is found in this vicinity.” A year later, in Psyche, Vol.
III, Chambers infers that the food plant of C. purpuriella is
Locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia L.) and that certain small mines
on these leaves are those of this species, because a single speci-
men emerged among leaves of this plant which were collected
for breeding other species.

I have bred specimens which I consider to be undoubtedly the
true Chrysopeleia purpuriella Chambers, from mines on Red
Oak very closely resembling the mines of C. ostryaeella on
Ostrya. ‘The mine begins either at the margin of the leaf or
along a vein and gradually broadens, its outlines being some-
what more irregular than those of C. ostryaeella. It shows the

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 165

characteristic tube formed of particles of excrement, and the
diverging lines of excrement extending out through the mine.
The larva, when full grown, leaves the mine by a circular
opening in the lower epidermis and spins among the leaves an
ovoid cocoon, very similar to that of C. ostryaeella. ‘The mine
of C. purpuriella is perhaps smaller in extent than that of C.
ostryaeella and more variable in shape, due to its position and
the irregularities in the outline and venation of the oak leaves.

The imagoes obtained from these mines agree closely with
Chambers’ descriptions. Apart from the general larger size
and darker color, the best character to be used in distinguish-
ing C. purpuriella from C. ostryaeella is, as noted by Chambers,
the relative position of the central pair of scale tufts. In C.
purpuriella these tufts are at approximately the same distance
from the base; in C. ostryaeella the more dorsal of the pair is
the farther from the base.

Apart from the improbability of the breeding of a species
of this genus from so small a mine as that noticed by Cham-
bers on locust leaves, there is the fact that Chambers’ observa-
tions rested largely upon conjecture and took no account of
the possibility of the accidental introduction of a cocoon al-
ready formed upon the locust leaves. In one instance I found
a cocoon of C. purpuriella on a blackberry leaf beneath an
vak tree.

I have collected the mines only during the latter part of Sep-
tember ; the imagoes appeared the nineteenth of the following
June. The species is, however, undoubtedly double brooded as
the cocoon found on blackberry was collected on the 22d of
July, the imago appearing on the 2oth.

Opostega albogalleriella Clemens.

Opostega albogalleriella Clemens, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., I, 131, 1862;
Tin. No. Am., 180, 1872; Busck, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., V, 208, 1903;
Dyar, East. N. A. Lep., No. 6228, 1002.

Syn. quadristrigella Chambers, Cin. Quart. Jn. Sci. II, 106, 1875;
Busck, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., V, 208, 1903; Proc. U. S. N. M., XXX,
731, 1900; accessoriella Frey and Boll, Stett. Ent. Zeit., XXXVII, 216,
1876; Busck, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., V, 208, 1903; nonstrigella Cham-

bers, Jn. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., III, 296, 1880; Busck, Proc. Ent. Soc.
Wash., V, 208, 1903.

166 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [ April, ’12

A large number of specimens collected in July, 1911, at Bal-
sam, N. C., shows that the varieties described under the names
albogalleriella, nonstrigella and quadristrigella form part of a
series in which there is a gradual increase in the number of
fuscous markings and in the extent of the wing occupied by
fuscous scales, culminating in a fourth form in which the entire
wing up to the first pair of dark streaks is suffused with fus-
cous, except the extreme costa.

In O. albogalleriella the entire wing is white, except for the
apical dot and costal and dorsal streaks ; some of my specimens
have the dorsal dark spot faintly indicated by a few pale fus-
cous scales. Apical markings are absent in O. nonstrigella,
according to Chambers’ description; I have one specimen in
which one costal streak and a streak beyond the apical spot are
indicated by faint dark lines, thus approaching quadristrigella,
which appears to be the most abundant form. In the darker
specimens there is considerable variation in the amount of fus-
cous on the wing. In all of these specimens there is an addi-
tional dark dorsal streak, proximal to the dorsal streak refer-
red to in the description of quadristrigella, and corresponding to
the first costal streak in the variety quadristrigella. The suf-
fusion of the basal three-fourths of the wing with fuscous
varies; in some specimens it is confined to the dorsal half of
the wing and is not deep enough to obscure the dark dorsal
spot; in extreme forms the entire wing to the first pair of
black streaks, except a narrow streak along the costa, is an
almost uniform dark fuscous.

Gracilaria belfrageella Chambers.

Gracilaria belfrageella Chambers, Can. Ent. VII, 92, 1875; Dyar,
List N. A. Lep., No. 6348, 1902.

Chambers described the species from captured specimens
from Texas. A series of specimens bred on Cornus asperifolia
Michx. at Cincinnati, one of which Mr. Busck has kindly com-
pared with Chambers’ type in the U. S. National Museum and
pronounced identical with it, agree very closely, but show a
few minor variations from the typical form, among them be-
ing the golden tinge of the face in some specimens, and the dark

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 167

tips of the middle and posterior tarsi. Rarely the costal pale
triangle, instead of extending as a broad band along the costa,
is divided into two spots.

The mine is placed on the under side of the leaf, and begins
as a linear winding mine, abruptly enlarging into a whitish
blotch, which later becomes wrinkled. The larva leaves the
mine, forming the characteristic cone. Pupation takes place in
a fold of the leaf.

On the same bushes at the same time is found the larva of a
Gracilaria utilizing the entire leaf to make a very striking long
cylindrical roll. It begins by rolling under the lateral edge of
the leaf, continuing until the entire leaf is rolled up. The pupa
in this instance is formed within the roll. The imagoes which
issue from such rolls are almost indistinguishable from those
obtained from the cones and regarded as the true G. belfra-
geella Cham. In these the separation of the costal triangle
into two portions is of more common occurrence than in G.
belfrageella. As yet I have been unable to find any mines
different from those of G. belfrageella, and without such data,
I cannot decide that this is a different species.

Gracilaria ostryaeella Chambers.

Gracilaria ostryaeella Chambers, Bull. Geol. Surv. Terr., IV, 121,
KOZ 7 Cane Ente, XS 1275 1877.

Chambers named this species from a knowledge of the mine
only, merely saying that “the larva when very small makes a
linear whitish mine in the upper surface of the leaves.” ‘The
same species is also briefly mentioned by Chambers in the
Canadian Entomologist of the preceding year. The species
is omitted in Dyar’s list.

The mine to which Chambers refers is undoubtedly identical
with one I have frequently found in the vicinity of Cincinnati
on the upper side of Ostrya leaves. The mine is in general
similar to that of G. packardella on sugar maple. Although
linear at first the mine soon spreads out into a whitish blotch,
lying over a vein, and sending out irregular finger-like pro-
cesses. The blotch portion of the mine later becomes trans-
parent and marked with a network of brownish veins. The

168 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

larva forms the usual characteristic cone by rolling down the
tip of the leaf. These larvae are extremely difficult to rear,
and I have succeeded in breeding but a single moth which
emerged late in autumn. This specimen unquestionably repre-
sents Gracilaria ostryaeella Chambers.

On the underside of Carpinus between the lateral veins are
narrow linear mines spreading out into flat blotches which be-
come transparent and marked with a dark network of veins.
When viewed from the upper side of the leaf, the completed
blotch on Carpinus is remarkably similar to the upper side
blotch on Ostrya. Specimens bred in September and October
from the underside mines on Carpinus are identical with the
specimen bred from the upperside mine on Ostrya. In spite of
the different larval habit I think they must be regarded as
belonging to the same species. An underside mine like that
on Carpinus is found on Ostrya, and is doubtless also a mine
of G. ostryaeella Cham.

The summer form bred from underside mines on leaves of
Carpinus collected in July, emerges in the early part of August,
and affords a remarkable example of seasonal variation. Its
identity with the later form would never be suspected from
captured specimens. The two varieties are described separ-
ately below.

Summer form: Antennae ocherous, tinged with bronze toward the
base, becoming darker toward the tip and broadly annulate with dark
brown. Labial palpi yellowish white, third joint annulate with dark
brown just before the tip. Maxillary palpi yellowish white. Face, head
and thorax pale golden, the vertex somewhat bronze. Forewings suffused
with purplish bronze; a pale golden patch at the base, broadest on the
dorsum; costal triangle pale golden, broadly truncated on the fold and
extended outwardly as a band along the costa to the costal cilia. This
pale patch is almost immaculate, there being only two or three brown
scales on the costa. Hindwings fuscous, cilia reddish. Fore and
middle legs dark purplish brown except the tarsi, which are white
sometimes faintly tipped with black. Hind legs pale yellowish; a black
patch externally on the apical half of the femora; tibiae and tarsi
sometimes tipped with dark brown. Expanse: 9.5-I0 mm.

Autumn form: Antennae grayish, annulate with dark brown. La-
bial palpi dark purplish brown except the inner side of the second
joint, and the upper side near the base and extreme tip of the third

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 169

joint which are pale golden. Maxillary palpi pale golden, the joints
brown toward their tips. Face golden below, head and thorax bronzy
gray. Forewings suffused with purplish brown and speckled with
patches of darker brown scales. An elongate patch of these scales lies
just within the margin at the inner angle, leaving merely a narrow
edge of golden color instead of the broad golden patch at the base in
the summer form. In darker specimens this is also obliterated. The
dark scales form a very distinct margining along the inner side of the
pale costal triangle. The costal triangle is separated from the pale
patch beyond (with which it is continuous in the summer form) by a
patch of dark brown scales on the costa. The golden yellow color of
the costal triangle deepens into purplish brown toward the costa where
there are two or three small brown spots. The pale costal patch be-
yond is sometimes almost obsolete, because of the darkening of the
color and the large admixture of dark brown scales. Hindwings and
cilia fuscous. Legs as in the summer form, except that the tibiae of
the hind legs and the tarsi are more deeply shaded with brown. Ex-
panse: 9.5-10.5 mm.

The summer form reminds one strongly of a small specimen
of G. superbifrontella Clem.; the autumn form is perhaps
closest to G. juglandiella Cham., but the general color is lighter
and more reddish, and the costal triangle is more distinctly
outlined.

Gracilaria negundella Chambers.

Gracilaria negundella Chambers, Can. Ent. VIII, 18, 1876; Bull.
Geol. Surv. Terr., III, 132, 1877; Psyche, III, 66, 1880; Dyar, List N.
A. Lep. No. 6360, 1902.

The species to which Chambers originally gave the name
negundella was bred from Box Elder in Colorado. Specimens
bred from the same tree around Cincinnati do not agree with
Chambers’ description. These specimens are decidedly darker,
but the distribution of the markings and particularly the mark-
ings of the legs and body are as Chambers has described them.
A description which will serve better for the identification of
the Eastern form is given below:

Antennae grayish, annulate with dark brown. Labial palpi yellow, the
second joint dusted beneath and tipped with dark brown, the third
joint dusted beneath and on the sides with dark reddish brown, with a
broad annulus just before the tip. Maxillary palpi pale yellow, the
joints tipped with brown. Face and head goldenwthe latter usually al-
most entirely suffused with purplish bronze. Thorax and forewings

170 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

pale golden, more or less suffused with bronzy brown or red, and
flecked with dark brown scales. Costal triangle usually distinct and
pale golden, broadly truncated on the fold and extended along the
costa as a narrow band to the cilia. The costa within the costal tri-
angle is marked with four or five black specks. There are three or
four similar dark spots on the costa in the extended portion of the tri-
angle, the first being the largest and sometimes separating the costal
triangle from its prolonged portion, which is in this case more or less
suffused with the darker shade. Fore and middle legs yellowish, the
basal joints brown, femora and tibiae banded with reddish brown,
these bands sometimes confluent; tarsi tipped with brown. Hind legs
whitish, apical half of femora dark brown, tarsi tipped with brown.
Underside of abdomen whitish, upper side dark smoky brown.

The mine begins as a narrow linear mine on the underside
crossing to the upperside, where it spreads out into a rather
large whitish blotch. The larva later feeds within conically
rolled leaves as Chambers mentioned in the description of the
species.

A new Microlepidopter of the genus Epicallima Dyar
from Pennsylvania.

By Aucust Buscx, U.S. National Museum, Washington, D. C.
Epicallima lucidella, new species.

Labial palpi golden yellow. Antennae velvety black with silvery
white tips; basal joint smooth without pecten. Face, head and thorax
bronzy. The deep black ground-color of the forewings occupies but a
small part of the wing as a margin on the base, along dorsum and
around the apical edge to the brilliant deep golden yellow area which
occupies the larger costal half of the wing and sends a long process
out towards the apex; at basal third is a narrow perpendicular black-
edged metallic blue fascia, crossing the golden area and terminating in
a pale yellow dorsal spot; on the cell are two pairs of parallel longi-
tudinal metallic blue streaks, all edged with black; on the middle of
costa is a small pale yellow spot and at apical third is a similar pale
costal dash. Cilia blackish with strong golden reflections. Hindwings
and abdomen black. Legs black, with the tips of the tarsi and the
spurs silvery white.

Alar expanse: 12-13 mm.

Habitat: Oak Station, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Fred.
Marloff, collector.

Type: No. 14435, U. S. Nat. Mus.

A brilliant species, suggesting some of the European metal-
lic species, but very different in pattern. Among the American
species it comes nearest the smaller FE. edithella Busck, from
which, however, it is also amply differentiated in pattern.

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 171

Collecting at the Water Gap.
By ANNIE TRUMBULL Stosson, New York City.

When, a few years ago, I deserted the happy hunting-
grounds of the White Mountains and selected the Delaware
Water Gap for a summer resort, I had faint hope of entomo-
logical success. The place was so near New York and Phila-
delphia, had been so hunted over for years, how could I ex-
pect to make any discoveries, capture new or even rare species?
But as I look back over my records I am not at all ill pleased
with the net results. The locality is almost ideal from the
viewpoint of a naturalist. Well wooded, well watered, a roll-
ing country with surrounding hills and real mountains to look
up to or climb, it is a tempting spot for botanist, entomologist
or general zoologist. Its insect fauna is rather peculiar, in-
cluding both northern and southern species beside those com-
monly found in the Middle States, so-called. I have found
there several insects which I had before taken only on Mt.
Washington, and again some species which I have heretofore
called southern and taken only in Florida have turned up at
the: Gap.

As some of you know, I no longer like “roughing it’? when
on a collecting trip. I stay at a comfortable hotel where, be-
tween my tramps, I can rest and eat under most favorable con-
ditions. At the Gap my night collecting would be styled by
strenuous entomologists almost criminally luxurious. A large
private bathroom opened from my bedroom; its floor was tiled,
its woodwork and walls pure white. It had one window and
bright electric light. Before I went down to dinner in the
evening the window was always opened to its fullest extent,
the lights turned on and the door closed. Then, when I re-
turned later at night, I found my “catch.” Walls, ceiling and
white bathtub were covered with specimens; certain families
of Neuropteroid insects, Perlidae, Rhyacophilidae, Hydropsy-
chidae and others were abundant. Among these Mr. Banks
found several new to science and has since described such.
In my latest number of Transactions of the Am. Ent. Soc.
two of these are described by Mr. Banks, Rhyacophila formosa

172 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

—the specific name a fitting one for the exquisite little creature
with its jet black wings spotted with white and yellow, and
antennae ringed with black—and Wormaldia plutonis, a dark
plutonic fellow in deep mourning.

The big Corydalis cornuta is common and has been brought
to me dozens of times by bellboys and night watchmen,
though let alone severely by the hotel guests of both sexes.
A large Chauliodes, pectinicornis I think, flies occasionally
into the house at night. I have found good species of Lepi-
doptera in that room, too. The first and thus far the only
specimen I have captured of Polygrammate hebraicum Hub.
was sitting on the white wall, where his green and black wings
showed to the best advantage, one evening when I first looked
at my trap. Coleoptera come there also, especially longicorns
from the oaks near my windows. Elaphidion villosum is rather
common and I have taken wnicolor and cinerascens there, too.

Employes and guests show a kindly interest in my researches.
As I came in from a walk one day I saw a young man whom I
knew but slightly, sitting upon the stairs in a constrained posi-
tion, head bent backward and eyes directed towards the top
wall near the ceiling. As I spoke to him he answered in a
greatly relieved tone that he had sat there over an hour, keep-
ing his eye on “that bug up there” for me. The “bug” proved
to be a good specimen of the handsome beetle Eburia 4-gemi-
nata Say., and the hearing of this sonorous name and trying to
commit it to memory seemed an adequate reward to the pa-
tient watcher.

In the same bathtub of which I have spoken I found, this
last summer, a fine specimen of the longicorn Stromatium
pubescens Hald. It is a rare species in this part of the world,
and one of our best-known coleopterists here (a shy man, so
I will not name him) tells me he suspects it is but a wanderer
from some other region and but of chance occurrence.

I take many rare, some new, species of Hemiptera at the
Water Gap. Two specimens of a new capsid, one of each sex,
were taken on different nights at the bottom of the bathtub,
which was fortunately dry just then. It is a Phytocoris and
has the manuscript name of pruinosus Heid.

Vol. xxii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 173

I have two or three new namesakes among my Gap captures,
but modesty forbids my enlarging upon these. One wet chilly
day I started for a walk; but my net was soon useless, being
soaking wet, and insects were scarce. I decided to give it up
and return home. As I passed a low dwarfed sycamore I
caught sight of an odd-looking lump on a leaf and knocked it
into my damp net. It was a large Membracid new to me, and
I sent it to Mr. Van Duzee. The very next day I received a
letter from him telling me that this was a long lost species of
Walker’s, which he had never before seen, and that it settled
a doubtful point for him as to the identity of another species
described by himself. I was, of course, filled with joy and
pride over my rare unique. But, a day or two after, a note
from Mr. Van Duzee told me that, after hearing from me
that the insect in question was found on sycamore, he had
searched such trees and—found two specimens of the bug,
right in the suburbs of Buffalo! He secured but one of the
two, the other escaping from the net. I tried hard to sympa-
thize with the loser, but fear I felt selfishly resigned to the
thought that he now had no more than I had—just one. But
a little later my second specimen was secured and now [ earn-
estly hope that at least one more Buffalo bug of this sort will
fall into the net of my good friend, the Hemipterist.

I was going to tell you of some other interesting captures
made in this same locality, Odonata, Diptera and Orthoptera,
but that story must wait till another time. However, I can
assure you that I heartily agree with the ambitious bellboy,
fresh from the country academy, who, after looking at a box
of my insect treasures, exclaimed, “The Water Gap must be
a very insectivorous place.”

New West Indian Gall Midges (Dipt.).
By E.-P. Fett, Albany, New York.

The following descriptions of new species are based upon
material received during the past year from St. Vincent, W. I.
The most interesting form is Bruggmanmiella pisoniae, remark-
able because of its presenting a combination of characters found

174 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

in Schizomyia and Asphondylia, and in being a form approxi-
mately intermediate between Schizomyia and Cincticornia.

Bruggmanniella pisoniae n. sp.

The interesting midge described below was reared May 5,
1911, by Mr. W. H. Patterson, St. Vincent, W. I., from stems
of Pisonia nigricans.

Gall. The affected young stems show irregular elevations about
4 mm. long, each marking an oval cell some 3 mm. long. These cells
are numerous, 8 or Io occurring on a piece of stem some 4 cm. long
and only about .5 cm. in diameter.

Larva. Length 2 mm., rather slender, yellowish orange. Head
moderately broad, retracted. Antennae short, stout, apparently bi-
articulate. Breastbone apparently wanting. Segmentation distinct,
the skin nearly smooth; terminal segment greatly reduced, irregularly
conical, with a diameter about three-fourths that of the preceding
segment and a length a little greater than its diameter.

Pupa. Length 2.5 mm., moderately stout, yellowish orange; cephalic
and thoracic horns minute though distinct. Abdominal segments dor-
sally with a sparse basal row of moderately stout papillae, each with a
chitinous apex, the general surface of the abdominal segments with
rather coarse, irregular, chitinous plates; terminal segment with two
pairs of submedian, conical processes and minor lateral processes.

Male. Length 1.75 mm. Antennae as long as the body, sparsely
short haired, yellowish brown; 14 segments, the fifth with a stem one-
fourth the length of the cylindric basal enlargement, which latter has
a length thrice its diameter, a slight constriction near the basal third;
basal, subbasal and apical whorls of short, stout setae and high, irreg-
ular circumfili closely resembling those of the male Schizomyia; ter-
minal segment produced, with a length about four times its diameter,
a marked constriction at the basal third and the apex broadly rounded.
Palpi: first and second segments short, irregular, the third one-half
longer than the preceding, fusiform. Mesonotum dark brown. Scu-
telium and postscutellum apparently yellowish brown. Abdomen
rather thickly haired, dark brown, the genitalia fuscous. Wings hya-
line, costa dark brown, the third vein uniting with the margin at the
apex of the wing. MHalteres yellowish. Coxae and femora basally
-yellowish, the distal portion of femora and tibiae fuscous straw, the
tarsi darker; claws slender, simple, evenly curved, the pulvilli about
half the length of the claws. Genitalia: basal clasp segment stout,
narrowy conical, the apex subacute; terminal clasp segment subapical,
its apex pectinate; dorsal plate short, divided, the lobes narrowly oval,
coarsely setose; ventral plate short, broadly and roundly emarginate,
the short lobes broadly rounded and thickly setose.

Vol. xxii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 75

Female. Length 1.75 mm. Antennae about as long as the body,
rather thickly haired, fuscous yellowish; 14 segments, the fifth with a
stem about one-fifth the length of the cylindric basal enlargement,
which latter closely resembles that of the male, though the irregular
circumfili are not so highly developed as in the opposite sex; terminal
segment reduced, sessile, with a length about twice its diameter, ob-
tuse apically. The apex of the abdomen is expanded, bearing several
irregularly triangular plates and a moderately short, stout, crooked,
setose ovipositor with a distinct subapical enlargement. Other charac-
ters practically as in the male. Type Cecid. a2234.

Mycodiplosis pulvinariae n. sp.

Numerous larvae of this midge were found by Mr. W. H.
Sands, St. Vincent, W. I., preying upon Pulvinaria pyriformis,
and the midges reared therefrom were submitted to us through
the courtesy of Mr. William H. Patterson of the Agricultural
School. The species is allied to M. coccidivora Felt, though
easily distinguished by the much stouter basal clasp segment
in the male and the rather closely spined terminal lobes of the
female.

Larva. Length 1.5 mm., yellowish, moderately stout, tapering slightly
at both extremities and without a visible breastbone.

Pupa. Length 1.5 mm., salmon-colored, moderately stout. Thoracic
horns filiform. Wing cases extending to the second abdominal seg-
ment, the anterior and mid-leg cases to the fourth, and the posterior
leg cases to the fifth abdominal segment.

Male. Length 1 mm. Antennae one-fourth longer than the body,
rather thickly haired, fuscous yellowish; 14 segments, the fifth having
stems with a length one-half and one-fourth greater than their diam-
eters, respectively; distal enlargement pyriform, with a length one-
fourth greater than its diameter; circumfili moderately long, stout,
setae long, stout. Palpi: first segment subquadrate, the second with
a length about thrice its diameter, the third and fourth a little shorter
than the second and successively more slender. Mesonotum dark
brown. Scutellum and postscutellum yellowish. Abdomen ftscous
yellowish. Wings hyaline, costa fuscous yellowish. Halteres yellow-
ish. Coxae and femora basally yellowish, the distal portion of femora,
tibiae and tarsi mostly dark straw. Claws slender, strongly curved,
the anterior unidentate, the pulvilli rudimentary. Genitalia: basal
clasp segment rather long, slender; terminal clasp segment relatively
short, stout; dorsal plate long, deeply and triangularly incised, the
lobes tapering and narrowly rounded apically ; ventral plate moderately
short, tapering to a narrowly rounded apex.

176 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [ April, ’12

Female. Wength t mm. Antennae nearly as long as the body,
sparsely haired, fuscous yellowish; 14 segments, the fifth, with a stem
one-third the length of the cylindric basal enlargement, which latter
has a length twice its diameter; circumfili moderately high, setae abun-
dant, stout; terminal segment with a length about two and one-half
times its diameter and a short, knoblike process apically. Ovipositor
short, the terminal lobes lanceolate, narrowly rounded and _ apically
with an irregular, sparse group of chitinous spines, the latter with a
length about equal to half the width of the lobe. Other characters
nearly as in the male. Type Cecid. a2233.

Arthrocnodax meridionalis n. sp.

This minute midge, easily separated from A. abdominalis
Felt by the shorter stems of the flagellate antennal segments
in the male, was reared May 7, 1911, by Mr. W. H. Patterson,
St. Vincent, W. I., from open Eriophyes galls on the leaves of
Ruellia tuberosa Linn. and doubtless preys upon the mites. A
similar, if not identical species was obtained by this gentleman
May 20, 1911, from Eriophyes galls on the leaves and bracts of
Lepidagathis alopecuroidea. He reared the same species, April
6, 1911, from galls of Eriophyes gossippii on Sea Island Cot-
ton and also on April 18th from mite galls on the leaves of a
species of Eupatorium.

Larva. Length 1 mm., apparently yellowish, slender, the diameter
being only one-fifth that of the length. Head and anterior body seg-
ments greatly produced, the former extensile and with a length about
thrice its diameter. Antennae long, slender, curved, with a length about
half the head; mouth-parts fuscous; the body segments with a trans-
verse row of tubercles, each bearing a long, stout seta with a length
about half the body diameter; terminal segment broadly rounded and
with several sublateral setose tubercles. Pseudopods occur on the
third to twelfth segments.

Male. Length .6 mm. Antenne one-fourth longer than the body,
thickly haired, yellowish brown; 14 segments, the fifth with stems hav-
ing a length respectively one and one-half and one and one-fourth
times their diameters; distal enlargement subglobose, the whorls of
setae thick, long, the circumfili moderately stout. Palpi slender, the
first and second segments quadrate, with a length one-half greater than
the diameter, the third and fourth nearly equal, each with a length
twice the diameter; mouth-parts somewhat produced, with a length
one-half that of the head. Mesonotum reddish brown. Scutellum,
postscutellum and abdomen probably yellowish. Wings hyaline, costa

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 177

light straw. Halteres yellowish. Legs a variable yellowish straw, the
pulvilli as long as the slender claws. Genitalia: basal clasp segment
long, stout; terminal clasp segment slender, swollen; dorsal plate
broadly and triangularly emarginate, the ventral plate long, rather
broad.

Female. Length 6 mm. Antennae nearly as long as the body,
sparsely haired, yellowish; 14 segments, the fifth with a stem one-third
the length of the cylindric basal enlargement, which latter has a
length twice its diameter; terminal segment somewhat reduced, with
a length one-half greater than its diameter, broadly rounded apically.
Ovipositor as long as the body, stout, the lobes narrowly oval and
sparsely setose. Type Cecid. a2235.

Hyperdiplosis producta n. sp.

This species was reared by Mr. W. H. Patterson, St. Vin-
cent, W. I., from presumably mite galls in the inflorescence of
Stachytarpha jamaicensis. It is provisionally referred to this
genus.

Male. Length .75 mm. Antennae one-fourth longer than the body,
thickly haired, yellowish; 14 segments, the fifth having the two stems
with a length, respectively, twice and thrice their diameters. Distal
node pyriform, each enlargement with a coarse whorl of stout sete,
the circumfili slender; terminal segment produced, the distal enlarge-
ment cylindric, with a length thrice its diameter and apically a slender,
fingerlike process. Palpi: first segment subquadrate, the second with
a length three and one-half times its diameter, the third probably as
long as the second, the fourth probably one-half longer, somewhat
dilated. Mesonotum, scutellum and postscutellum yellowish. Abdomen
greenish yellow. Wings hyaline, costa light straw. Halteres yellowish.
Legs pale straw; claws stout, strongly bent, swollen subapically, pul-
villi rudimentary. Genitalia: basal clasp segment long, the slender
terminal clasp segment slender, other structures indistinct.

Female. Length 1 mm. Antennae a little longer than the body,
sparsely haired, yellowish; 14 segments, the fifth with a stem three-
fourths the length of the cylindric basal enlargement, which latter has
a length two and one-half times its diameter: a subbasal whorl of long,
stout setae and a subapical band of somewhat smaller setae; terminal
segment produced, with a length about thrice its diameter and apically
a nearly equally long, tapering process. Ovipositor short, the lobes
lanceolate and setose apically. Other characters nearly as in the male.
Type Cecid. a2236.

Mr. E. B. Williamson, of Bluffton, Ind., is expected home about April
1 from a collecting trip in British Guiana and Trinidad.

ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS.

[The Conductors of ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS solicit and will thank-
fully receive items of news likely to interest its readers from any source.

The author’s name will be given in each case, for the information of
cataloguers and bibliographers.]

TO CONTRIBUTORS.—AIl contributions will be considered and passed
upon at our earliest convenience, and, as far as may be, will be published
according to date of reception. ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS has reached
a circulation, both in numbers and circumference, as to make it neces-
sary to put “copy’’ into the hands of the printer, for each number, four
weeks before date of issue. This should be remembered in sending special
or important matter for a certain issue. Twenty-five ‘‘extras,’’ without
change in form and without covers, will be given free, when they are
wanted; if more than twenty-five copies are desired, this should be stated
on the MS. The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged. Proof will
be sent to authors for correction only when specially requested.—Ed.

PHILADELPHIA, PA., APRIL, I9Q12.

The Americans who expect to attend the Second Interna-
tional Entomological Congress, at Oxford, August 5-10, 1912,
number more than those who were present at the First Con-
gress at Brussels.

As far as known, the following will go to Oxford this com-
ing summer: Prof. and Mrs. J. H. Comstock, Ithaca; Dr. and
Mrs. Henry Skinner, Philadelphia; Mr. Henry H. Lyman,
Montreal; Prof. Herbert Osborn, Columbus; Dr. W. J. Hol-
land, Pittsburgh; Prof. Vernon L. Kellogg, Palo Alto, Cali-
fornia; Mr. Nathan Banks, East Falls Church, Va., and Dr.
and Mrs. P. P. Calvert, Philadelphia.

We hope there will be still more and trust they will send
in their names to the Editor of the News. Elsewhere in this
number we reprint a part of a circular issued by the Reception
Committee at Oxford. Copies of this circular, and blanks for
subscriptions, for submission of titles of papers and for requisi-
tion of rooms may be obtained from Dr. Henry Skinner,
member of the Executive Committee, Academy of Natural
Sciences, Logan Square, Philadelphia.

178

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 179

Woe! Woe! Woe! Hear the voice of lamentation. How
long! how long shall the deserving ones be scoffed at for their
labors. Surely the worthy study of nature is becoming a
babble of words, the worship of names supplanting a devotion
to research. Has orthography parasitized entomology ?

We hear in an authoritative voice from across the waters!
that the “specific name and not the species is the only really new
thing that is intended;” that “n. sp. whenever applied, signi-
fies a new specific name only, and not a new species.” Now,
in fact, although “entomologists do not purpose to have cre-
ated the insect they describe,’ they do propose to have defined
a mew species, new to science, new in the sense of having
never been known. If that is not new, what is it?

Further, that voice still louder acclaims that priority shall
be ignored in respect to certain names because these names
are “obviously based on a barbarous and unmeaning gibberish,
and . . . . must be rejected as null and void.” Of course this
is ridiculous and cannot stand; and it is to be regretted that
these unmeaning names, these combinations of letters, must
stand lords and masters over other good, well meaning names,
which must be placed beyond further reach in the Sargasso
Sea of synonomy.

It is further to be regretted that a well respected journal
should give its pages to such a list of these good names that are
thereby made worthless; and using the form of argument
adopted by a fellow entomologist in another journal’, if
the scientific status of a publication is gauged by the quality
of its contents, these pages will surely stand as an indissolvable
stain, detracting seriously from its prestige ——E. T. C., Jr.

C(laude) M(orley) says in the Entomologist for March, 1912, p. 99,
“We do not know Mr. Kearfott; but he has stirred up more animation
in this country than we have seen displayed for a long time.” Our
hearty congratulations to Mr. Kearfott—H. S.

(1) The Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine, Feb., 1912, p. 32.
(2) The Entomologist, March, 1912, p. 99.

180 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

Notes and News.

ENTOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS
OF THE GLOBE.

Pror. J. F. Tristan wrote from Nicoya, Guanacaste, Costa Rica,
under date of February 4, 1912, “My wife and I left San Jose on the
gth of January and went to a new colony, Colonia Carmona, in the
southern part of the peninsula of Nicoya. From that place we came
here and then crossed the peninsula to the Pacific. We remained in a
beautiful farm near the seashore for eight days, and then returned to
this place [town of Nicoya]. On the 7th we shall go again to Colonia
Carmona, where we will remain some days more. We hope to reach
San Jose on February 25. In all this long trip and at different places
I have collected Odonata for you. There are only two species that I
have not seen before. Most of the species are very abundant.” [En-
tomologically, the peninsula of Nicoya has been examined but slightly
so that the data gathered by Prof. Tristan will be very welcome—Eb. |

SECOND INTERNATIONAL ConcrESs OF ENToMoLOGy will be held at Ox-
ford on August 5th to toth, 1912, under the Presidency of Professor
E. B. Poulton, D.Sc., F.R:S.

A Reception Committee has been formed, consisting of :—Dr. F. A.
Dixey, F.R.S. (Chairman). Professor G. C. Bourne, F.R.S. (Professor
of Zoology). Professor H. L. Bowman, D.Sc. (Secretary to the Dele-
gates of the University Museum). Professor E. B. Poulton, D.Sc.,
F.R.S. (President of the Second Congress). Geoffrey W. Smith, M.A.
(Fellow of New College). Commander J. J. Walker, M.A. (Secretary
of the Entomological Society of London.) H. Eltringham, M.A.
(Cant.), M.A. (Oxon.), G. H. Grosvenor, M.A., Secretaries.

It is hoped that the Reception Committee will be able to arrange for
members of the Congress to have rooms in the Colleges at a moderate
price, but this privilege will be available for gentlemen only.

A list of hotels and lodgings recommended, with tariffs, will be is-
sued later.

In order to facilitate the arrangements, it is requested that ladies
and gentlemen who propose to join and attend the Congress send in
their names as early as possible to the General Secretary of the Execu-
tive Committee, who will be happy to give any further information.

Ordinary Members who pay £1 (25 francs) will receive all publica-
tions of the Congress. Ladies and children accompanying Members
will, on payment of tos. (frs. 12.50) each, have all privileges of Mem-
bers except that of receiving the publications.

Life Members who pay a composition of at least £10 (frs. 250), will
receive free all future publications of the Congress.

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 181

The funds in respect of Life Compositions will be invested, and only
the interest will be at the disposal of the Executive Committee. Sir
Daniel Morris, D.Sc, and The Hon. N. Charles Rothschild, M.A.,
F.E.S., have kindly consented to act as Trustees of the funds.

Members who propose joining the Congress, or presenting papers,
are requested to fill in the accompanying forms and send them in with
their subscription (except of course in the case of Life Members who
have originally paid) to the General Secretary of the Executive Com-
mittee, Malcolm Burr, D.Sc., care of Entomological Society of London,
11, Chandos Street, Cavendish Square, London, W.

The Programme of the Second Congress of Entomology will be sent
out early in the spring, and, we believe, will be found so attractive that
we shall have the pleasure of welcoming to Oxford a large gathering
of Entomologists and friends of Entomology.

On behalf of the Committee, E. B. Poutton, President; MatcoLM
Burr, General Secretary.

Strict Priority In NoMENCLATURE—OR Not?—[The following have
been received in response to the editorial in the March News. We hope
to hear from many other entomologists. This subject will be discussed
editorially in the May News.]

Please place my name on the list of those who vote against the strict
application of the law of priority in all cases, etc—J. H. Comstock.

I wish to register my vote against the strict application of the law
of priority. Old names and old descriptions are often worthless and
even misleading. Such of them as serve to clearly separate out from
allied species rendering them clearly distinguishable, and not, as in
many cases, applying to aberrant forms, should be retained.

The time was when the describing and naming of insects was an
end; but now it has ceased to be such and has become an imperatively
essential means toward tracing out their development and _ inter-
relationships. Priority, like any other law that does not admit of pro-
gressive, intelligent and practical application, is sadly in need of either
amendment, or elimination. Nature does not compel an insect to carry
about with it the cast larval skins and pupa case, but enables it to dis-
card these as they cease to be useful—F. M. WensTer.

Relative to the question of abandoning the law of priority as dis-
cussed editorially in the last number of the News, I would say that
this step must have been approved by the entomologists mentioned with
scarce appreciation of what a fearful condition it is apt to lead to.
Most systematists know of one or more preoccupied genera which they
are very reluctant to see changed, and if a proposition is suggested to
disregard a law which prohibits the retention of such personally favored
genera, they are apt to center their thoughts on that one point and so

182 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

vote for the annulment of a law that may be essential and desirable in
nearly all other cases. Such a motion was voted down at the meeting
of the Entomological Society of America at the recent Washington
meeting because of the discussion the matter evoked. When a motion
meets with opposition and arguments on both sides of the question
are presented, the voters are enabled to deal more intelligently with the
matter and a fairer and more meaning vote is the result. Thus the
Entomological Society of America voted to retain intact the law of
priority. When questions of nomenclature are no longer solved accord-
ing to codified laws and rules, but are submitted to the varying judg-
ment of different workers, we may abandon all hope of an ultimately
stable nomenclature. That the law of priority should always be re-
tained intact is my earnest belief and you may record my vote to this
effect.—A. N. CAUDELL.

I hasten to ask that my name be put down on the side of the sec-
ond proposal in your editorial column, in favor of the preservation
of the most used names against unused names claiming priority.

This looks like the glimmering of the dawn of a brighter day in
nomenclature. After we get past the period of priority-worship,
scientists will look back in astonishment at the actions of the last de-
cade or two.—J, M. Atpricu, Moscow, Idaho.

WEEvits oF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA.—[The Coleoptera part
of the Biologia Centrali-Americana has been completed with the
appearance of Volume IV, Part 3, on certain groups of the Curculioni-
dae. Much interest therefore attaches to the “Introduction” of this
Part, which we quote as follows:]

This volume, one of five required for the enumeration of the Rhyn-
chophora, was commeénced by Dr. Sharp in 1889 and is now concluded
by myself. The study of the “Otiorhynchine Alate” has unfortunate-
ly been delayed for many years, during the publication of Vol. IV,
parts 4, 5 and 7, all of which are devoted to the Family Curculionide.
The present Volume, IV. part 3, includes the Sub-families Attelabine,
Pterocoline, Allocorynine, Apionine, Thecesternine, and Otiorhyn-
chine. The Attelabinze are represented by 104 (88 new), the Ptero-
colinz by three (all new), the Allocorynine (a new sub-family) and
Thecesterninze each by one, the Apionine by 88 (84 new), and the
Otiorhynchine by 419 (340 new) species respectively; the total num-
ber for the six sub-families being 616 species, with 516 new, and forty
new genera. Amongst the 419 Otiorhynchine, the apterous and wing-
ed forms are almost equal in number, there being a preponderance of
apterous terrestrial species (Eupagoderes, Epicoerus, Epagriopsis, etc.)
in the arid portions of Mexico and the winged forms (Exophthalmus,

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 183

ete.) becoming relatively more numerous in the forest regions south-
ward. Taking the Curculionide as a whole—the sub-families Curcu-
lionine and Calandrinz, in addition to those worked out in the present
volume—the number of species enumerated altogether from Central
America is as follows: Vol. IV, part 3, 616; IV, part 4, 1365; IV,
part 5, 908; IV, part 7, 344; total 3233. The three other families of
Rhynchophora—the Brenthidz, Scolytide and Anthribide—dealt with
in Vol. IV, part 6, number 615 species, thus bringing the total for the
whole of the weevils up to 3848. The Rhynchophora, therefore, as
anticipated (though not to the extent roughly estimated by myself in
the introduction to Vol. IV, part 4 of this series), greatly outnum-
ber the Phytophaga (2619, including the Hispide and Cassidide)
within our limits.

The Otiorhynchid material examined by me includes that belonging
to the U. S. National Museum, to whom we are indebted for co-types
of all the species here described from their collection, as well as for
many North American forms for comparison. From Costa Rica we
have received during recent years numerous interesting species, both
from Pittier and Biolley. Mr. Wickham, too, during his visit to Mexi-
co in 1909, secured various Otiorhynchids, and, as usual, has kindly
allowed us to retain any of these specimens that we required. Signor
A. Solari again, has also permitted us to keep for the British Mu-
seum the types of such species as have been described by me from his
collection, which includes a portion of that of Jekel. The “Sommer
collection” of Curculionids (including various types of Boheman, etc.)
having been recently acquired by Prof. Poulton for the Oxford Uni-
versity Museum, we have been enabled to verify the names of certain
species left unidentified by Dr. Sharp, and this involves some slight
corrections to the synonymy of the “Otiorhynchine Aptere,’ which
are noted in the Supplement.

As stated in a footnote on p. 317, various Apionine left undetermined
by Dr. Sharp for want of sufficient material, with such forms that have
since come to hand have been handed over to the specialist Herr
Hans Wagner for study, and his descriptions of the new forms will
be published elsewhere.

Of the fifteen colored plates issued, the first six were drawn by Mr.
Purkiss, the others by Mr. E. Wilson, of Cambridge.

It will not be out of place to note here that the enumeration of the
Coleoptera, commenced in 1879, is now completed, bringing the total
number of species to 18,039, for which eighteen volumes have been
required—G. C. CHampron, December, 1911.

184 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

ALETIA ARGILLACEA (Lepid.) Since the flight of this moth last fall
seems to have attracted the attention of observers in different parts of
the country, it may be worth while to put on record the notes I made at
the time of the appearance of the horde at Iowa City. If data from
different sections are properly correlated, we may learn something
definite and valuable regarding the speed, extent and exciting causes of
the movement. My notes, with one or two slight verbal changes to
make them comprehensible to the general reader (by the omission of
certain purely local references), are as follows: “October 1, IgII.
This morning, on going to the post-office, I noticed that the side of
the building around the south door was plentifully sprinkled with these
moths, most of them resting head downward on the stone wall, others
clinging to the globes or supports of the two large lights with less
regularity of pose. In one place four of the insects were resting in
a row, the thorax of each of the last three tucked under the wings of
the one preceding. The moths seem very fresh and in fine condition.
I counted too at this place and estimated that there must be at least
150 in the group. At the west door only about twenty were to be
counted. On the way home I saw them in abundance on the electric
light poles along Iowa Avenue, and on one corner they were plentiful
in the grass at the base of the support, flying out in numbers when
disturbed. This flight has followed two or three days of unsettled,
more or less rainy weather. On the night of the 20th of September
there were none about the avenue lights, since Mr. Stoner and myself
had been out looking for beetles and would certainly have noticed the
moths had they been present. The invasion seems to have been sud-
den, and to have taken place last night.” A note made the next day
(October 2) refers to the great abundance of the moths on poles at
various points about town. In one place 35 were counted on a space
about the size of the palm of my hand. A later item states that five
days later scarcely any were left. This is the second really large
flight of the species that I have seen at Iowa City, the other taking
place in 1898, my record specimens carrying dates from September 7
to October 8, the majority being September 21.—H. F. WickHam,
Iowa City, Iowa.

[In addition to the notes by Mr. Muttkowski and Dr. Skinner in the
News for February, 1912, and November, 1911, respectively, other ob-
servations on the swarms of this species are published in Journ. N. Y.
Ent. Soc. xix, p. 250, for Dec., 1911.—Ed.]

Tue ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA celebrated
the One Hundredth Anniversary of its foundation by a three days’
series of meetings, a reception by the President, and a banquet, on

March toth, 20th and 2ist.

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 185

Entomological Literature.

COMPILED BY E. T. CRESSON, JR., AND J. A. G. REHN.

Under the above head it is intended to note papers received at the
Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, pertaining to the En-
tomology of the Americas (North and South), excluding Arachnida and
Myriapoda. Articles irrelevant to American entomology will not be noted;
but contributions to anatomy, physiology and embryology of insects, how-
ever, whether relating to American or exotic species, will be recorded.
The numbers in Heavy-Faced Type refer to the journals, as numbered
in the following list, in which the papers are published, and are all
dated the current year unless otherwise noted. This (*) following a
record, denotes that the paper in question contains description of a new
North American form.

For record of Economic Literature, see the Experiment Station Record,
Office of Experiment Stations, Washington.

4—The Canadian Entomologist. 6—Journal, New York Ento-
mological Society. 7—U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of
Entomology. 8—The Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine, London.
9—The Entomologist, London. 11—Annals and Magazine of Nat-
ural History, London. 18—Ottawa Naturalist. 22—Zoologischer
Anzeiger, Leipzig. 34—Proceedings, lowa Academy of Sciences,
Des Moines. 38—Wiener Entomologische Zeitung. 40—Societas
Entomologica, Zurich. 46—Tijdschrift voor Entomologie. 51—
Novitates Zoologicae, Tring, England. 69—Bolletino, Societa Ita-
liana Entomologica. 738—Archives, Zoologie Experimentale et
Generale, Paris. 79—La Nature, Paris. 84—Entomologische Rund-
schau. 89—Zoologische Jahrbucher, Jena. 97—Zeitschrift fur wis-
senschaftliche Zoologie, Leipzig. 153—Bulletin, American Museum
of Natural History, New York. 179—Journal of Economic Ento-
mology. 182—Revue Russe d’Entomologie, St. Petersburg. 190—
Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift “Iris,” Dresden. 193—Ento-
mologische Blatter, Cassel. 216—Entomologische Zeitschrift, Stutt-
gart. 223—Broteria. Revista de Sciencias Naturaes do Collegio
de S. Fiel. (Ser. Zoologica). 240—Maine Agricultural Experiment
Station, Orono. 337—Meddelelser om Gronland. Denmark Ekspe-
ditionen til Gronlands Nordostkyst 1906-08, Copenhagen. 346—
Fauna Exotica. Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete der exotischen In-
sektenwelt, Frankfurt am Main. 368—The Monthly Bulletin of the
State Commission of Horticulture, Sacramento, Cal. 869—Ento-
mologische Mitteilungen, Berlin-Dahlen. 3871—Memoires de la
Societe des Naturalistes de Kieff. 372—Imperial Department of
Agriculture for the West Indies. 373—Contributions to the Natural
History of the Lepidoptera of North America, by Wm. Barnes and
J. H. McDunnough, Decatur, Il.

GENERAL SUBJECT. Ballou, H. A.—Insect pests of the cocoa-

186 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

nut, 372, Pamphlet Ser. No. 70, 21-34. Gennerich, J.—Treibzucht
durch einwirkung grunen lichtes, 216, xxv, 235-236. Horn, W.—
Skizzen aus der geschichte des “Deutschen Entomologischen Mu-
seums,” 369, i, 33-38. Janet, C—Sur l’ontogenese de l’insecte 1909,
F. 28, Limoges, 129 pp. Johansen, F.—Freshwater life in Northeast
Greenland, 387, v, 321-337. Johannsen, O. A.—Insect notes for
1911, 240, Bull. No. 195. Marlatt, C. L—Some recent new importa-
tions (insect pests), 179, v, 73-77. O’Kane, W. C.—Methods in
insect photography, 179, v, 54-59. Poche, F.—Die motive und ziele
der modernen nomenklaturbewegung, 182, xi, 253-260. Portier, P.—
Recherches physiologiques sur les insectes aquatiques, 78, viii, 89-
379. Reitter, E—Ueber den eingeburgerten missbrauch bei be-
nutzung von entomologischen typen, 38, xxxi, 21-26. Rosa, D.—
Il lamarkismo e le farfalle, 69, xlii, 39-42. Sanderson, E. D.—Insect
pests of farm, garden and orchard, New York, John Wiley & Sons,
684 pp, 1912. Washburn, F. L.—The relation of the station ento-
mologist to his environment, 179, v, 33-53. Weiss, H. B.—Some
economic methods a hundred years old, 179, v, 88-90 .

APTERA AND NEUROPTERA. Crawford, D. L.—A new in-
sect pest (Trioza alacris), 368, i, 86-87. Jones, P. R—Some new
California and Georgia Thysanoptera, "Wlvecha Sere Nios 23, spt. ol
(*). Navas, P. L.—Notas sobre Mirmeleonidos, 228, x, 29-75.
Strickland, E. H.—A quiescent stage in the development of “Ter-
mes flavipes,” 6, xix, 256-259.

ORTHOPTERA. Gahan, C. J.—A new species of Phasmid of
the genus Prisopus, considered especially in reference to the sup-
posed aquatic habits of the genus, 9, xlv, 49-57. Trouessart, A.—
La mante tunisienne et le pouillot fitis, 79, xl, 193-195. Wheeler,
W. M—A desert cockroach, 6, xix, 262-263.

HEMIPTERA. Butler, E. A—On the eggs of two British spe-
cies of Coreidae, 8, 1912, 36-38. Davis, W. T.—The periodical cicada
in the Half Way Hollow Hills, Long Island, N .Y., 6, xix, 261.
Doten, S. B—The European elm scale (Gossyparia spuria), 368,
i, 89-100. Jordan, K.—Contribution to our knowledge of the mor-
thology and systematics of the Polyctenidae, a family of Rhyn-
chota parasitic on bats, 51, xviii, 555-579 (cont.).

LEPIDOPTERA. Aldrich, J. M.—Note on “Theronia fulves-
cens,” 179, v, 87-88. Barnes & McDunnough.—Revision of the
Megathymidae, 378, i, No. 3, 42 pp. (*). Bryk, F.—Apollinische
liebe, 40, xxvi, 50-52. Englisch, J—Ueber das ei und die zucht der
raupe von “Attacus edwardsi,” 34, xxix, 21-22. Fassl, A. H.—Noch-
mals ueber Agrias amydon und eine neue Sardanapalus-form aus
Columbien, 84, xxix, 9-10. Fruhstorfer, H.—Neue Nymphaliden des
neotropischen gebietes aus der sammlung Staudinger. Neue Bras-

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 187

soliden, 84, xxix, 14-17. Fuge, E.—Eine zweite generation von
“Limenitis populi,” 216, xxv, 239. Gauckler, H.—Etwas vom ko-
dern und nachtlichen raupensuchen, 34, xxix, 17-19. Grossbeck,
J. A.—Migration of “Alabama argillacea,” 6, xix, 259-261. Hamp-
son, G. F.—Description of new species of Pyralidae of the sub-
family Pyraustinae, 11, ix, 242-269. de Joannis, P. J.—Le genre
Ensonista et ses allies, 228, x, 5-28. Jordan, K—A new hawk-moth
from Ecuador, 51, xviii, 599-600. Kennel, J. V—Ueber tympanal-
organe im abdomen der spanner und zunsler, 22, xxxix, 163-170.
Meyrick, E.—On some ftmpossible specific names in Micro-lepidop-
tera, 8, 1912, 32-36. Mitterberger, F—Die zucht von Crambus py-
ramidellus aus dem ei, 216, xxv, 243-244. Neustetter, H.—Neue
“Heliconius,” 846, i, 54-55. Pospjelow, W.—Die postembryonale
entwicklung und die imaginale diapause bei den Lepidopteren
(Russian), 371, xxi, 163-418. Rothke, M—Catocala relicta und ihre
formen, 84, xxix, 12-14. Schaus, W.—New species of Heterocera
from Costa Rica—XIII, 11, ix, 202-214. Stobbe, R.—Die abdomi-
nalen duftorgane der mannlichen Sphingiden und Noctuiden, 89,
xxxii, 493-532. Verity, R.—Studio comparato dello sviluppo del
“Pieris manni” e “Rapae,” 69, xlii, 137-141. Wolff, P.—Ueber
hitze- und kalteversuche mit schmetterlingspuppen, 216, xxv, 231-
232. Zykoff, W. P.—Les parasites des Psychides (Russian), 182,
xi, 213-220.

DIPTERA. Bezzi, M—Dipteres (Premiere serie) suivi d’un
appendice sur les Dipteres cavernicoles recueillis par le Dr. Abso-
lon dans les Balcans, 73, viii, 1-87. Dipteros do Brazil, Sobre tres
interessantes Dipteros de S. Paulo, 223, x, 76-84. Felt, E. P.—The
identity of the better known midge galls, 18, xxv, 164-167. Hendel,
F.— Neue Muscidae acalyptratae, 38, xxxi, 1-20. Hunter, S. J—The
sand-fly and pellagra (Abstract), 179, v, 61-63. Knauer, F.—Unser
kampf gegen die stechmuckenplage, 191, 1912, 177-181. de Meijere,
J. C. H—Zur kenntnis der metamorphose von Platypeza und der
verwandtschaftlichen beziehungen der Platypezinen, 46, liv, 241-
254. Ruhl, M.—Zur lebensweise von Piophila casei, 40, VA, 15:
Wust, O.—Studien an “Cecidomyia rosaria” und “albipennis,” 216,
XXv, 247-248.

COLEOPTERA. Alt, W.—Ueber das respirationssystem von
Dytiscus marginalis. Ein beitrag zur morphologie des insekten-
korpers, 97, xcix, 357-443. Carnes, E. K.—Collecting ladybirds
(Coccinellidae) by the ton, 368, i, 71-81. Chapman, T. A-—Notes
on the first stages of “Sitaris muralis” and “Metoecus paradoxus,”
8, 1912, 29-32. Davis, W. T.— Miscellaneous notes on collecting in
Georgia, 6, xix, 216-219. Deville, J. St. C.—Die bedeutung der in-
sekten, insbesondere der Coleopteren fur die zoogeographie, 198,

188 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [ April, ’12

vii, 4-8. Fall, H. C—New Coleoptera chiefly from the Southwest.
—V, 4, xliv, 40-48 (*). Hopkins, A. D.—The dying hickory trees:
cause and remedy, 7, Circ. No. 144. Kerremans, C—Monographie
des Buprestides, Tome V, 19-20 Livr., 577-640. Leng, C. W.—
Notes on Coleoptera collected in Northern Georgia—II, 6, xix,
209-216. “Deltometopus amoenicornis” with ants in beach stump,
6, xix, 261. Schmidt, A—Neue Aphodiinen und eine synonymische
bemerkung, 40, xxvi, 52 (*). Smirnov, D. A.—Contribution a
Vetude des moeurs et de la metamorphose de Bruchus affinis et
d’autres Bruchides (Russian), 182, xi, 169-194. Wichmann, H.—
Beitrag zur kenntnis des stridulationsapparates der borkenkafer,
193, viii, 8-10.

HYMENOPTERA. Banks, N—Psammocharidae: classification
and descriptions, 6, xix, 219-237 (*). Beutenmuller, Wm.—The No.
American species of Dryophanta and their galls, 158, xxx, 343-369.
Girault, A. A.—Notes on the Chalcidoid Trichaporus of the family
Eulophidae, with description of one new form from Illinois, 4,
xliv, 49-52 (cont.). Grossbeck, J. A.—A contribution toward the
life history of “Emphor bombiformis,” 6, xix, 238-245.. Pawlowsky,
E. N.—Zur kenntnis des anatomisch-histologischen baues des ge-
schlechtapparates der Hymenopteren. JI. Das mannliche ge-
schlechtapparat der Bombus-arten, 182, xi, 221-234. Wheeler, W.
M.—Descriptions of some new fungus-growing ants from Texas,
with Mr. C. G. Hartman’s observations on their habits, 6, xix,
245-255 (*). “Lasius” (Acanthohyops) claviger in Tahiti, 6, xix,
262. Additions to the ant-fauna of Jamaica, 158, xxx, 21-29.

Insect Pests oF FarM, GARDEN AND OrcHaArD. By E. Dwight San-
derson, Dean of the College of Agriculture, West Virginia University;
Director West Virginia Agricultural Station; John Wiley & Sons, New
York; Chapman & Hall, London. Price, $3.00 net.

The growth of economic entomology is so rapid that we may no
longer expect to see books covering the whole field. In the future we
will expect to see special works devoted to branches of the subject.
Prof. Sanderson’s book is made up of 669 pages, an index, and 513
illustrations. The sources of illustrations are given and it is a proper
courtesy, but does anyone ever read the long lists of figures? The
amount of damage done by insects annually is a very real one, and
Prof. Sanderson places it at the nice sum of $1,272,000,000 (grand
total.) A grand total like that should be a splendid thing with which
to dazzle Congress, State Legislatures, institution officials and others,
for increased appropriations and increased salaries. This sum is not
inconceivable, but “almost.” The sequence of subjects treated is a
logical one and the various insect enemies of certain species of plants

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 189

or groups of allied plants are treated under those headings. The large
number of illustrations of injurious insects, coupled with their descrip-
tion, should enable any intelligent person to identify them and apply
the appropriate remedy. The book is written in a lucid way and
should prove very useful. Prof. Sanderson has had a wide experience
4s an economic entomologist and has used judgment in the selection
of remedies and control measures. The work covers the subject ad-
mirably and as well as it is possible to treat such a large subject within
the pagination of a single book.—H. S.

CONTRIBUTIONS To THE NaTuRAL History oF THE LEPIDOPTERA OF
North America, Vol. I, No. 3, Revision of the Megathymidae. By
William Barnes, S.B., and J. H. McDunnough, Ph.D.

The authors call the family “giant skippers” and are “inclined” to
give them super-family rank as Hesperiides. They do not consider
them related to the Castniidae, where they have been placed by some
authors. The comparative anatomy of the group, early stages and
habits as far as known are discussed in detail. The authors found the
sexual organs of value in specific separation and they were given
special consideration. The genus Aegiale Felder is used for the spe-
cies hesperiaris Walk., and the other species are placed under Mega-
thymus Scudder. Aegiale is separated from Megathymus by differen-
tial characters in the pulvillus, the squamation of the palpi and the
wing venation in the male. The Boreal American species have twice
been previously been treated as a whole; by Dyar, Journ. N. Y. Ent.
Soc. 13, III, 1905, and by Skinner, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 37, 169,
IQIl.

Some of the species are rare in collections. Smithi was mentioned
by Skinner on pages 170 and 205. It was not in the table as no ma-
terial was at hand for study. No detailed study was made of Mega-
thymus in Dr. Skinner’s paper as he knew that the present au-
thors had their paper well under way. Dr. Dyar need not have con-
fused streckeri and cofaqui as he studied Dr. Skinner’s material con-
taining the types of streckeri and one male and two females of
cofaqui. The authors have carefully examined all the literature of
the subject and commend the work done by Dr. Skinner, saying Skin-
ner’s identifications “appear” to be correct.

Their studies of M. neumoegeni are extremely interesting. This
species was described by Edwards, from one “male” and three females.
Barnes and McDunnough say that the type with the male label on it
is a female. It is not unlikely that Mr. Edwards confused the sexes,
as it is a very easy thing to do if you do not dissect out the genitalia.
Ottolengui says that Doll caught seven specimens. Barnes says he
has a male of the original lot and states there is also a male in the

190 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [April, ’12

Strecker collection. There is also a male of the original lot in the
collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. The
male of this species was redescribed by Dyar under the name aryxna.
Barnes and McDunnough find two species in the “type series” of
aryxna, It seems a pity to have such an elastic series and in the fu-
ture it will be well for Dyar, McDunnough and Barnes to fix a single
type. After the careful examination of a good series of specimens I
am unable to see anything more than individual non-specific differ-
ences between neumoegeni Edwards and the aryxna of Barnes and
McDunnough. All the characters they give appear to the writer as
gradational, including the genitalic. We need much better and addi-
tional evidence before specific value can be accepted.

M. polingi Skinner was described from two specimens supposed to
be male and female. The type and paratype prove to be females as
stated by the authors of this paper. They had over one hundred speci-
mens of both sexes for study, and were able to detect the fact that
Dr. Skinner erred as to the sex of one specimen. ‘The writer does
not assume any obligation to take cognizance of letters at a particu-
lar time. When statements appear in the literature they are placed on
an entirely different basis.

The authors place M. var. navajo as a synonym of coloradensis
Riley. If a black form as compared with a light chestnut brown one
is not sufficient difference to constitute a variety, then they are correct.
Riley in his original description said, “This Colorado form is remark-
able for its small size and the paleness of its colors.” There can be no
question about the meaning of the above. It refers to the color of the
insect and not alone to maculation as the two authors state. The
Academy of Natural Sciences possesses one of the cotypes of colora-
densis and it has not faded since it was caught and it is a light chest-
nut brown in color, whereas yuccae is dark umber-brown and navajo
black.

M. cofaqui Strecker is a very distinct species, both in maculation
and in the male genitalic characters. The male has a buff border on
the upper side of the secondaries, otherwise the markings are the same
as in the female, except that the row of spots on the secondaries is
almost obsolete. The male specimen of streckeri bearing the type
label, was taken in Arizona by Morrison. State labels were the fash-
ion when it was captured and it can only be said that it was taken in
one of the various localities in Arizona where Morrison is known
to have collected.

Barnes and McDunnough have given us an able paper which has
considerably advanced our knowledge of the family. There are still
questions that need elucidation and they will be solved in the future.
—H. S$.

Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS IgI

BIBLIOGRAPHIA CoLkoprERoLocicA. Under this title W. Junk, the
Entomological publisher and antiquarian bookseller of Berlin (W.
15, Kurfurstendamm 201), has brought out a catalogue of 3928 Coleop-
terological books and memoirs, arranged alphabetically under authors’
names, which he has for sale. The edition of this Bibliographia which
is bound in linen boards, includes fourteen pages on “Die Coleoptero-
Iogische Literatur,” which gives the principal works of reference on
this group of insects under such headings as: For the Beginner (Ger-
man), Coleoptera of Central Europe, Nomenclature, Larvae, French
fauna, Nearctic Region [where Blatchley’s Coleoptera of Indiana has
not yet found a place], etc. This edition is sold at one mark, and this
summary of the literature (which is lacking in the paper-bound copies
distributed free) should be very useful.

—~ ~<er —

Doings of Societies.
AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Meeting of December 11, 1911. Dr. Philip P. Calvert, Pres-
ident, presiding. Nine persons were present.

Reports of the various officers and committees for the year
IQII were read. The report of the Librarian recorded four
thousand volumes in the library of the Society and recom-
mended the purchase of additional bookcases for the new
quarters.

The President announced the deaths of two former Presi-
dents, the Rev. Henry C. McCook, D.D., on October 31st, and
J. H. B. Bland on the 12th of November, aged 70.

The following persons were elected to serve as officers for
the year 1912: President, Philip P. Calvert; Vice-president,
Henry W. Wenzel; Treasurer, E. T. Cresson; Curator, Henry
Skinner; Recording Secretary, Henry Skinner; Correspond-
ing Secretary, J. A. G. Rehn. Executive Committee: Philip
Laurent, H. W. Wenzel, D. M. Castle. Publication Commit-
tee: EK. T. Cresson, C. F. Seiss, B. H. Smith. Finance Com-
mittee: C. S. Welles, D. M. Castle, Morgan Hebard.

Meeting of February 15, 1912, Mr. Philip Laurent in the
chair. Seven persons were present.
Mr. E. T. Cresson was appointed a delegate to represent the

192 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [ April, ’12

Society at the Centenary of the Academy of Natural Sciences
of Philadelphia, to be celebrated March 19, 20 and 21.

Mr. Laurent called attention to Circular 144, U. S. Dept.
Agric., and said he was not previously aware that Scolytus
quadrispinosus injured the small stems and buds of the hickory.

He also read a newspaper clipping, dated Woodbury, N. J.,
January 30th, which read as follows: “. According to
fruit experts the yield of South Jersey the coming season
ought to be a record breaker. "These men declare that when
the trees have a coating of ice once during the winter the fol-
lowing season is prolific in the yield as the ice kills any pests
that may have clung to the bark. Thus far there have been
three sleet storms, and at present every tree in Gloucester
County has a half-inch ice coating.” The speaker asked
whether it was a fact that ice kills scale and other bark insects.

Dr. Skinner made some remarks on the so-called Pharma-
cophagus Papilio, P. philenor and its alleged mimics, Papilio
glaucus, polyxenes and troilus. The records of birds attack-
ing these insects are very meager and it is doubtful whether
P. philenor is poisonous or noxious to birds. A large amount
of careful experimental evidence will be necessary to prove that
the three species, in the female sex, mimic philenor, and that
their markings were thus developed.

Mr. E. T. Cresson, Jr., suggested that Dasyllis may mimic
the non-predaceous bumblebee so that it may deceive other
insects on which it feeds, the latter mistaking it for a bumble-
bee and not making an effort to escape.

HeENrY SKINNER, Sec’y.

OBITUARY.

Proressor JOHN B. Situ, State Entomologist of New
Jersey, eminent as an Economic Entomologist, endeared to
many friends by his personal qualities, author of important
memoirs on Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, died at New Bruns-
wick, New Jersey, on March 12, 1912. An account of his life
and work will appear in the next number of the News.

EXCHANGES.

Not Exceeding Three Lines Free to Subscribers.

4a>- These notices are continued as long as our limited space will allow; the new
ones are added at the end of the column, and only when necessary those at the top
(being longest in) are discontinued

For Exchange—350 species of Coleoptera for native or exotic speci-
mens new to my collection. List on application.—Emil Liljeblad, 1018
Roscoe St., Chicago, Ill.

Semiophora tenebrifera, Choephora fungorum and many other
desirable species of Nocturnal Lepidoptera offered for exchange.—Fred.
Marloff, Oak Station P. O., Allegheny Co., Pa.

Lepidoptera—I have for exchange Ca/ocala nubilis, elonympha, gra-
cilis, grynea, ultronia, cerogama, tia and var. uxor, unijuga, cara,
antinympha, paleogama, neogama and var. snowiana, piatrix and epione.
Desire other Catocalae.—John H. West, 2229 N. Mascher Street, Phila., Pa.

Live ova and pinned imagoes of Catocalae, chrysalids of Sphinges and
Papilios and cocoons and pupae of the Saturnidae and Ceratocampidae
for exchange.—-R. R. Rowley, Supt. Schools, Louisiana, Mo.

Papilios of the world wanted, either by exchange or purchase.—C. F.
Groth, 45 Poplar Place, New Rochelle, N. Y. ‘

For Sale—A copy of the Butterflies of North America, by W. H.
Edwards. Copy in beautiful condition.—Dr. F. W. Russell, Winchen-
don, Mass.

I collect in all orders for cash. Locals only. Unique field. Hand
written price lists for intending buyers, two cents. Specialists served.—
A.H. Manee, Southern Pines, N. C.

Lepidoptera from Florida—Several thousand specimens to dispose
of in exchange or for cash, also southwestern material—Henry Engel,
753 Ensign Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Lepidoptera for exchange—A number of butterflies from the south-
west, such as A. strigosa, Synchloe california, Melitaea neumoegeni, M.
gquino, L. mormo, C. australis. Correspondence desired on special ma-
terial desired from this section.—J. R. Haskin, 936 Manhattan Place,
Los Angeles, Cal.

Tom Spalding will collect 1912 Utah Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, etc.,
particularly Papilionidae, Catocalae, Cicindelidae.—Provo, Utah.

Wanted—Tipulidae (Craneflies) from any part of the Globe, but
especially of North America. Will buy for cash or give exchanges in
Coleoptera, Lepidoptera or Coleoptera.—Dr. W. G. Dietz, Hazleton, Pa.

AL One copy, good condition, Mulsant and Verreaux, Histoire Natu-
FOR S telle des Oiseaux-mouches ou Colibris. 4 vols. in 2, impl. 4to,
with 120 colored plates; half vellum. Lyons, 1876-77. Price, $30.00. Also a complete set, 67
parts, unbound, in original wrappers, of the English edition, by Kirby, of Wytsman’s reprint of
Hubner and Geyer’s Lepidopteres Exotiques, with 663 colored plates, issued at 10 francs per
part. Price, $100.00. Apply to

ELLISON A. SMITH, Jr., Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Virginia

HEMILEUCA BURNSI n. sp. ex. Nevada

By arrangement with Mr. Burns, I am disposing of the available limited
supply of this species described in Trans. Manchester Entom. Soc, !gro.
Fresh, perfect specimens, <’. $1.25; 9, $! 00; pair, $2.00. Carefully

papered, carriage free, or set specimens at same price, carriage extra.

J. HENRY WATSON, 70 Ashford Road, Withington, Manchester, England.

SECOND VOLUME
ILLUSTRATIONS COR

DIURNAL LEPTOOF ee

WITH DESCRIPTIONS
BY ANDREW GRAY WEEKS, JR.
1911

This second volume contains 37 pages and 21 colored plates
by J. Henry Blake, ad. nat., and B. Meisel, lithographer, descrip-
tive of 35 species hitherto undescribed or figured, from the Suapure
District of Venezuela, with a steel plate frontispiece of William
Henry Edwards. The plates are of the same high, artistic order
as those of the first volume, for sample of which see the adver-
tisement in the NEws for June, Ig11.

Vol. 1. $15.00—117 pages, 45 plates, 81 species.
Wols-2: 5.00

Address orders to H. PECK, Agent, 8 Congress Street, Boston, Mass., U. S. A.

Or to Bernard Quaritch, 15 Piccadilly, London

LEPIDOPTERA COLLECTORS.

Experienced collector will make collection of California Lepidop-
tera commencing May, 1912. All parties desiring fresh and perfect
duplicates of specimens obtained send list of desiderata for prices.
Dealers’ patronage solicited.

JAMES SINCLAIR, 333 Kearny Street, San Francisco, Cal.

JUST PUBLISH eo

The Boreal American Species of Chlorippe (Doxocopa, Apatura), by

Henry Skinner: S.ppe.) fis, Scns ee ce oh ee .I0
Notes on Calligrapha and its allies, with descriptions of a few new spe-

eles, by Es Cs Bowditch 1ospp. = cet ta Se eo ee TS
Descriptions of new species of North American Neuropteroid Insects, by

Nathan Banks; 26 :pp.;3 ples 3) Screen en .40
Descriptions of North American Myrmaridae, with synonymic and other

notes on described genera and species, by A. A. Girault. 72 pp. .75

A Price List of Entomological Publications Mailed on Application

Address American Entomological Society
Publication Department, Logan Square, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

When Writing Please Mention ‘“Entomological News."'

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~The Celebrated Original Dust and Pest-Proof
METAL CASES

FOR SCHMITT BOXES
Described in “ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS,” page 177, Vol. XV

These cabinets are the best and safest ever designed for the preservation
of insects. They are used by the leading museums in the United States. Send
for our illustrated booklet describing them.

BROCK BROS., Harvard Square, Cambridge, Mass.

JUST PUBLISHED

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL
HISTORY OF THE LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA

By WM. BARNES, S.B., M.D., and J. McDUNNOUGH, Ph D.

Volume I —No. 1.—Revision of the Cossidae. 35 pp., 7 plates. . .. . $1.50
No. 2—The Lasiocampid genera Gloveria and its allies.

a7 pps. 4 DIS. a 2-2. Ht Te a ae pe, ore)

No. 3—Revision of the Mecathyrouiae: 43 pp.,6plates . . 1.25

To be obtained from

DR. WM. BARNES - - DECATUR, ILL.
ENTOMOLOGISCHE BLATTER.

An Illustrated Monthly Journal devoted solely to Coleoptera. The eighth volume (1912) will
treat of the life-histories, zoogeography and systematics of Beetles, especially of Europe, methods
of collecting, results of the more important collecting expeditions, book-notices, personals and
other news. Volume 7 contained 60 original articles, a review of the literature on bark-beetles
(65 gp ) and a list of specialists in Coleoptera. ;

ndispensable for the collector of Beetles. Published in German. Foreign subscriptions 8
‘Marks. Sample copy free.

FRITZ PFENNINGSTORFF, Publisher, Berlin W. 57, Steinmetzstr. 2.

1,000 PIN LABELS 25 CENTS! At Your Risk. See 10¢ for Registry or Checks)
‘Limit : 25 Characters ; 3 Blank or Printed Lines (12 Characters in Length ines 10c. Characters 1c. per 1,000.
‘In Multipies of 1 ,000 only : on Heaviest White Ledger Paper-- -No Senne --4- ---About 25 on a Strip---No Trim-
ming---One Cut Makes a Label. SEND ME ORDER WITH COPY, FOR ANY KIND OF TIC PRINTING LARGE OR SMALL.

INDEX CARDS, MAPS. SEX-MARKS, LABELS FOR MINERALS, PLANTS, EGGS Etc, IF QUANTITY IS RIGHT, PRICE IS SURE TO BE.

Cc. V. BLACKBURN, 77 CENTRAL STREET, STONEHAM, MASSACHUSETTS

THE POMONA JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY
Published by the Biological Department of Pomona College

The only entomological journal published on the Pacific Slope. A well-established, high-class
quarterly in its second year, fully illustrated, and devoted to original investigations in economic,
biologic and taxonomic entomology. Indispensable to working entomologists everywhere.
Price merely nominal, $1.00 to domestic, and $1.25 to foreign postal countries. Separates of any
articles always available. Address

Pomona Journal of Entomology, Claremont, California

When Writing Please Mention ‘‘ Entomological News.”

al

K-S Specialties Entomology

THE KNY-SCHEERER COMPANY
Department of Natural Science 404-410 W. 27th St., New York

North American and Exotic Insects of all orders in perfect condition
Entomological Supplies Catalogue gratis

INSECT BOXES—We have given special attention to the manufacture of insect cases and-can
guarantee our cases to be of the best quality and workmanship obtainable.

NS /3085—Piain Box s for Duplicates—Pasteboard boxes, com-
pressed turf lined with plain pasteboard covers, cloth
hinged, for shipping specimens or keeping duplicates.
These boxes are of heavy pasteboard and more carefully

THE KNY-OCMEEWERTO W made than the ones usually found in the market.
SIZEROXK5 5: UN Zoeraia o a asia cqere sie e'sls rece wt Att c Each $0.25
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NS /3091—Lepidoptera Box (improved museum style), of wood,
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Size 10x12 in., lined with compressed turf (peat).

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Series of specimens illustrating insect life, color variation, etc.
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We manufacture all kinds of insect boxes and cases (Schmitt insect boxes
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