~_ eee — aed 3 - ~ oS ~~ = Ag gl eat ging Ne en ae ag eth Rn Se ee ee ee PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON VoLuME 27 > 4 R SS MATIONAL WN PuBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY WASHINGTON, D. C. 1925 iTS ACTUAL DATE OF PUBLICATION OF VOLUME 27 Number 1—pages Number 2—pages Number 3—pages Number 4—pages Number 5—pages Number 6—pages Number 7—pages 1— 16 inclusive 17— 40 inclusive 41— 64 inclusive inclusive inclusive inclusive inclusive Number 8—pages 153-168 inclusive . Number 9—pages [ii] 169-199, i-1v inclusive . PRESS OF H. L. & J. B. McQueen, Inc. Wasuincton, D. C. . February 10, 1925. . March 14, 1925. pear) 3, 1925: . April 27, 1925. . May 28, 1925. Sic) ee a . October 1, 1925. . November 27, 1925 . December 24, 1925. ST TABLE OF CONTENTS OF VOLUME 27 Aupricu, J. M.: A new Tachinid Parasite of a Cocoanut Moth in South Asia . Two new species 508 die Tachinidae genus Minophiea with notes and key (Diptera) . ; Barser, H. S.: Two new species of Central neteae Miclasidae (ole optera) . Bs A Reo) a oe Pa CN Barnes, Wo., and Bein, I *. H.: On the types of “‘Pyrausta”’ caf- fret Flint & Malloch : es Se Change of a pieocoupien name. ; Notes and new species (Lepidoptera) . Notes on the genus Obrima Walker in the U. S. (Lepidoptera: Phalaenidae; Erebinae) . Benjamin, F. H., and Barnes, Wo. Bovine, Apa G.: Address of the Retiring President: A summer trip in Iceland south of Vatna—Jokul ee: Busck, A.: A new North American genus of Wicrolepidapters (Glyph pterygidae) ee On the genus Setiostoinia Zeller Gepidesees Steno: midae) CaupvELL, A. N.: A new species tbe My yrmecophilou Thvéanura eon Bolivia Pycnescelises surinamensis nites (Orstopreray On its nymphs and the damage it does to rose bushes . CHAMBERLIN, T. R.: Some observations upon Necremnus leucarthros (Ness) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) . CuirreNDEN, F. H.: The genus Coccotorus Leconte (@slcapesia) . A new species of Trichalophus (Coleoptera) . : Crampton, G. C.: A phylogenetic study of the Labium of Hulowieta: bolous insects with particular reference to the Diptera . Curran, C. Howarp: Revision of the genus Neoascia (Diptera: Syrph- idae) . 2 ee ue ele CusuHman, R. A.: The synonymy and generic aeatien BF two eri American Ichneumon Flies . Ewinc, H. E.: New parasitic Mites of the genus Taslapet| ——— ——— A new Chigger (Trombicula larva) from Brazil . ——— ——— Two new Chiggers (Trombicula larvae) . Ewine, H. E., Harz, M. E., and Ronwer, S. A.. Fisuer, W. S.: Two new Mexican Cerambycidae . —— ——— A new species of Leptostylus from the Uniece States (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) A change of name in Buprestidae (Goleoniee. Fours, Roperr M.: New Serphoid Parasites from the United States (Hymenoptera) . ——— — New Serphoid P: irasites Sion North and South Aphetioa a (Hymenoptera) . Page 142 129 141 147 [111] Gauan, A. B., Watton, W. R., and Hystop, J. A.. . . Ganan, A. B.: A new Encyrtid pees in the eggs of Mianiti as (Ey menoptera: Chalcidoidea) Ee ahs ———— ——— Interesting records of two little- awn parasitle Fy menoptera : Green, Cuartes T.: A tentative DU eeanicerieete i; the Mawenid rire based on the Puparia Haut, M. E., Ewine, H. E., and Rouwer, S. ae Boctor HeSy, ton fine “and Ransom Hoke, Griapys: A Diaspine with flees (onepere: Weaccidan), ‘Hoop, J. Doucias: Four new Thysanoptera from Africa. . Howarp, L. O.: Walter David Hunter. Hystop, J. A., Watton, W. R., and Gauan, A. B.. : McAtee, W. L.: Policies relating to Type Specimens of insects . Ma ttocu, J. R.: A synopsis of New World flies of the genus Sphaerocera (Diptera: Borboridae) . An addition to the Santonmeie oF thé” meEhict! of Columbia (Diptera) . Mann, W. M., and Scuwarz, E. A. : Bane Mg 15358 ‘Nowe on the Nesting Habits of Bemba comata (Patker (Hymenoptera) . Pierce, W. Dwicur: The history ae che Rhy Aeophecr genera Regn. n- cophora, Calandra, i and Sitophilus (Coleop- tera) : ; ae Rouwer, S. A.: Desetiption ae a new Saivfly fe Jack Pie: RoHweEr, S: Av, Mart, M.E:; and Ewine, HOES. - 2... + : ScHwarz, E. A., and Mann, W. M.: Colonel Thomas Lincoln co SHannon, Raymonp C.: Some American Syrphidae (Diptera) . : A note on the Distribution of a Myiasis-producing fly . Snyper, T. E.: Description of Winged Adult of Kalotermes approximatus Snyder . A new Cuban ‘Temite Vickery, R. A.: List of Parasitic Insects reared: fein East Tnseers Bee lected in the vicinity of Brownsville, Texas . : Watton, W. R., Ganan, A. B., and Hystop, J. A.: Paul Revere Myers [iv ] VOL. 27 JANUARY, 1925 No. 1 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 5 ne MEO Na “9 CONTENTS ALDRICH, J. M.—A NEW TACHINID PARASITE OF SOUTH ASIA e rE a a OD DY COcoA dial») Be AnlJ 2d SEL: t 13 BARNES, WM. AND BENJAMIN, F. H.—ON THE TYPE BW PeIPYR ee Rhea CAFFREII FLINT AND MALLOCH Be ; Libra Muse’ 7 BARNES, WM. AND BENJAMIN, F. H.—CHANGE OF A PREOCCUPIED NAME (ZErIDOPTERATBABGERTIDAE) \.) 2 2 Meus Wags we ee ae bats 8 14 EWING, H. E.—NEW PARASITIC MITES OF THE GENUS LAELAPS ... . l FISHER, W. S.—TWO NEW MEXICAN CERAMBYCIDAE ........ 15 HOOD, J. DOUGLAS.—FOUR NEW THYSANOPTERA FROM AFRICA... . . 8 SNYDER, THOS E.—DESCRIPTION OF WINGED ADULT OF KALOTERMES ABPR CO XMNIAIUISESNIVIDER © 3). o0ee dees peevee oc Slike tabs s Uo Ok 14 PusiisHeD MontrHiy Excepr Jury, AuGust aND SEPTEMBER BY THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM WASHINGTON, D. C. Entered as second-class matter March 10, 1919, at the Post Office at Washington, D. C., under Act of August 24, 1912. Accepted for mailing at the special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3;-1917, authorized July 3, 1918. THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON OrcanizeD Marcu 12, 1884. The regular meetings of the Society are held on the first Thursday of each month, from October to June, inclusive, at 8 Pp. M. Annual dues for members are $3.00; initiation fee $1.00. Members are entitled to the ProcEEDINGs and any manuscript submitted by them is given precedence over any submitted by non-members. OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1925. Honorary Presiden: 3° Suet <2 aes Os Ie ByA: SCHWARZ PPP SACHE Ne ian. Rew OTN Rie Re eo ORE Es, Gh hae R. A. CUSHMAN LES Vag TEV OSG, Go 98 oes oo oO 6 be ee ee Vier AED RACE SCCONA VECEZRTCSIACHE oer) Faw. eM. 5) Poe Jee ARELY SEOPR INECONGINUASELTCIGTY <0. ME .) -5 eeetea- 2 J. oe TIGREENE Gorresponding (Secretary Ineasurer = ee et) eee S. A. ROHWER U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. PEGs, Sek EASA A teen) 2) Bee ee CARI IE TINIRGGEL U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. Executive Committee: THe Orricers and A. N. Caupe.ti, W. R. Watron, J. E. Grar. Representing the Soctety as a Vice-President of the Washington Academy of SEGRCOS( aren nas te neta: ee eee ate ee . -A.-G. BOVING PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. Published monthly, except July, August and September, by the Society at Washington, D. C. Terms of subscription: Domestic, $4.00 per annum; foreign, $4.25 per annum; recent single numbers, 50 cents, foreign postage extra. All subscriptions are payable in advance. Remittances should be made payable to the Entomological Society of Washington. An author of a leading article in the Procereprnes will be given 10 copies of the number in which his article appears. Reprints without covers will be fur- nished at the following rates, provided a statement of the number desired accompanies the manuscript: 4 pp. 8 pp. 12 pp. 16 pp. 50 copies 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 100 copies 225 4.50 6.75 9.00 Certain charges are made for illustrations and there are available rules and suggestions governing the make-up of articles. Immediate publication in any number may be obtained at the author’s expense. All manuscripts should be sent to the Editor. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON VOL. 27 JANUARY 1925 No. 1 NEW PARASITIC MITES OF THE GENUS LAELAPS. By H. E. Ewine, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. The genus Laelaps Koch, in its restricted sense, may be defined as follows: Gamasid mites in which the chelicerae are toothed, and always, in the case of the female, bear a seta on the fixed arm. Ventral plates of the female consisting of a large sternal plate, a genito-epigastric plate of varying size but frequently large and extending to the anal plate, an anal plate which is always provided with two paired and one unpaired anal setae. Dorsal shield in both sexes undivided. Genital opening of male at the anterior margin of sternum; of female in front of genito- epigastric plate and not provided with an epigynum. All members of the genus are parasitic on vertebrates, especially ground burrowing or ground nesting mammals. In the follow- ing paper nine new species are described. These species are separated as follows: Key To THE Species OF LAELAps DESCRIBED IN THIS Paper. — . Body almost as broad as long, subdiscal; sternal pores broad openings, not mere slits; sternal setae heavy spines................ L. hollisteri, new species. Body considerably longer than broad; sternal pores either slit-like or DY SERS iz \iGee Na a> eet aa ea De Each chelicera with a brush of long setae just below the attachment of the i) movalblefannisss ot ne 2 By es eee L. barbatus, new species. No: bitisi/ot-setacvon' ‘chieliceba 24) ne A ee 3: Anal plate fully twice as long as Wena anus very large, its greatest diameter being almost equal to the width of anal plate... =e i Py aicniee new species. Anal plate never more than one and a half times as long as broad and the greatest diameter of anus not more than equal to one-half of the width Ofmanal: plates ate. | $27) Nene be vn reek es ta Be ee se ee a eel gS 4, First pair of coxae with a pair of large tooth-like spines on posterior Sao) A ene msec ESS ues Fe L. wetmorei, new species. First pair of coxae without a pair of tooth-like spines. oy Legs very stout; femur I as broad as long......... L. rubustipes, new species. Legs more slender; femur I much longer than broad... , ee 6. Coxa II with a tooth-like spine on its anterior margin. L. californicus, new species. a = mn 2 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 1, JAN., 1925 Coxa IT without/a ‘toothslikespmne) " keene «2s. Ay RORWES U. S National Museum, W ashington, D. C. Ee ee OG Re, ae ; . «= » . CARE HEINRICH ‘U. S. Nocona aes Washington, D. C. Executive Committee: THE Orricers and A. N. Caupe.tit, W. R. Watron, J. E. Grar. Representing the Soctety as a Vice-President of the Washington Academy of DS CLCTICCS) Me te oy =. eed Oe OE SR _ A. G. BOVING PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. Published monthly, except July, August and September, by the Society at Washington, D. C. Terms of subscription: Domestic, $4.00 per annum; foreign, $4.25 per annum; recent single numbers, 50 cents, foreign postage extra. All subscriptions are payable in advance. Remittances should be made payable to the Entomological Society of Washington. An author of a leading article in the Proceeprncs will be given 10 copies of the number in which his article appears. Reprints without covers will be fur- nished at the following rates, provided a statement of the number desired accompanies the manuscript: 4 pp. 8 pp. 12 pp. 16 pp. 50 copies 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 100 copies 2.25 4.50 6.75 9.00 Certain charges are made for illustrations and there are available rules and suggestions governing the make-up of articles. Immediate publication in any number may be obtained at the author’s expense. Al] manuscripts should be sent to the Editor. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL Society oF WASHINGTON VO 27 FEBRUARY 1925 Nos.2 ADDRESS OF THE RETIRING PRESIDENT. By Apam G. Bovine. A SUMMER TRIP IN ICELAND SOUTH OF VATNA-JOKUL.! The southeastern part of Iceland is covered by an immense ice plateau, “the Vatna-jokul.” A mighty mountain range of gray and black basalt follows the coast line. Its upper ridges and peaks are capped with snow and near the top there are cracks and deepenings in the sides of the mountains filled with snowdrifts. Farther down are many brooks and waterfalls, looking from the distance like shining silver bands. On the terraces and hills at the foot of the mountains where the ground is moist and contains sufficient humus are a number of fresh, green grass-fields. Here the farmhouses of the Icelandic settlers are built. Through passages in the mountain range the glaciers from the interior ice plateau descend to near the Atlantic ocean, plowing up the underground and forming a typical moraine landscape. In the intervening area between the ocean and the foot of the glaciers, or the foot of the mountains, are extensive flat and low plains of sedimentary sand and gravel, deposited in enormous quantities by the rivers coming out from under the bottoms of the glaciers. All these conditions as they exist here to-day, are very similar to those that prevailed in the regions south of the mountains of Norway and Sweden during the prehistoric glacial periods and from which not only Denmark but most of the low-lands of middle Europe originated. Unquestionably, for the discussion of many of the problems pertaining to this remote period it would be most profitable to study the correspondent recent phenomena in Iceland. No investigation, however, had ever been undertaken here by any geologist, of Danish or other nationality, familiar with the glacial questions of Europe, except by the famous Icelandic geologist Thoroddsen, who had travelled frequently in these localities and written about them. Therefore when the Danish 1The material collected on this trip has not been worked up scientifically and no technical account has been published on the results. All the botanical and zoological names given in the present paper are from my diary and are to be considered merely as preliminary field determinations, 18 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 geologist, Dr. Poul Harder, in the beginning of the year 1908 suggested a geological and biological expedition to be sent to Iceland, southeast and south of Vatna-jokul the University of Copenhagen favored the project and it was decided that Dr. Harder himself should be the leader of the undertaking. At that time I was studying in England but Dr. Harder wanted me along with him to collect plants and insects, and it was therefore arranged that I should join the expedition at Leith, Scotland. We had to bring everything with us from Copenhagen: two tents with tent-poles, a theodolite, a large camera and other instruments, nets, vials, labels, alcohol, pins and miscellaneous implements, bags of rice and oat flakes, tinned meat, soup, fruit and butter, clothing, wooden shoes, etc., all carefully packed in solid, waterproof wooden boxes. Each box, with the full contents, weighed one hundred pounds and was ready to be hooked onto the saddles of the pack-horses, one box on each side of the horse, carefully adjusted to balance well. Only the horses had to be bought in Iceland and this had been arranged for by the mer- chant in Hornefjord. The 13th of June we sighted land. The air was bitterly cold but very clear. The sea was dark blue. A single whale was swimming near the coast and a pair of eider-ducks were headed for the mainland flying close over the top of the waves. The lower parts of the coast mountains were seen through a thin haze, but above, the grey and black basalt was fully illuminated by strong sunlight and the snow on the top was gleaming. We went ashore at the small hamlet of Berufjord. Here we found our baggage in good order and the horses waiting for us, eleven pack and three riding horses, one of the latter for Dr. Harder, one for myself and one for an Icelandic student, Gislarson, who was employed as our helper and interpreter. The language spoken on Iceland nowadays has changed very little from the old Norse in which the Sagas were written, while the other Scandinavian languages, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, which all have developed from this same original tongue, now differ so much from it that it is absolutely necessary to use an interpreter in dealing with Icelanders who only speak their mother tongue. To travel in this part of Iceland is difficult and inconvenient as there are no roads, no bridges and the only possible way of communication is by horse-back riding. One is exposed to all kinds of hardships especially during the crossing of the streams and rivers as these continually change their courses and their depth varies all the time. Usually the horses can pass by wad- ing but often they will have to swim. It is also risky to under- take the journey through these bare and dismal regions without a very definite knowledge about the distribution and size of the grass fields on which one must depend for food for the horses. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 19 In this latter respect, however, we were very fortunate, having at our disposal detailed maps of the whole territory, which showed not only an elaborate system of altitude-curves, the size and location of the glaciers and the rivers, but also the lay of the farmhouses and the pastures. The maps were published by the Danish War Department after a most strenuous and difficult surveying under the leadership of the intrepid arctic explorer Capt. Kock. hey had just been finished the year before our expedition started. From Berufjord we started immediately for Hornefjord which was chosen as the first and most eastern station of our working field. It is south of Berufjord and to reach it we had to pass over mountains of the coast range rising to an altitude of about 1200 feet. The trip took us three days. The local guide, Gunnar from Tingnas, was at the head of the expedition. He conducted the first packhorse, which was followed by the rest in along row. Each horse was tied to the tail of the one in front of it by a rope from its head-gear. Harder and I brought up the rear. ” “TLoEens-HEDE One of the Mountains of the Coast Range. This is a terribly desolate locality. The vegetation is extremely poor and low; a little bit of moss here, a thin tuft of grass there, but mostly bare, black basaltic rock wherever you look. Only in a few protected spots grew small blocks of the beautiful white Dryas octopetala (“the mountain anemone’’), of Si/ene acaulis, Saxifraga oppositifolia and a small reddish-blue cruciferous plant. There were no hares or other mammals, no ptarmigans, or ravens or birds of prey, and apparently no insects of any kind. The metallic clattering of the horse-shoes against the rocks, the rattling of the boxes and the constant sharp shouting of the guide to the animals broke in a weird and ghostly way the monotony of the perpetual oozing and dripping of the water in the chilly and dead nature At last we reached the crest of the mountains and came close to the fields of the perpetual snow. They were not gleamingly white as they had appeared from a distance but the surface was dirty and dingy from blackish basaltic dust. In one place the ponies sank down belly-deep and there was water beneath the snow. On our way down the cold air rather suddenly became very damp. We were in the midst of one of the thick, solid looking, whitish clouds which we had seen hanging around the peaks or slowly rolling down the mountain sides, covering and concealing everything. The descent, however, was free from danger and very easy. An immense conical talus of loose débris from the solid rock spread itself out, clothing the sides of the mountain 20 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 like a gigantic train. A narrow slanting riding-path ran obliquely from the top of the talus all the way down to the valley where the farmhouses and pastures were. It was eleven o'clock in the evening when we arrived here, but it was as light as it had been at noontime. The thermometer showed 7° centi- grade. “SVINAFELD” One of the Mountain Valleys at the Foot of the Coast Range. Svinafeld is a broad valley, with an elevation of about 50 meters above the sea-level, well sheltered toward the northeast and the southeast by moss-clad mountain sides. It was the most charming spot I saw on Iceland. The sky was very clear and the temperature at noon about 20° C. It was Sunday when we arrived. Iam sure that this is correct; though to keep track of day and date was one of the things that sometimes caused us trouble, far away from civilization as we were, without regular mail and most of the time all by ourselves. The valley was carpeted with green grass and dotted with Galium, Pedicularis flammea, Cerastium, Saxifraga oppositifolia, a conspicuous purple Geranium, Erigeron, Rumex, Thymus, Polygonum vtviparum, Campanula uniflora with one or two flowers, a light violet Gentian and the yellow arctic Papaver nudicaule. Here and there were blackberry-bushes in flower. In several places the pasture was overgrown with a foot high scrub of birch (Betula odorata pubescens). Between the birches grew the wooly willow (Salix lanata) and also Salix glauca, both of about the same height as the birches. Below the brush the Poa and Agrostis grasses were long, fine and fresh. In the background a sizeable brook wound its way down from the moss-clad rock, but gradu- ally disappeared in a beautiful meadow where grew a multitude of various plants: in the wetter parts, Carex, Funcus, Ert- ophorum, Luzula arcuata, Equisetum, Hypnum and Menyanthis; on less swampy ground, a little greenish-white Orchid, the insectivorous Pinguicola vulgaris, the glorious green and white Parnassia palustris, Caltha palustris with large, shiny, yellow blossoms, Dryas octopetala, Silene acaulis, Potentilla rupestrtis and Arctostaphylos in flower but with dried berries from last year still hanging on it. There are no butterflies on Iceland, only dark colored moths such as Hadena maillardi and different species of Agrotis. These were flying around lively in the blazing sunlight and were so occupied sucking honey from the different flowers, favorite among which is Thymus, that it was very easy to catch them even with the fingers. An inconspicuous Geometrid, probably Larentia thulearia, flew in great numbers around the birches. It is lively and elusive. The leaves of the birches were greatly damaged by a grey-blue Tortricid larva which spins three or four of the leaves together, skeletonizing them from the inside and eating the top shoot. Is it to protect themselves against PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 7 rain that they do so, or against the numerous parasitic wasps which are seen everywhere? The large black and yellow banded Dipteron, Sericomyia lappona, quick as lightning, buzzed around and several pretty, metallic species of Syrphus hung hovering in the air, now in sight and now away. Often they were seen rest- ing on the sticky leaves of the birches and licking the sweet exudations. The wooly willow (Sa/ix /anata) was damaged by a large black Geometrid-larva with two white stripes on the back and also by WNotaris acridulus?, a small Curculionid with a pointed snout. On the leaves were the fresh marks of gnawing and the fine excrement of this weevil. The female eats a hole in the tip of one of the end-buds depositing an egg here, and after- wards the larva tunnels through the soft shoot in its entire length but stops as soon as it comes to the hard wood from the year before. The leaves on the sides of the young shoot wither and shrivel to a bulb-like body, which in a short while drops to the ground. One would expect the larvae to pupate inside of the bulb but I never found any pupae there. On the contrary I found several of the larvae about two inches down in the ground. These were placed in a jar with the soil in which they were found and four of them developed into imagines. Black larvae of Gonioctena viminalis, newly hatched and about 7 mm. long, were feeding on the leaves of the same species of Salix, skeletonizing them in spots and leaving the epidermis intact on one of the sides. There were also the long white eggs of this Chrysomelid on the leaves but only a single imago was taken in the open; many, however, were found under stones. Altogether the results from turning stones were very satisfactory. Several Carabids were hidden below them, such as Platysma frigidus, Calathus melanocephalus with its characteristic rust- colored thorax, Harpalus fulvipes, and Nebria gyllenhali. There were a few small Carabid-larvae belonging to the genus Bem- bidium but I did not find the larvae of any of the larger Carabi- dae. The females, however, were full of eggs and several couples were taken in copula. Under the stones were found several small Staphylinids (among them Omalium rivulare, some Atheta species and Tachinus collaris), all stages of the click beetle Cryptohypnus riparius (the imagines covered with little red larvae of the arctic mite Erythraeus phalangioides), the imagines of the bean-like Byrrhus fasciatus and Byrrhus pilula, Cytilus varius related to Byrrhus, the dark weevil, Otiorrhynchus arcticus, and at least two other species of this genus. Almost everywhere on our trip, and in some localities of widely different character, I found the two species of Byrrhus and Otiorrhynchus arcticus. The larvae of the latter species were taken on the roots of different sort of grasses and once I found an imago feeding on the leaves of Polygonum viviparum, eating from the margin toward the middle rib. Feeding on the grass roots were also a number 22 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 of white Coccids. A small yellowish red Scolopendra was fre- quently found under stones, but here I did not see a dark and larger centipede which is commonly found together with it in other localities. Neither were there any of the naked snails of the genera Limax and Arion or small shell-bearing snails; but all of these forms I found not far from Svinafeld, at Station Fell. On plants in the pasture were the small Coccinella //-punctata, the Chrysomela staphylea and (on Mercurialis perennis) Baryno- tus Schonherri. \magines, eggs and newly hatched larvae of Aphodius lapponum occurred in sheep-manure. The small Bombus jonellus, the only bumble bee on Iceland, was gathering honey and pollen. The conspicuous Icelandic spider, draneus folium, had fastened its vertical web to grass-straw or irregular pieces of small rocks and spun its vase-shaped house at the lower part of the web. Often a cluster of eggs in a specially woven sack were attached at the top of the house. In the brook itself I could find no signs of life; and larvae of Ephemerids and the Diptera, Ephydra and Simulium, so com- mon in similar streams everywhere else, were wanting here. The water contained iron and sulphur as shown by the covering of ochre on the upper surface of the stones in the stream, and this may explain the remarkable lack of insect life. Along the edges of the brook run the rather large, black ground beetle, Patrobus septentrionis, and the silky brown Amara Quenseli, one or two species of Rembidium and Notiophilus biguttatus, together with the small, lively Hemipteron, Sa/da Jittoralis. In this snug and sheltered valley our tents were pitched. The surveying poles were planted nearby, and saucepans, pots and emptied tin cans laid on the grass. There was no difference between day and night. The darkest period was supposed to be at 2:30 in the morning but at that time it was so light that without difficulty I could pin my insects and make notes. We divided the day according to our meals: at 9 A. M., oatmeal and mashed apples; after the meal, observations in the field around the tent, planning of the day’s work, reading of barometer and thermometer, bringing the diary up to date; at 1l a. M.a solid lunch with coffee and cigars; then dressing for work, putting on the heavy boots. Dr. Harder rode on horseback to the glacier Flaua-j6kul, at a considerable distance from the valley, and I usually climbed up the mountain to study the flora and fauna of the rocks and ponds. The ponies were hobbled and left to roam around in the grassfields. We worked to 8-9 o'clock in the evening and did not have any meals before that time. Then came dinner, a long talk and indoor work. Before we went to bed we always took a big cup of tea with plenty of rum. It was very difficult to sleep in the bright sunlight with- out a nightcap. The sleep was peaceful and undisturbed. Not a single mosquito was seen or heard or felt on the whole trip and we were not bothered by Szmulium. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 23 In the valley were several pools of stagnant water that un- questionably dry up later in the summer. Not far from the tent was one of them. It was about 2-3 feet deep. At 8 Pp. M. the water was 21° C. and the air 16°C. There was plankton in it, consisting mostly of large, orange-colored Ostracodes and small Copepods. The bottom was “firm, clayey and entirely inorganic. Above it was half an inch of soft plant and animal detritus with many small earthworms and Trichopterous larvae in conical, smooth tubes of fine grains of sand. The imagines were flying above the pool. In the water were swimming the water beetles Co/ymbetes dolabratus, Agabus alpestris and Hydro- porus nigrita, and also the water boatman, Arctocorixa carinata; no molluscs of any kind. It was to compare the fauna of these marsh-pools with the ponds in the mountains that I made several trips to the latter. A very typical one was located about 150 meters above sea level. I brought with me scraper, plankton nets, a watersweeper, spadg, lead, etc. Its depth was 2-3 meters, the temperature of the water the 30th of June was 21° . and the temperature of the air 18°C. at 2:20 p. m. and 13%4° at 6:10 p.m. This pond does not dry up during the summer which explains its comparatively rich fauna and flora. A small mountain meadow surrounded the pond. Around the edge grew Carex and Eriophorum, and in the water a broad-leaved Carex and beautiful Menyanthis in flowers. The surface was free from Lemna, algae, etc. On the bottom was found first a layer of débris from the vegetation, and below this loose clay. In the clay lived a multitude of red, tube-constructing Chironomus larvae and small fragile earthworms. In the débris were two species of Trichoptera tubes, the same conical and smooth one that we had previously found in the pools and another, more cylindrical one which was made of little pieces of Carex, also a large species of the fresh-water snail Limnaeus and a small bivalve, Pisidium. There were a great number of the water boatman and the same three species of Dytiscids as in the marsh- pools; also many Dytiscid-larvae, especially Agabus. The plankton was apparently identical in both water types. Alto- gether the fauna in the shallow pools in the valley possess no form which does not occur in the deeper mountain ponds and the number of the individuals and of the species represented in the shallow pools was much smaller. This different character of the two faunas depends on the temporary existence of the latter and the perennial nature of the former. From the valley where the tents were pitched one could look over vast, low plains of gravel and sand to the south and south- west. Toward the west a huge, oblong and rounded mountain obstructed any further outlook. It appeared like a monstrous grey whale, a slimy impassable beast stranded on the shore. In 24 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 the clear and pure air one could see the broad crossing ridges rising like ribs and bones under the skin; everywhere the water was oozing out and flowing over the sides. Green mucous patches spotted the bare basaltic masses near the plains. The mountain was veiled in a fine bluish haze, the only indication ‘that it was at a distance. Hidden behind the mountain was the glacier, “‘ Flaua-jokul,” the moraines, and the beginning of the sandy plains with rivers fed from the melting glacier-water. Tue Sanpy River PLains. The plains of sand and gravel, profusely strewn with rounded stones of many sizes, slope down from the fertile mountain valleys in broad terraces. The entire vast area has been deposited by water from the glacier. The higher lying terraces are the older ones and no longer flooded; but the lower and younger regions are dry only during the summer months. Even at this time there is in many places a broad and extended net- work of innumerable streams spun from the glacier to the ocean where they develop a wide, marshy and inaccessible delta. In the spring these become deep and dreaded channels hidden in swollen torrents where for hours no ford passable to horses can be found if indeed they can be found at all. From Hornefjord westward, beyond Skeydurasandr, stretching along the south- eastern coastline for more than 200 kilometers, these plains form a narrow strip of land between the highland and the ocean. To canter over them was a great experience. Never before or after have I cherished a similar romantic and thrilling feeling of unlimited freedom as in those bright days. The common “skuas” or arctic predaceous gulls (Lestris catarrhactes) were everywhere, but never in flocks. Croaking and clucking like angry hens, one or two at a time, they would circle around us in low flight like hawks, trying to strike us or our galloping ponies with their wings. Before we became accustomed to it, it was a most strange and disagreeable sensation to cross the wide rivers with all our horses tied together in one long row. The water flowed fast and the opposite low bank could not be seen. Of course we were riding right through, but it seemed as if the horses were making no headway and all the time were stepping sideways up against the current. When we were in the middle of the river and the water was reaching above the belly of the animals I know that at least I had no idea which way we were headed; the train seemed to go around in a circle all the time. With the boots out of the stir- rups and the knees lifted high so as not to become entangled if the horse should stumble, I realized in resigned fatalism my PROC, ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 25 complete helplessness. I was in the power of the “ndkken,”’ the troll of rivers and tarns. In the older, higher and dryer areas of the plains the stones had a different color from those in the younger and lower areas, being more yellow or greenish gray. This is due to their longer exposure to the air and consequent oxydation. No continuous vegetation covered the bare ground, but plants grew few and far between among the stones. Most characteristic were the grass tufts of Festuca, and the cushions of Thymus, Silene acualis and Hypnum moss. Potentilla, Leontodon, Cerastium and Draéa were present but not common. In the lower areas the former river channels could always be distinguished from a distance as long, reddish, winding bands, the color originating from the flowers of the grass; but near by, no reddish color was noticed, and the ground was green with the leaves of the grass, the herbs and the dense carpet of moss. A great variation of plants grew here such as the beautiful little fern Botrychium, Carex, a few dwarfish willows, Polygonum viviparum, Ledum, Arabis, Cerastium, Armeria and Taraxacum (Dandelion). In some places where the channels were several feet deep they still contained water in oval pools. The water was clear and fairly warm, about 16° C. These pools were filled with typical water and swamp-plants such as the filose Confervae, the globose Nostoc balls, Sphagnum, Eriophorum, Glyceria maritima and strong, fine plants of Pinguicola. Near the ocean the country becomes more and more marshy, and the reddish bands run together making a uniform reddish sod in which the same plant types were found as in the channels. The animal life of the higher areas of the plains was extremely poor. A few Notiophilus and in some places small companies of a little brown Hemipteron were seen running over the sand. Byrrhus and Otiorrhynchus arcticus were found under the scat- tered tufts of grass and Thymus. The larvae of Otiorrhynchus were feeding on the grass-roots. Around the flowering Thymus different kinds of Syrphids and Calliphora erythrocephala were buzzing and at least two species of /grotis were active, sucking the honey; but most of these insects were unquestionably inci- dental visitors coming from the mountain pastures. In the dry parts of the lower regions the insects were the same as in the higher regions, only even scarcer. In the small pools, however, there was a surprising amount of life and here a true ecological association of different forms was displayed. Chiron- omid larvae in tubes of slimy dirt almost covered the submerged stones. On the bottom, the common trichopterous larvae in conical smooth sand-tubes were crawling slowly around. Swarms of their clumsy, brown spotted imagines whirled and fluttered in the air, and together with them were the imagines 26 PROC, ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 of the Chironomids and a small whitish moth. The imagines of the water beetle 4gabus alpestris were common. Usually they were found standing vertically in the water with the head right down and moving in quick, short jerks. They fed on the Chironomid larvae on the stones. There were also Ostracods and numerous Limmnaeus snails. Salda was running on the water’s edge. Occasionally in the larger pools one of the peculiar small wading birds, Phalaropus hyperboreus, was seen swimming around, feeding on insect larvae, Ostracods and other water animals not being too large to swallow. “FLAUA-JOKUL.” Plants and Insects in the Old and Recent Moraines. For the last half century the glaciers have been moving back- ward in that part of Iceland which we were studying. In this period, however, the retrograde movement of the ice has not been unceasing and continuous. On the contrary, the move- ment has been oscillating. For a while the front wall of the glacier was on a standstill. Then for a series of years it receded. Again it did not change location for another series of years. Then it advanced for a while over the ground which it had just uncovered; but afterwards the backward motion was reiterated, and so forth. Gigantic terminal moraines are formed during the periods of rest in which the melting processes of the ice equalize the for- ward movement of the entire glacial system. Hills of immense stones, huge pieces of ice, smaller stones, gravel, sand and clay, saturated with water, all mixed together without stratification are unloaded at the foot of the towering walls and overhanging cliffs of ice. Thus during the general retrogradation of the glacier several parallel series of terminal moraines are created. In many localities these are easily distinguished and in one place, at station ‘‘Fell,’’ Dr. Harder was fortunate enough to obtain definite chronological records of the ages of the different moraines and the various movements of the glacier from the year 1869 to the year of our expedition. Here at “Fell” the basaltic rocks, the fertile mountain-valley and the old river-plains look strikingly like the corresponding geological formations at “Svinafell” with which we just have been dealing; and the glacier, ‘“ Breidamerkur-jokul,”’ is not very different from the glacier “ Flaua-jokul”’ west of the whale- like mountain at “‘Svinafell.”’ At “Fell,” however, two low moraines are found to define the higher and lower terraces of the plains, indicating where the glacier formerly stood at the end of two different periods which, according to information obtained, were in 1873 and 1886. With these two periods PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 2d given, it became possible, by a fortunate coincidence of causes, to synchronize both the ages of the terraces themselves and their fauna and flora, as follows: 1. The river which now flows close to the foot of the présent glacier has moved with the ice from the east-most of the two moraines to its present bed, and conse- quently the ages of the two terraces are determined by the years of the moraines and are respectively from some time before 1873, and from between 1873 and 1886. 2. In 1873 the river completely destroyed the grassfields formerly growing here, as proven by the large flakes of dead and often overturned sod now scattered all over the higher terrace. Thus it can be definitely stated that the vegetation and the fauna migrated into the higher terrace after 1873 and into the lower terrace mainly after 1886. In the region between the moraine of ’86 and the glacier there is little or no plant and animal life. At a certain place the south end of the glacier almost reaches the Atlantic Ocean, being separated therefrom only by a land- bridge less than 10 kilometers (about 5 English miles) wide, out- side of which lies a laguna with brackish water and a narrow sand-bar about 140 paces across. The bridge consists of four parallel series of terminal moraines with dells between and pools and ponds both on the top of the hills and in the bottom of the dells. The moraine close to the laguna dates from 1869, and the two following moraines are from 1877 and 1895. On the side of the 1895 moraine, facing the ocean and near its top, is an indistinct wall representing the moraine of 1886; and facing the glacier but at the foot of the 1895 moraine is a small 1901 moraine. Between the latter and the glacier is a chaotic con- glomeration of ice-blocks, water, muddy clay and rocks. At “Flaua-jokul” the landscape from the glacier toward the ocean and the river-plains is characterized exactly like that at “Fell,” by parallel series of moraine-hills indicating a creation at different periods. At least three series are present, each con- stituting a definite type, similar to the ones found at “Fell.” Unfortunately, however, at “Flaua-jSkul” the exact age of the moraines could not be obtained; and therefore the length of the epochs of the different floristic and faunistic ecological associa- tions could be estimated only by comparison with the records from “‘Fell.’’ Otherwise, the natural conditions of the moraine landscape at “Flaua-jokul” offered much better opportunities for a study of the question which principally interested me, namely the sequence in which the plants and animals migrated into the land and the lakes created by the receding glaciers, and the physical conditions determining the sequence. Farthest off from the glacier, the hills, corresponding to the moraine walls of 1869 at “Fell,” are rounded, the ponds and pools oval, rather large and with flatly concave bottom, and the whole landscape is undulating. In the middle series of moraines 28 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 corresponding to those from 1877 to 1895 at “‘ Fell,” the material has not been exposed to rain and decomposition as long as in the older moraine, and the sliding down of earth and stones and leveling of the surface has been active for a shorter period. Therefore the hills are pointed or have sharp crests, and the pools on the top of the hills or in the valleys are circular and smaller. Their bottom is more funnel-shaped and they are apparently, but not really, deeper than in the outer moraine. The inner moraine is in a chaotic state. There are no definite hilltops and pools; but everywhere heaps of gravel, stones, ice and water. As to the flora and fauna of these localities, the interesting fact was discovered that plants and animals are advancing right to the ice, though life, of course, is developed to its highest degree of variation and abundance in the outer moraine. The order in which the migration progresses and the moraines are populated is best realized by the study of the pools and ponds. In the outer-moraine these are inhabited by a characteristic flora of perennial flower-plants such as: Batrachium with white petals fully out below the water surface, Myriophyllum, one species of Potamogeton with narrow, grass-like leaves and another species with broader leaves. At least two species of Limnaeus snails were feeding on the plants. Phytoplankton was present in great quantity but the Zooplankton was sparse. There were plenty of threadlike Confervae from which Haliplid larvae were sucking the juice. Red Chironomid larvae, Tanypus and other nemocerous larvae live in the detritus on the bottom. drcto- corixa and three different Dytiscids are feeding on them. In these old ponds Phryganeid larvae were present, and the stones were covered with furcate colonies of Bryozoa. To some of the ponds “‘Stickle-backs”” (Gasterosteus aculeatus) had found their way from inlets with brackish water, causing a change in the described ecological association. The water boatmen and water beetles disappeared. Either they must have been eaten, probably while in the larval stage, by the fishes or the latter had gorged themselves so thoroughly on the worms and larvae in the mud and on the stones that nothing was left to the predaceous insects. Investigation of the stomach content did not give definite results. Terns (S¢erma) were flying over the ponds in an endeavor, I suppose, to catch the fishes, many of which were infested with large tape-worms, one to each fish. In the ponds belonging to the middle moraine no flowering plants occurred, but Confervae were present and there were many Nostoc balls. Ostracoda and Phytoplankton were plentiful. The Nemocera larvae in soft dirt-tubes, so common everywhere, were attached to the stones and another form of Nemocera in a thick gelatinous bag, was floating calmly in the PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 pis) surface. The latter form was present in quite large numbers and was very characteristic for the waters in the middle moraine, but was rare or absent in all other places. There were many larvae and adults of 4gabus and Hydroporus and also of the water boatman 4rctocorixa; but the Phryganeid larvae were absent because the water contained too large an amount of unsettled clay. There were no Gasterosteus and no snails. In the puddles and water holes of the inner moraine a fine, slightly greenish tinge from innumerable microscopic algae was noticeable on the muddy clay-bottom. Feeding on this fine filament were a surprising quantity of the universally present Nemocera larvae in tubes of dirt; and on these the larvae and adults of Agabus alpestris and Hydroporus nigrita were preying. The miscroscopic algae, the Nemocera larvae and the two species of Dytiscids are the pioneers of organic life in the waters of the moraines. Unquestionably they came from the ponds and pools of the older moraines; but the organic life is indigenous to neither the older nor the newer moraines, for, with a single exception (the stickle-backs) the plants and animals have found their way to the moraine landscape from the marshes in the mountains or the valleys at the foot of the mountains. The factors which determine the different character of the organic life in the ponds and pools of the moraines are the amount of clay precipitated in the water, the depth, the size and the age of the ponds, but not their location in respect to the glacier. At “Graenafell”’ near station ‘“‘Heineberg”’ a pool was found on top of a moraine-hill barely within the distance of a gun shot from the ice and yet with a flora and fauna almost identical with and as rich as that in the ponds of the oldest moraine here at “Flaua-jokul.”” But the water in it was very clear, and the bottom consisted of sand instead of clay. The size of the pool was 10 by 50 paces. It was one-half meter deep. The tempera- ture of the water on the 13th of July was 17°C., and that of the air 1234~ C. The water in the puddles of the inner moraine is usually milk- white, the ball of the thermometer in some cases disappearing when 3 centimeters down. No plants other than the Confervae and the microscopic algae and no ohter animals than those characterized above as “‘the pioneers”? seem to be able to live in them. The ponds in the moraine landscape, especially those close to the glacier, are neither very large nor deep, and are therefore easily heated. In the mountains it is different. There we often find large and deep lakes bordering on the ice masses and having ice-loes drifting around in the matter. No organic life is found here. The age of the waters in the moraines is an important factor 30 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 to consider in connection with the development of their organic life. The dilution and washing out of the clay takes a long time and so does the deposition of a layer of detritus on the bottom to make it fitted for the growth of flowering plants and the snails, bivalves, fish and birds which follow. The general character of the land vegetation. changes in the direction of the glacier, corresponding to the situation existing in the waters; but the changes are more gradual and the modifi- cations characterized more by a continuous diminution of the number, and usually also of the vigor of the individuals 1 in the different zones than by a reduction of the species represented. The outer region seems to extend from that side of the oldest moraine which faces the ocean to the crest of the hills of the middle moraine. The middle region goes from here to the top of the inner moraine; and the third region occupies all the remaining space to the foot of the glacier. In the outer region the vegetation has commenced to form a continuous sod of grass, mostly Poa and moss; but it covers the ground rather imperfectly and in many places the plants stand widely apart. There are also Equisetum, Scirpus, Funcus and many of the beautiful perennial herbs of the pastures and the fertile places in the river plains, for example, Saxifraga, Thymus, Silene acaulis, Silene nutans, Dryas, yellow and anae Galium, Cerastium, Arabis, Draba, Armeria, Sedum, Rumex, Papaver nudicaule, etc. A few low willows are also ae In the middle region the plants grow in small and weak tufts behind the larger stones. There is much more uncovered than covered ground. Nowhere is a continuous growth found; but the plant species are the same as in the outer region. Small round cushions of moss and lichen, one-half to one foot apart, are frequent and characteristic for this region. The third region appears at the first glance almost dead, but weak crusts of lichen are attached in spots to the stones, and fine, green young moss plants peep up in the hollow places. On the stones around the water holes are thin grey films of dried Confervae. This growth is called ‘““Tonder,” is very inflam- mable and formerly was used with flint in tinder-boxes. Here and there, many fathoms apart, one can find a tuft of grass, a single Cerastium, a Papaver, a Saxifraga, etc. The insect fauna is also very limited. There are Oriorrhynchus and Byrrhus, both hard-shelled beetles which are rolled around and widely scattered by the heavy wind-storms. There are Noctuids such as Agrotis ‘and Hadena, good flyers who find honey in the flowers and carry pollen from plant to plant. Larvae were found of all these forms, proving that they belong here. Armeria was visited by large flies such as Phormia coerulea. In the flowers of Saxifraga two or three small species of parasitic Hymenoptera were commonly found, but no other insects; and, 9 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 Sil reversely, parasitic Hymenoptera were not taken in any other flowers. In the low land of the middle moraine the dark sand at the bottom of flat deepenings are at times under water and at times drained and merely moist. This was the case on the day when the following observations were made. The entire bottom surface was ornamented with an irregular arabesque-like system of slightly elevated long, tubular galleries. The width of the galleries was about equal to the size of a pin head. In the anterior part of each gallery was found a cylindri- cal, whitish, Tipulid larva (Hedobia hybrida) about 1 mm. long. Very often one-third of a broken pupal skin was sticking out of the mouth of a gallery. The imagines were present in great numbers, some flying ae to the ground, others resting on it. They are long-legged and capable of running over the water film. The eggs were found on the moist surface, singly or in small masses of two or three. The larvae feed on organic particles in the sand. The imagines take no nourishment, but copulate as soon as they are developed. They were not found in any other places than the moist ground where they had lived as larvae. A small ground beetle (Bembidium islandicum Sharp), was running around in comparatively large numbers, both imagines and mature larvae being represented. Evidently they are preying on the larvae of the He/obia. On the imagines a small black spider was feeding. It did not make a regular web but spun a number of single threads, each about two feet long, attaching them to a piece of gravel and, starting from this as a common center, spread the threads close to the ground like radii, fastening the ends to small grains of sand. The fauna of the outer region is like the flora, much richer than that of the two inner regions, particularly in the number of indi- viduals. It takes a long time to develop a soil sufficiently fertile to produce a continuous sod with a definite ecological association of flowering plants and insects. Age, therefore, is a main factor determining the different character of the terrestrial organic lifein the moraines. In fact itis almost the only one. That the proximity of the ice has no more influence on the terrestrial life than it had on the aquatic life here is very clearly brought out by the following experience. On August the eleventh we visited a small locality on “ Brei- damerkur-jokul.”’ The place was, as far as I remember, about 30 feet square and located right upon the glacier about 60 meters above the base of the inner moraine. The ice was covered by a layer of sand and gravel about % meter thick, and a great number of large stones were spread all over it. The spot had been a resort for gulls. Many feathers were lying around and excrements were scattered all over the ground. There were numerous vertebrae and smaller and larger parts of fish- skeletons. Near the ground a fairly strong odor of fish was Go 2 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 noticed. The large stones were separated from the ice by a stratum of grass roots and plant detritus about 1mm. thick, and below this by a layer of basaltic soil only 2 to 3 mm. thick. In this locality I found a dense and various vegetation of Poa grass, Festuca rubra with rust-fungi, Cerastium, Arabis, Spergella, Saxi- fraga and Sedum. There were no predominant species, but all specimens were strong, healthy and in full bloom, the yellow flowers of the thick blocks of Sedum being particularly pretty. Large flies, such as the blue Phormia coerulea and Calliphora erythrocephala were buzzing. A single specimen of a Syrphus was seen hovering in the air. A small Pyralid was caught fly- ing. Several parasitic Hymenoptera were swept from the flowers, and there were plenty of adult Trichoptera. In the thin stratum of débris and grass roots under the stones several gray Podurids were taken, also two adult Carabids and two Carabid larvae, many Staphylinids representing different genera, and a small red Trombidiid. The same small black spider, which was studied in the lowlands of the moraines, was found here and its web was on the ground. When I visited the place the day was bright and it was warm in the sunshine, but after I had been lying down for a short while to collect under the stones I began to shiver. It really is astonishing how little the plants and insects were affected by having the ice underground. It is quite evident that the entire terrestrial flora and fauna found in theriver plains as well asin the moraines originate like the aquatic ones, from the marshes, meadows, ponds and grass fields of the mountain valleys. The different organisms found there have spread all over the rest of the country, flying, crawling or being passively distributed by many agencies. The wind, rivers, birds, man and domestic animals have carried seeds and other parts of plants, eggs of snails and insects and often entire animals such as small crustaceans or the hardshelled and easily rolled Curculionids and Byrrhids. By comparison with the flora and fauna of other northern countries it is furthermore demonstrated that at least the majority of the plants and animals of the mountain valleys are identical with those occurring in the Scandinavian peninsula. This is not surprising when we remember that Iceland at the time of the Vikings was colonized by Norwegians and that the chiefs and their men and families brought with them horses, sheep, cows, chickens, dogs, hay, grain and timber. It also was customary, as told in the Sagas, to carry soil to the new land from the old homesteads. As Iceland was completely covered with ice during the glacial period all organic life of the periods prior to the glacial must have been destroyed. It i is, for instance, not thinkable that any of the present-day organisms can have developed here from terti- PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 33 ary forms like those which are found as fossils in the large clay deposits in some of the basaltic rocks. On the contrary, some of the plants and animals originally introduced by the Vikings may have become extinct, or they may have died out in most parts of Iceland, but still be living in remote and isolated places. This latter suggestion was advanced by Thoroddsen. In particular he called attention to the fact that the old peculiar race of small hens raised by the Vikings still 1s living in the isolated Orafa district but nowhere else, and also that mice and rats are lacking here; and he believed that an entomological and botanical investigation of the district might disclose further evidence of his theory. Off hand I did not, believe that plants and insects occurring on both sides of the Orafa district would be absent here, like the rats and mice are. I hardly could imagine that an isolation effected by comparatively narrow glacier-tongues, rivers and the ocean could prevent organisms so small and easily carried as plant seeds and insects from being introduced, when men with horses and hay every year are passing through this country on their way to Reykjavik and back. The probability of finding forms limited to Oradfa seemed also somewhat remote. ' However, the question ought to be considered and the Ordafa district which is immediately to the west of Station “‘Fell’’ had to be visited, before we started on our return trip to Hornefjord. To get into Orafa, with the whole outfit of our expedition, was a dificult problem, as the unusually deep and furiously rapid river, ‘‘Jokul-4,” separates the district from that part of the country where we had been studying. To cross this river was impossible. It was necessary to take the horses over the glacier above the immense gate through which the river is bursting out, roaring and foaming. The one way to accomplish it was, first to ascend to the top of the mountain plateau which is about on the level with the upper surface of the glacier, and then to pro- ceed from here out on the ice. THE EDGE OF BREIDAMERKUR-JOKUL ABOVE JOKUL-A. In the beginning we had trouble with the horses. They had been bought from the farms near the plains and were steady trotters, absolutely reliable in the rivers, and good mountain climbers; but not accustomed to the ice and, for this reason, nervous. The strong mountain winds (“phoens’’) carry much dust and the glaciers are spotted with small, dark mineral deposits of basaltic origin. In sunshine the ice, of course, melts quicker below these spots than outside of them. The horses being unfamiliar with the shiny ice always tried to step on the 34 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 dark dust, but slipped on account of the water below and missed their foothold. An accident happened which also frightened them. We were trotting along in a row with the old local guide in the lead, none of us in the saddle, and I closing the ranks. We came to a round pool, as far as I remember about 50 square feet large. It looked very shallow and I wondered why the guide was leading the expedition around it instead of going right through. My riding horse, just in front of me, evidently had been thinking like its master. Being young and lively it fol- lowed its impulse and stepped right out in the pool; but this was a very deep hole, undoubtedly melted by a hot spring in the rock below the glacier. The pony disappeared before my _ eyes. Shortly after I saw it lifting its head over the water. It was swimming. Then it tried to get a foothold on the ice edging the hole, and we placed horseclothes there to helpit. In vain. Not carrying fire arms we were forced to leave it to drown for we had already given more time than it was safe to spend on the glacier. After having travelled quite a distance from the hole we heard the horse coming. How it had managed to save itself I can not tell. The surface of the glacier near the edge is not at all smooth andeven. It looks like an immense camp of small conical tents, all covered with black dirt. Farther in from the edge it becomes more flat and is in many places a beautiful, polished, dark blue. At the bottom the cracks and crevasses reflect colors of a pure delicacy, serene light blue or hyaline green. Everywhere water is purling. In many places it disappears in remarkable, cylindri- cal, oblique and very deep conduits in the ice. Most of them are six inches to one foot in diameter, and inside are clear blue. All the time a monotonous, vibrating sound was heard. Now and then a single clear note, as if produced by a gigantic tuning fork, arose from the deep of the gapes. Twice each month the mail-carrier is scheduled to arrive. Before his arrival the “‘glacier-man” has to indicate the way either with arrow-marks cut deep in the sides of the ice walls or with wooden sticks in places where particularly dangerous situ- ations are ahead. These are usually caused by the deep cracks that temporarily burst open as the result of the movements of the glacier. Sometimes one will have to follow along a crevasse to the end of it and back again on the opposite side, but often natural bridges of ice connect the edges. Some of the bridges were not much wider than a meter. To pass them was not perilous for any of us men, only very disagreeable to myself as I suffer from dizziness. But to lead or force the horses over them was a difficult affair. On our way up through the mountains it had been raining all the time and our breeches and boots were dripping wet. On the glacier the weather was fine, but heavy clouds and the fog were PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 35 coming up. It was a great relief to us all when we realized that the trail was winding downward to the terminal moraine. We had spent five and one-half hours on the glacier. Finally we were in Orafa, the home of hot springs and volcanic forces, but generally more characterized by the different activities of the water in all its conversions. OrAFA AND RETURN. In Orafa I had the opportunity to study the remarkable organic life in a hot-water creek. It was more than 40 C. and so hot near its source that I could barely put my hand into it and grab handfuls of the gelatinous blue-green algae and green Confervae that grew therein. In this medium were living the larvae and pupae of a fly, a species of Ephydra. The imagines were sitting in great number on the upper surface of the algae and had laid their eggs here. Small parasitic Hymenoptera were swarming among the flies. Inside of the hyaline algae small snails were plentiful. Near the hot-water creek was a plot of good sized birch trees, a regular little grove. Its name is ‘‘Bajarstadr-skogen.” Naturally it is the pride of the district. Thrush (Turdus) was found here, and the birds were making a great noise, one of them imitating the croaking of ravens. The whole flora and fauna in this wood were remarkable and rather rich. There were, how- ever, no Cerambycids and no bark beetles; but a small, globular, hard, black mite made galleries which looked like short bark beetle galleries. A As explained above, the main object for visiting Orafa was partly to search for plants and insects special to the mountain valleys, river plains and moraines of this district, and not found in the corresponding localitites east of JOkul-a, and partly to find out if any of the forms occurring in this latter part of the country were lacking in Orafa. The results were in both respects negative as far as one is able to judge from provisional studies in the field. The short Icelandic summer was almost at an end. Crow- berries, blueberries and blackberries were ripe. The weather was becoming more and more unsettled and windy. The short, melancholic fall and the long winter-time were at the door. We were 1n a responding mood. We had had an overdose of isola- tion, and it was “with dry eyes we wept” over the prospect of a speedy return to civilization. 36 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 A DIASPINE WITH LEGS (HOMOPTERA: COCCIDAE). By Giapys Hoke, Converse College, Spartanburg, S. C. The specimens from which this species has been described are, so far as is known, the first adult female diaspines on which legs have been recognized. They were received by Mr. J. Forrest Crawford at the University of Chicago, from the Botanist at the American University of Beirut, Syria, and were sent to the Bureau of Entomology, U. S. D. A., for identification. Mr. Harold Morrison of the Bureau very kindly extended to me the privilege of describing the species. Leucaspis knemion, new species. Female puparium.—Color white, of normal form, consisting of the brownish larval and nymphal pellicles covered with a white waxy coat a trifle larger than the nymphal pellicle which shows slightly through the wax; entire scale 2 to 4 mm. long (figs. 2, 3). Immature female —tLarval pellicle light to dark brown in color, with well developed legs and antennae. Nymph with three pairs of rudimentary legs, marginal fringe and ceratubae extending cephalad to a point beyond the meso- legs. Nymphal pellicle (figs. 1, 5) heavily chitinized, dark brown in color; body finely perforated in mosaic-like pattern with the exception of a small area on anterior margin; segmentation of abdomen distinctly indicated on dorsum, less distinctly on venter; rostrum nearer to anus than anus is to posterior margin of pygidium; legs in normal position on venter; lobes, marginal fringe and ceratubae as in figures, occasionally with slight variations. Male puparium.—Color white, 1.5 to 2 mm. long, larval pellicle light brown. Adult female —Body enclosed within nymphal pellicle; twice as long as broad, cephalic end as broad or broader than caudal end, broadest across thorax; rudimentary antenna consisting of prominent tubercle bearing 5 conspicuous setae, a seta on the derm in close proximity to tubercle; tentorium well developed, of medium size; ventral surface with two groups of about 50-60 ceratubae caudad and laterad of the tentorium, thorax bearing 3 pairs of conspicuous rudimentary legs, prolegs between anterior spiracles and tentorium, mesolegs about midway between anterior and posterior spiracles, metalegs caudad of posterior spiracles, and nearer to them than are the mesolegs; a group of 4-15 cerores cephalad of anterior spiracles. No cerores associated with posterior spiracles; ventral derm finely marked with irregular bands of tiny scallop-like protrusions on meson between tentorium and pygidium; each of the two abdominal segments anterior to the pygidium bearing near each lateral margin a group of accessory genacerores numbering 4-9, rarely with one of the anterior groups missing or with a few ceratubae associated with the cerores (fig. 4). Pygidium.—Lobes in 2 pairs, heavily chitinized, bluntly pointed and tapering to distal end, one to two pairs of less heavily chitinized lobe-like processes on each laterus; plates slightly longer than median pair of lobes and slender, entirely fringing margin of pygidium and numbering about 70-100, frequently with one or two distinct pectinations, 2 pairs of plates between median pair of lobes and two or three between median pair and second pair of lobes; a long seta associated with each median lobe on dorsal surface, 5 pairs of well developed PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 37 marginal setae on ventral surface; genacerores in crescentic formation, number- ing 14-20 (19-34), 12-18, with 3-3 or rarely 2-0 a short distance caudolaterad of last group, mesal group sometimes fused with one of the groups on either side, a group of 4-8 accessory genacerores on each side cephalolaterad of the anterior group; ceratubae arranged in a band conforming to margin and numbering about 100; dorsal surface with irregular oblong patches of denser chitin, usually 10 in number, which may or may not be associated with ceratubae; anal aperture surrounded by an area more highly chitinized than the adjacent derm; vulva nearer to caudal margin than is anus (fig. 7). Host.—Pinus pinea. Locality. —Beirut, Syria: April 18, 1923. Types.—In the U. S. National Collection of Coccidae. Two slide mounts from the type material were sent to Mr. E. E. Green, for an opinion regarding the correctness of the interpre- tation of the ventral thoracic spine-like structures as legs. Slide mounts of two larval pellicles, one nymph, five nymphal pellicles and five adult females were examined. This species can be distinguished from L. pini Hartig, ap- parently its nearest relative, by the presence of 3 pairs of rudi- mentary legs in the nymph, nymphal pellicle and adult female, by the presence of 3 pairs of groups of accessory genacerores, by the greater number of plates on the pygidium, by the absence of cerores associated with the posterior spiracles, and by the greater proximity of the rostrum of the nymphal pellicle to the posterior margin of the pygidium. In the nymphal pellicle the distance between the anus and the rostrum ‘is less than the distance between the anus and the posterior margin of the pygidium, while in pimz the distance of the rostrum from the anus is from 2 to 2% times as great as the distance from the anus to the posterior margin. There is also a difference in the number and arrangement of the ceratubae on the pygidium and a difference in the pygidial and lateral fringe. Some of the distinctive characteristics of knemton and the following species of Leucaspis which occur on Pinus are indicated in the chart. Types were not available for study in making these comparisons and all of the data concerning the species that are marked with a star were taken from published descrip- tions and figures of these species. EXPLANATION OF Plate I. Leucaspis knemion, new species. Pellicle of nymph, 21. Dorsal aspect of puparium. Ventral aspect of puparium Adult female, X 48. Pygidium of nymphal pellicle, & 96. Mesothoracic leg of adult female, * 424. Fig. Fig. Fig. Won — Fig. Fig. Fig. nn Sh a Fig. 7. Pygidium of adult female, X 184: D. Dorsal aspect. V. Ventral aspect. 38 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB, 1925 ComparaTIvE CHART SHOWING CHARACTERS SPECIES GENA- ACCESSORY LOBES CERORES GENACERORES knemion 14-20 3 paired groups: 4-8 on pygidium, 4-9 2 pairs 19-34 on each of the 2 segments immediately | and 1-2 (12-18) + anterior to pygidium pairs of = lobelets pini 11-13 2 paired groups of 2-4 on the 2 segments | 3 pairs Hartig 15=1 immediately anteriot to pygidium and 1 10-12 pair of lobelets pusilla 9 0 1 pair and Loew 10-11 1 pair of 10-6 lobelets perezt single 0) 3 pairs Green* arch of narrow 30-45 signoreti 18 9 3 pairs Dares 21-22 - short 24-25 6 on the 2 segments immediately ante- —— rior to pygidium, 11 20-17 - 10-9 3 on third segment anterior to pygidium india- 0 0) orientalis Lindg.* loewi 16 0 3 pairs Colvée 14-10 and 2 13-15 pairs of lobe-like protru- sions PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 2, FEB., 1925 39 or Leucaspts SpecIES ON Pinus. ANTERIOR | POSTERIOR ROSTRUM OF PLATES SPIRA- SPIRA- | LEGS NYMPHAL CERORES | CERORES PELLICLE 70-100 slightly longer 4-15 0 3 slightly nearer to anus than lobes pairs | than anus is to poste- rudi- | rior margin men- tary about 42 much longer 9-11 2-3 0 twice as far from anus than lobes as anus is from poste- rior margin occasionally fused, at 5-6 0 0 twice as far from anus least twice as long as as anus is from poste- lobes rior margin 26-32 twice as long as 5-6 just below center of lobes body 62 much longer than lobes 0 0 0 PLATE 1 PROC. ENT. SOC WASH., VOL. 27 HOKE—A DIASPINE WITH LEGS. Actual date of publication, March 14, 1925. EDITORIAL. At this time when nearly everybody is minding everybody else’s business, one hesitates to propose a new regulation. It is apt to be too joyfully accepted, and some one is all too apt to expand the proposition. Nevertheless we do feel that the rules governing species making should be emended, enlarged and- stiffened. New names are becoming almost as common as automobiles. The highway of Science is congested with them, and they go pretty much as they please. The entomological pedestrian, unprotected by adequate “‘ traffic regulations,” is at the mercy of any joy rider who has ink and impudence enough to take the road and feels like stepping on the gas. Under the present codes any ignoramus can write a few words about an insect, propose a new name—almost any kind of a new name— for it, print his verbiage in any old way so long as he offers the product ‘ ‘for sale’’ ; and Entomology must take the burden of his “new species,” the honest systematist worry with his unusable name. Such work is positively harmful. It should be outlawed, and the resultant name promptly nullified. Can they be? Not under present conditions. The ‘“‘author” is within the law. Well, let us emend the law. To this end we offer (humbly and not without some misgiv- ings) the following suggestions to our zoological legislators: ie hat certain collections and kinds of collections be specifically designated as “type depositories”; and that no name be counted validated until the type has been deposited in one of said depositonies. That no description be recognized unless certain facts regarding the insect are definitely stated (the number and nature of these facts to be determined in each Order, Class, etc., by a commission of competent systematists interested in said Order, Class, etc.) 3. That legitimate organs of publication and what constitutes publication be more exactly defined; and that no private publi- cation be accepted unless it receive the imprimatur of the Zoological Commission. These are suggestions, submitted for what they are worth in the hope that ‘they may provoke discussion and serious con- sideration of the problem. We realize the danger, the possible abuse of authority, that lurks in any measure of regulation. We are jealous of the freedom of Science. But freedom, we know, can only exist undirected where men are few and their selfishnesses do not conflict. For those who live apart and respect the rights of others, anarchy is the ideal state. For those who don’t, the best rule is a club, preferably a spiked one. The entomological highway is becoming crowded and, unless we are to have “confusion worse confounded,” we shall have to lay down stricter rules of the road. —Carl Heinrich. NOTES AND NEWS ITEMS. Anatomy and Physiology of the Honeybee, R. E. Snodgrass, 1925, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., pp. i—xv, [—327, figs. Z-108, $3.50.—Some time ago when we learned that Mr. Snod- grass was preparing a new book on the anatomy of the honeybee we heralded the announcement with pleasure. The work pub- lished by the same author in 1910 had proven so valuable for reference that we felt assured that the new book would be equally useful. Nevertheless the appearance of this new pub- lication gave us many pleasant surprises for here we have not only the old work brought up to date but in addition an exten- sive discussion of the physiology as well. To call this book the anatomy and physiology of the honeybee speaks only part of the truth. It is much more. To satisfactorily present the honeybee to the public the author has advisedly gone back of the honeybee to simpler forms to give a proper background for the understanding of the bee itself. In doing this he ha: made more really a text on insect anatomy and physiology with the honeybee as a type. For this reason if no other this book promises to be of great value to the entomologist. During recent years much work has been done on the anatomy and phy siology of insects which has not been fully utilized by authors of texts dealing with insects. Most of this work has been scattered through many ebhee one and some of it was so technical that considerable study was required before it could be applied to any particular problem. When these papers had either directly or indirectly any bearing on the honeybee Snodgrass has carefully summarized them and made available to the: student much very valuable information. Thus the chapter on ‘“The Muscles,” the chapter on “The Fat Body” and the chapters dealing with development and metamorphosis present in a clear, concise manner phases of a subject not always satisfactorily treated by other authors of general texts. Alto- gether the book should prove to be a w onderful source of infor- mation to students of all insects and those who examine the title and pass it by will miss an opportunity to secure valuable aid on many of their problems. The style of the author 1s so simple and direct that reading the book is a pleasure. The printing and make up are all that can be wished and the author and publishers are to be congratulated for the almost complete freedom from ty pographical errors. —S. A. Rohwer. & VOL. 27 MARCH, 1925 No. 3 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTONZ:: \7 CONTENTS ss BARBER, H. S.—TWO NEW SPECIES OF CENTRAL AMERICAN MELASIDAE (COLEOPTERA) BUSCK, A.—A NEW NORTH AMERICAN GENUS OF MICROLEPIDOPTERA (GLYPHIPTERYGIDAE) -BUSCK, A.—ON THE GENUS SETIOSTOMA ZELLER (LEPIDOPTERA? STENO- MIDAE) : CAUDELL, A. N.—A NEW SPECIES OF MYRMECOPHILOUS THYSANURA FROM BOLIVIA CURRAN, C. HOWARD.—REVISION OF THE GENUS NEOASCIA (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE) SCHWARZ, E. A, AND MANN, W. M.—COLONEL THOMAS LINCOLN CASEY . PusiisHeED MontHiy Except Jury, Aucust AND SEPTEMBER . BY THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM WASHINGTON, D.C. 62 46 48 43 Entered as second-class matter March 10, 1919, at the.Post Office at Washington, D. C., under Act of August 24, 1912. Accepted for mailing at the special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized July 3, 1918. ou : RY 4% TG py a} A yaen® ie Po THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON OrcanizeD Marcu 12, 1884. . The regular meetings of the Society are held on the first Thursday of each month, from October to June, inclusive, at 8 p. M. Annual dues for members are $3.00; initiation fee $1.00. Members are entitled to the ProceEpDINGs and any manuscript submitted by them is given precedence over any submitted by non-members. OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1925. WL OUOTATVOETCSIGEUE — 2298 oh ha)! com ag og en et en enue E. A. SCHWARZ IPE CSIGETI MET te IS get once eee ce eee oe tet as Je a URe AS CUSEIVIAN LTA? WR o I COST Sha 6 es pO 2 Bee Se oe cee do IM YVANILIDIRUKCIsI Sanna WERGIOOR A 5 & 28 Bb 8c 45 6 So oo oe 6 J. Ay HYSLOR IRECOTAINOMSECTCLATY ia) eee BS ke ae ey eres Sarg! Coa HT Garresponding Secretary —UTeasurer. 5 =) 2) ls se S. A. ROHWER U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. EATLOT AMS Wonkeee, eauce Gea, hs boone ee: tea « s CARLAABINRICH U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. Executive Committee: THe Orricers and A. N. Caupe.i, W. R. Wa ron, Je Es Gra. Representing the Society as a Vice-President of the Washington Academy of SGlemcee mar ee nn Pe soe we oe ao ae < vjoun 2 AG ROVING PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. Published monthly, except July, August and September, by the Society at Washington, D. C. Terms of subscription: Domestic, $4.00 per annum; foreign, $4.25 per annum; recent single numbers, 50 cents, foreign postage extra. All subscriptions are payable in advance. Remittances should be made payable to the Entomological Society of Washington. An author of a leading article in the Proceepines will be given 10 copies of the number in which his article appears. Reprints without covers will be fur- nished at the following rates, provided a statement of the number desired accompanies the manuscript: 4 pp. 8 pp. 12 pp. 16 pp. 50 copies 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 100 copies 225 4.50 6.75 9.00 Certain charges are made for illustrations and there are available rules and suggestions governing the make-up of articles. Immediate publication in any number may be obtained at the author’s expense. All manuscripts should be sent to the Editor. A 2 « = PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27 COLONEL THOMAS LINCOLN CASEY. PROCEEDINGS OF THE E,NTOMOLOGICAL Society oF WASHINGTON VOR: 27 MARCH 1925 No. 3 In Memoriam RR ce The following resolution was adopted by The Entomological Society of Washington February 5, 1925. With the death of Col. Thos. L. Casey the Entomological Society of Washington has lost one of its oldest and best known members, a genial companion, a profound student and the author of an extensive and important series of works on the beetles of America, printed chiefly at his own expense and dis- tributed with rare generosity to other students. The Society feels its loss and wishes by this resolution to express its sincere sympathy for the bereaved family. 42 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 COLONEL THOMAS LINCOLN CASEY. By E. A. Scpowarz anp W. M. Mann. Thomas Lincoln Casey was born at West Point, New York, February 19, 1857. His early education was obtained in private schools, after which he studied at the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale in 1874-75 and then entered West Point, from which he graduated in 1879. He received his commission in the Engineer Corps of the Army and remained there, passing through various grades to Colonel, until 1912, when he retired. In 1882, as a young Lieutenant, he was a member of the Astronomical Expedition to study the transit of Venus, and visited the Cape of Good Hope. At different times field work in engineering, studies of river and harbor improvements and duties connected with the Light House Board, of which he was Chairman, took him to various parts of the States. To Colonel Casey, the classification and description of adult beetles was a diversion, but not his only hobby, for Conchology took up a considerable part of his time and he made notable collections of fossil shells of the Lower Mississippi and published on the family Pleurotomidae. From his pen came also papers on Astronomy as well as on military engineering and other subjects connected with his official work. His engineering instincts and training are shown in the exactness of his systematic writings and in the exquisitely pre- pared specimens of his collection, as well as in his method of work. For years before his retirement but two hours each afternoon could be devoted to systematic work on insects. This time he spent with mathematical regularity in the “beetle room” at his apartment, with specimens, note pad and binocu- lar microscope in front of him; and it is from these leisure hours that we have the greater part of his studies on the Coleoptera. The first entomological work of Colonel Casey was published in 1884 when a few short notes on beetles were printed in the ‘Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society, followed the same year by five other papers, one of them a monograph on the American Cucujidae and another an extensive study of the sub- family Stenini. From then on he was one of the most prolific writers on Coleoptera. Up to 1910 he had published about 50 papers, some of them monographic in scope, and treating com- plicated and often neglected families. In 1910 appeared the first volume of his notable series “Memoirs on the Coleoptera,” which was completed with Volume II in 1924. In these volumes he departed from his earlier field and included descriptions of Central and South American species. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 43 These papers were published and distributed privately. The Colonel had usually defrayed the cost of publication of his papers when published in other journals. In the distribution of the separates, he showed an intelligent generosity. In addition to his mailing list he dispatched bundles of separates to different entomological centers with instructions that copies be given to deserving students. Colonel Casey died February 3, 1925. With him passed one of the most prominent of a generation of amateurs, a small group of earnest Coleopterists to whose industry we owe much of the present accepted classification of American beetles. He was buried at the National Cemetery at Arlington, Va., with military honors. At the wish of his wife, Laura Welsh Casey, the microscope that had become so much a part of the Colonel’s life was placed in his casket. With the advancement of science always in mind, he be- queathed his entire estate to scientific societies and his collec- tions and exceptionally complete library to the United States National Museum. Colonel Casey was a charter member of the Entomological Society of Washington, and the records show that he was one of six members present at the second meeting, which took place on October 2, 1884, when he presented one of the three papers of the evening. A NEW SPECIES OF MYRMECOPHILOUS THYSANURA FROM BOLIVIA. By A: N. Caupett, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. Atelura manni, new species. The insect described and figured below apparently belongs to the lepismid genus A4te/ura of Hayden and, like many of its allies, is interesting by having the scales of the body replaced for the most part by hairs or bristles. Escherich, Zoologica, Heft 43, 1905, has monographed the Lepismidae and given a key to the species of 4telura. So far as listed by the Zoological Record, which has been consulted as far as yet issued, the last volume seen being that for the year 1922, no species of this genus has been described which is at all liable to confusion with the one here characterized. Since the monograph of Escherich nine species of Atelura have been described from the Old World, while only five New World forms have been described. The New World species include four termitophilous species from British Guiana described by Folsom and a Mexican form described by Silvestri under the synonymic genus Grassiella. As the present species from Bolivia apparently differs materially in various respects from all described forms it is here described as new under the specific name manni, being dedicated to its collector, Dr. Wm. Mann. 44 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 | 2 s} ral “= D labial Pal US terminal seqment Posterior tibia and Cette Situs == VCore ell Sac Sal par Shiaictem Fig. 1. Details of Atelura manni. Description.—(Male, female unknown). Moderately large for the genus and the general color reddish-brown, lighter beneath and with the tip of abdomen with its appendages yellowish. Head crushed in capture but showing the following features: Antenna incomplete, the remaining segments beyond the simple first and second closely connate and each with a couple of rings, making the whole appear as if formed of numerous very short segments; eyes absent; mandibles but moderately chitinized, and furnished with three sharp teeth on one-half of the apical margin, the other half irregular, as shown in the accom- panying figure; both pairs of palpi with the terminal segments four or five times as long as thick, being more elongate than ordinarily the case in these insects. Thorax broad, dorsally strongly convex, slightly longer than the abdomen, posteriorly broadening and with the surface almost bare as seen under even the highest power of the binocular (85), a few hairs only seen along the mar- gins; the pronotum is about a third longer than either of the other thoracic segments, which are subequal in length. Abdomen short and broad, anteriorly as broad as the posterior width of the metanotum but rapidly tapering pos- teriorly; its dorsal surface strongly convex and bearing a few fine hairs and with numerous long stiff hairs or bristles, which are directed posteriorly, along the lateral margins; without scales so far as discernible with the binocular; there are nine dorsal and eight ventral segments visible; the cerci and caudal filament are imperfect, having the tips broken off, the remaining portions cov- ered with stiff, posteriorly directed hairs; cerci apparently about as long as PROC. ENT, SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 45 the mesonotum and distinctly segmented; the parameres very light in color, and triangular in shape, the bases slightly separated, the outer margins curved and the inner margins oblique, as shown in the figure; the seventh, eighth and ninth ventral segments each bearing a pair of lateral styles which are hairy and directed posteriorly, those of the ninth slightly longer than the others, being a little more than one-half as long as the cerci; near the inner margin of the base of each style on the seventh segment is a short ventral sac, whitish in color and about as long as broad, the length no more than the width of the adjacent style. Legs with broad coxae as characteristic of these insects. Measurements.—Length, total to tip of abdomen, about 4.5 mm.; thorax, 2 mm.; pronotum, 1 mm.; abdomen, exclusive of appendages, 1.5 mm.; width, across metanotum, 2.5 mm. Ty pe-locality.—Cachuela Esperanza, Beni, Bolivia. Described from a single dried specimen, the male type, col- lected in March, 1922, near the center of a marching colony of the army ant, Eciton vagans Ol. by W. M. Mann, entomologist with the Mulford Expedition to South America. Type.—Gat. No. 27885, U.S. N.M. Eliminating from section 6 in Escherich’s key the character of being termitophilous this species runs to category 10. It differs very decidedly, however, from both species (termitobia and synotketa) which run out at category 10, by being much larger than either of them as well as by being myrmecophilous instead of termitophilous. The partial absence of antennae makes it impossible to decide under which alternate of category 10 it would go. From the species described by Folsom from British Guiana this form seems unquestionably distinct, being decidedly larger in size, found associated with ants instead of termites and by various morphological characters. The nakedness of this species may be due to excessive rubbing during capture, but careful examination tails to show traces of scales. This absence of scales, if real rather than apparent, would prohibit this species being referred to 4te/ura as treated by Escherich, who described that genus as composed of species with the body covered by scales. 4. manni can not be relegated to any other described genus known to the author and if it does not belong to 4fe/ura it must represent a new genus. It is thought best to refer it to Ate/ura, at least for the present, especially as some of the species of that genus appear to have the scale covering of the body very inconspicuous. 46 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 A NEW NORTH AMERICAN GENUS OF MICROLEPIDOPTERA (GLYPHIPTERYGIDAE). By Avucust Busck, U.S. Bureau of Entomology. Ellabella, new genus. (Plate 3.) Antennae simple, 2/3, very shortly ciliate in the male. Tongue well devel- oped, spiraled, scaled at base. Labial palpi long, straight, nearly smooth, porrected; second joint long, slightly thickened with scales, loosely applied above; terminal joint short, blunt. Face smooth; head with loosely applied scaling; thorax with posterior scaletuft. Forewings elongate ovate; apex pointed; with raised scaletufts; 12 veins; all separate; 1b furcate at base; Ic present, strong throughout; 2 from outer fourth of cell; 3, 4 and 5 equidistant, from end of cell; 7 to termen. Hindwings slightly broader than forewings; without pecten at the base of the cell; costa straight; termen’ and dorsum evenly rounded; 8 veins; 3 and 4 connate; 5 nearest 6; 6 and 7 parallel; 8 free. Pos- terior tibiae smooth. Male genitalia (Fig. 1) with well developed uncus, bluntly pointed; gnathos strongly armored with numerous stout spines; tran- stilla narrow bandlike (in the figure the central part of the transtilla is obscured by the spined part of the gnathos); socii absent; harpes simple with a costal and a dorsal fold; vinculum narrow; anellus with two lateral strongly chitinized processes and two hairy palpifers; oedeagus long, stout, pointed; penis without cornuti. Female genitalia (Fig. 2) with the lobes of the ovipositor small, nar- row and curved so as together to form a tube, open in front; genital plate large, triangular, well chitinized and placed in the intersegmental skin well behind and quite separate from the genital opening (a very unusual character); genital opening large and funnelsaped; ductus bursae rather short and wide, slightly chitinized below the genital opening; bursa copulatrix with large spined signum, the edges of which are not strongly defined against the surrounding granulated part of the bursa. Type.—Ellabella editha Busck. The genus is nearest to and probably correlated with Lotisma Busck, which has nearly the same venation as this genus, difter- ing mainly in having veins 3 and 4 of hindwing stalked, instead of connate; the genitalia, however, present several important differences, which definitely separate the two genera. In Lotisma the gnathos is absent, the transtilla is divided and reduced to spined processes from the harps; the harps are highly developed with strongly chitinized claw-like process on the dorsal fold. All of these characters show a considerable advance over Ellabella and together with the more advanced venational character indicate possibly a derivation from, rather than a cor- relation with that genus. The genus A4raeolepia Walsingham, which also belongs in this immediate group, but which has veins 3 and 4 of the hindwing widely separate, approaches Lofisma in the divided transtilla and the armed harps, but has retained the gnathos as has a PLATE J PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH.. VOL. 27 OF iS] y $ S G 3 Ellabella BUSCK—-NEW NORTH AMERICAN GENUS. 48 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 Ellabella and is at once differentiated from both by the very different hoodlike, broad uncus and the pointed vinculum. Ellabella editha, new species. Labial palpi and face mouse-gray, speckled with white. Vertex ochreous white. Thorax ochreous brown with a broad transverse fascia of white; pos- terior tuft dark brown. Forewings whitish overlaid with ochreous, brown and black scales and with three illdefined transverse lines of black, forming strong tufts of raised black scales on the cell; the outer one is surrounded by a dark circular line and gives the impression of an indistinct eyespot, especially in slightly rubbed specimens; outer third of the wing slightly overlaid with light brown and irregularly dusted with black scales; a series of blackish spots, inter- vened by gray, along costal edge from basal fourth to apex and a much less pronounced series of dark spots along the terminal edge; cilia mouse-gray. Hindwing light brownish fuscous with lighter cilia. Abdomen ochreous fus- cous. Legs and underside ochreous. Alar expanse.—19-22 mm. The females average larger than males. Habitat—Quamican Lake, Vancouver Isl., Saanickten, British Columbia. E. H. Blackmore, Coll. Waterton Lakes, Alberta, Canada. McDunnough, Coll. Type.—Cat. No. 28055 U.S. N. M. Paratypes —U.S.N. Mus.; Coll. Blackmore; Can. Nat. Coll. The drawings were made from slides, prepared by the writer, and under his supervision, by Mr. Harry Bradford of the U. S. Bureau of Entomology. ExFLANATION OF PLATE 3. Fig. 1. Male genitalia of El/abella editha Busck. Fig. 2. Scaletufts in pockets on underside of abdomen in intersegmental skin between seventh and eighth segment. Fig. 3. Scaletufts in depression on underside of abdomen on first to third seg- ment. Fig. 4. Female genitalia of El/abella editha Busck. ON THE GENUS SETIOSTOMA ZELLER (LEPIDOPTERA: - STENOMIDAE). By Aucust Busckx, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. (Plate 4.) In a paper dealing with other forms (Can. Ent., vol. 53, p. 279, 1921) the writer incidentally pointed out that a study of the genitalia proves the genus Setiostoma Zeller to belong in the family Stenomidae and not in the G/yphipterygidae as had hitherto been supposed. At the time, no drawing of the genitalia was available, but I am now able to present the evidence by figures of the type of the genus, Setiostoma xanthobasis Zeller (Fig. 1), which clearly demonstrates the family relations of the genus. For compari- son the genitalia of a typical Stenomid, Stexoma querciella Busck is given (Fig. 2). PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 49 I am indebted to Mr. Harry Bradford of the Bureau of Entomology for the excellent drawings, made from my slides. The genus Setiostoma has the following characters: Antennae 34, in the female shortly pubescent, in the male with very long, 5-6, soft ciliation on the underside, a striking character, not mentioned, strangely enough, by either Zeller or Riley; no pecten on basal joint. Labial palpi up- turned, reaching above vertex, slightly thickened with rough scaling, terminal joint nearly as long as second, somewhat flattened, pointed. Face, head and thorax smooth-scaled. Forewings with costa and dorsum parallel, apex bluntly pointed, termen straight, oblique; 12 veins, all separate, 2 from middle of cell, 3 from outer fourth of cell, 4 from end of cell, 7 to costa or apex, 1b furcate at base, lc traceable in the entire length, but tubular only on outer fifth. Hind- wings broader than forewings, costa straight, apex blunt, termen and dorsum evenly rounded, semicircular; 8 veins; 3 and 4 stalked, 6 and 7 stalked, 5 nearest 4. Posterior tibiae smooth, except for small tufts between the spurs. Male genitalia with uncus pointed; gnathos a simple band; socii absent; transtilla absent; harpes simple with sixlobed, palmate hairs on outer part of costa; vinculum narrow, incomplete in front, anellus with two upright flattened pro- cesses; oedeagus very large with pointed apex; cornuti a large cluster of small spines apparently cemented together to form one whole and one (or more) large single spines (the genotype has one such single spine, while Setiostoma fernaldella Riley has six). Setiostoma is a tropical American genus with a single species, the genotype, occurring in temperate North America. The larvae of S. xanthobasis, Zeller, feeds between leaves of oak, spun together with silk. In the latitude of Washington the larvae are found in May and in July, the pupation takes place between the leaves in a small silken cocoon and the moths appear in June and in August; there is presumably a third generation with overwintering larvae or pupae. The larva is a very brilliantly colored caterpillar with pale green groundcolor; head, thoracic shield and anal plate yellowis! brown; second and third thoracic segments vivid crimson; first abdominal segment whitish, un- marked; the rest of the abdominal segments marked with series of wine-red blotches around the setal tubercles, which are large and deep red, except the dorsal series around setae 1 and 2, which are shiny yellowish brown. Setal arrangement gele- chioid. Prolegs with uniordinal hooks in a single circlet, broken inwardly. me tropical species of the genus, as far as known, feed on icus. EXPLANATION OF PLATE 4. Fig. 1. Male genitalia of Setiostoma xanthobasts Zeller. Fig. 2. Palmate hairs on harpes (greatly enlarged). Fig. 3. Male genitalia of Stenoma querciella Busck. Fig. 4. Oedeagus and anellus (side view). PLATE 4 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH.. VOL. 27 /| f UW Sehastoma xonthobasis BUSCK—STENOMIDAE. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 51 REVISION OF THE GENUS NEOASCIA WILLISTON (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE).! By C. Howarp Curran, Of/fawa, Ontario. Meigen established the genus 4scia in 1822, and this name had been used without question by succeeding authors until 1886, when Williston changed the name to Neoascia because of the previous use of the name A4scia by Scopoli for a group of Lepi- doptera. Apparently Scopoli’s use of the name has never been accepted and consequently the use of Ascia for this group of Syrphidae has prevailed elsewhere than in North America until quite recently. The genus comprises the smallest species of Syrphidae and 1s characterized by a constricted abdomen, arista shorter than the antennae, eyes separated in both sexes; apical crossvein more or less rectangular and joining the third vein well before the wing tip. All the known species are closely allied; in almost all the epistoma is produced, the lower sides of the front is pale haired in the «; the hind femora are incrassate, black, almost always yellow at the base, with rather conspicuous spinules below, the hind tibiae somewhat arcuate. The term, “occipital cilia,” is used to denote the longer hairs on the occiput above. The apical crossvein is the vein closing the first posterior cell, which I have termed the “‘apical cell.” TABLE OF SPECIES. Males. 1. Bront four legs wholly pale yellow... albipes ae At least the front femora or tibiae with a strong black or brown band__2. i) . Fifth sternite not over half as long as wide; third tergite with a rather narrow, interrupted or entire yellowish basal fascia; genitalia large, SOMEWI At tel O DOSE wee eee ee tee ee Sphaerophoria n. sp. Fifth sternite at least three- fourths as long as wide, genitalia of normal STZ ee ee oe eae ee ters ee ee eee Lee ae ee go 3. Abdomen with two yallow fASCIACIOL OUTS OLS ee ae ee 4, Abdomen either immaculate or with only one band or two spots...........*5. 4. Front femora with the basal fourth or more yellowish; second abdominal fascia usually internupteds 2 eee _...globosa Walker. Front femora black quite to their base or only very narrowly yellow; second abdominal fascia never interrupted... metallica Williston. 5. Abdomen immaculate. nh tn eee ee ee 6. Abdomen with yellow So aonee BPS es nn ct EE a a hp 6. Small species, the pile of the mesonotum yellow or even Shien eolor blue-black or steel blue bah a } 10. 1Contribution from the Division of Systematic Entomology, Entomological Branch, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Canada. 52 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 Larger, 5 mm. or more, the pile of the mesonotum tawny; the distance between the anterior ocellus and base of the antennae is much greater than: the, widthvofethes front... 25 4 545 =e ee distincta Williston. 7. Front four tibiae wholly yellow or with a faint reddish band, third an- tennal joint twice as long as wide, facial pubescence silvery... distincta Williston. Front four tibiae with blackish bands on apical half. Third antennal joint not over one and one-half times as long as broad; facial pubes- cence with syellowish’ tinge: 25 = Se set ee eee eee 8. 8. Posterior femora unusually swollen, one-third as wide as long... macrofemoralis, n. sp. Posterior femora normal in size, not one-fourth as wide as long... 9: 9. Third antennal joint scarcely longer than broad, its apex subtruncate; second and third joints of hind tarsi whitish yellow._unifasciata, n. sp. Third antennal joint almost one and one-half times as long as wide, its apex almost evenly rounded, hind tarsi wholly blackish. conica n. sp. 10. Occiput black pilose above; front bluish-black with steel blue reflections, the distance between the anterior ocellus and base of the antennae is lesstthantthe widthrot the front.) = se subchalybea, n. sp. Occiput pale pilose above the cilia sometimes black; front greenish black; the distance tetween the anterior ocellus and base of the antennae is much greater than the width of the front. minuta, n. sp. ‘Females. ieeAntenor foun legs alllsyellows ees = 2 See eee albipes Bigot. Anterior femora or tibiae with brown or black band De I Abdomentawithouts yellowamankings=s 228 = 2. ale sees ease ee 2 es 3a Abdomen with yellow spots or bands (sometimes small)... 6. 3. Front tibiae wholly yellow; face scarcely produced._distincta Williston. Front tibiae annulate with black or brown; epistoma moderately or Séronglysproduced yg. es oe eee Sock 2 te See ene oe ee ee es 4, 4. Face oblique, evenly produced to tip of epistoma sphaerophoria, n. sp. Face perpendicular or almost so above, the lower part conspicuously JOLECOTONU(C\=(0 aN SNe HAAR as eb aN en Ee a PRP <_< avec: MEN Ws Ree MeN ee re. Fee Js 5. Front almost as wide as long; the lower part of the face very Cerennle produced. abdomen bronze-blackes = see = eee conica, n. sp. Front distinctly longer than wide, abdomen greenish black, smaller RPEYSDE CIES: eee coe ERE ots a RR ee minuta, Nn. Sp. 6. Only the second abdominal segment with a pair of yellow spots... metallica Williston. Either with four pairs of spots or two bands or only the third segment maculate: 2 oy ake 4 Re Dee eee eres ie oe en eg ee is 7. Second and third segments each with a pair of spots or bands... 10. Only: the third segment witha painiol spotc. cee Se 8. 8. Front tibiae entirely yellow, hind femora of normal size__distincta Williston. Front tibiae with black band, hind femora unusually swollen. 9. OmWacerobliqnesiscatcelys Concave === =e amen as Sphaerophoria, n. sp. Face distinctly, though not strongly concave................ macrofemoralis, n. sp. 10. Front femora yellow on basal fourth or more; face evenly greyish white PRU OSE = 3e eee eS lB ee eee ee globosa Walker. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 53 Front femora with less than the basal fourth yellow, usually black to the base; face usually shining black towards the sides....metallica Williston. Neoascia subchalybea, new species. Front blue-black, wider than one eye; face deeply concave, almost flat on upper fourth, very strongly produced; antennae wholly black; legs much darker than usual. Length, 5 mm. Male: Face blue-black, moderately whitish pollinose, the white pile conspicuous, in profile almost flat on upper fourth and level with the eyes, thence obliquely produced to the lower fourth, thence much more strongly produced to apex, this lower portion being almost parallel with the oral margin below, the lower margin slightly oblique. Front slightly over one-third as wide as the head, blue black, with blackish pile, wholly gently convex, a small, longitudinal median depression. Occiput blue-black, black pilose on upper half, white below. Antennae wholly blackish brown, third joint oval, one and one-half as long as wide, rather flattened above; arista about as long as third joint, thickened on basal half. Thorax blue-black, the pleura polished black below; pile of moderate length, whitish. Coxae blue-black, the front ones more brownish. Femora black, the front four very narrowly, obscurely reddish at base, their apices reddish, hind ones with the basal sixth reddish; trochanters mostly brownish. ‘Tibiae blackish, only the narrow bases and very narrow apices reddish. Tarsi brownish yel- low. Posterior femora six times as long as wide. . Wings cinereous hyaline; stigma luteous; discal crossvein very slightly oblique, slightly sinuous; apical crossvein oblique and slightly curved outwardly, its junction with the fourth vein angularly rounded. Abdomen wholly steel blue, its disc scarcely darker, its pile wholly whitish. Holotype.— #, Montreal, Quebec, May 20, 1906. No. 619 in Canadian National Collection. Quite distinct from any other species on account of the wide front, black pilose occiput, small size and bluish color. The wide front at once distinguishes it from mznuta which has a narrow front and yellow haired occiput. Neoascia minuta, new species. Small, wholly dark species, the abdomen bluish with polished, greenish blue terminal segment, face almost evenly concave but less strongly so above. Length, 4 to 5 mm. Male: Face black, densely greyish yellow pollinose, its whitish pile conspicuous; in profile almost evenly concave, less strongly so above, the oral margin as prominent as the apex of the second antennal joint; face sometimes more flattened on upper two-thirds and the oral margin less prominent. Front about one-fifth the width of the head, one and one-half times as long as wide, bluish but with a brassy reflection in middle; pile black, yellow on lower third. Occiput greenish or bluish-black, with yellowish pile, which becomes white below, the occipital cilia black or largely yellow. An- tennae black, third joint reddish on lower basal half; arista brown, thickened 54 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 on basal fourth, about as long as third joint; third antennal joint elongate oval, one and one-half times as long as wide. Thorax greenish black, the lower half of the pleura blue-black; pile short, yellowish. Coxae black, the front ones more brownish. Front four femora black, their apices broadly yellow, their bases’very narrowly obscurely so; hind femora greenish black with the basal sixth or less, and narrow apex, reddish. Tibiae yellow on basal two-fifths and apex. Tarsi yellow, posterior basitarsi, and last two joints of hind tarsi, black; anterior basitarsi, last two segments of front four tarsi and middle two of hind tarsi reddish brown. Posterior femora about four and one-half times longer than wide, widest at middle. Wings slightly tinged with brownish; stigma luteous; discal crossvein rectangular or nearly so; apical crossvein recurrent, slightly curved, its junction with the fourth vein sharply rounded. Abdomen blue-black, its margins and last segment metallic greenish black. Pile yellowish; a narrow apical incomplete fascia of black pile on second and third segments. Female: Front one-fourth the width of the head; occipital cilia yellow; face slightly variable in profile, more flattened on upper three-fourths than in the type o’ and more like the paratype. Legs more evidently paler, the femora all narrowly pale. Posterior femora slightly narrower. Holotype and allotype— @, 9, “Colorado,” No. 28169 in Ws. N. Ne Paratypes.— 3, 2;same data, No. 621 in Canadian National Collection, Ottawa. One paratype in U. S. N. M. The small size of this species renders it conspicuous. While occasional specimens of other species may be as small, their specific characters, coloration, etc., will readily distinguish them. The specimens were included with N. distincta Williston in the National Museum collection but that species has wholly yellow front tibiae. Neoascia distineta Williston. Neoascia distincta Williston, Syn., p. 112, 1886. Female wholly black, rarely with an interrupted reddish fascia on the third segment; co’ always with a reddish fascia; terminal abdominal segments metai- lic; front and middle tibiae wholly yellow. Length, 4 to 5.5 mm. Male: Head black; face densely silvery white prui- nose, entirely obscuring the ground color; in profile perpendicular on the upper two-thirds, thence produced to the tip of the oral margin which is about as prominent as the apex of the first antennal joint; hairs about the oral opening very indistinct. Front below with a few transverse striae and just above these numerous longitudinal, less distinct ones, the middle more or less brassy. Pile yellowish on lower half, black above. Occiput greenish black, lightly dusted; pile pale yellowish. Antennae brown, third joint reddish below on basal half, slightly over twice as long as wide, its apex obtusely rounded, inclined to be truncate above; arista brownish, thickened on basal third, as long as third joint. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 55 Thorax blackish green, pale yellow pilose; pleura lightly whitish pruinose on upper half, and with whitish pile. Coxae black, their tips, trochanters, base of hind femora, broad apices of . the front four and tips of the hind ones and the tibiae and tarsi yellow; femora, hind basitarsi and last segment of hind tarsi black. Hind tibiae with narrow brown ring beyond the middle, the anterior four slightly darker. Wings hyaline, stigma yellow. Discal crossvein rectangular, the apical one a little oblique so that the first posterior cell is slightly longer anteriorly and the crossvein is slightly curved. Abdomen deep bluish-black, the sides bronzed, the last segment metallic greenish with a strong brassy reflection. Third segment with a basal yellow band occupying a little more than half the segment but well separated from the lateral margin. Pile of abdomen pale yellowish, but small apical triangles on the disc of the second and third segments, black. Female: Face and front wider; the former with the pollen not nearly so abun- dant and the hairs about the mouth more distinct. Front slightly bronzed, purplish or greenish, with pale yellow pile except across the ocellar triangle. Abdomen sometimes with the third and following segments slightly purplish bronzed or greenish or with the third segment black except the sides. A female taken on May 5, in company with the others, may belong here: the face is slightly more evenly produced and the third abdominal segment has a basal interrupted reddish yellow fascia. Over 50 specimens from Ontario and Quebec (Curran); 9, Coldstream, Ont., May 25, 1922 (A. A. Wood). I took a series of over fifty specimens of this species at Orillia in 1921 and recognized it as distinct from g/obosa Walker at that time, but identified it as meta/lica Williston. Neoascia unifasciata, new species. Face strongly produced; third abdominal segment in both sexes with an entire or subinterrupted reddish yellow basal fascia; anterior four tibiae with blackish bands; second and third joints of hind tarsi yellow. Length, 4.5 mm. Male: Face densely pale greyish yellow pruinose, with conspicuous hairs along the mouth opening; in profile gradually produced from the upper fourth, so that the anterior oral margin is almost as prominent as the tip of the second joint of the antennae (when porrect), very slightly concave. Front shining black, with a brassy reflection, its pile pale below and at the vertex, black or brown on upper two-thirds; on the middle with a few trans- verse, faint wrinkles, but no longitudinal ones. Occiput thinly greyish pruinose, with white hair below, yellowish above; occipital cilia not black. Antennae black; third joint brown, reddish below, scarcely longer than broad, its end obtusely rounded; arista almost as long as the last two joints combined, brown, with a yellow base. Thorax shining greenish black, the pleura and sides of the dorsum with whitish pollen and pile; the disc of the latter with black pile, bordered by tawny and of a darker, more bronze ground color. 56 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 Coxae black, their apices broadly, trochanters, bases of femora, broad apices of the front four and narrow apices of the hind femora, basal half and apices _of the tibiae, and all the tarsi pale yellow, first and last two joints of the front and hind tarsi and last two of the middle ones, black or brown; basal fourth of hind femora yellow. Wings slightly fuscous; stigma fuscous; posterior angle of first posterior cell rounded, its crossvein rectangular; discal crossvein almost rectangular. Abdomen deep black, the second segment with rather abundant, short, ap- pressed brownish yellow hair, giving a dirty appearance to the segment; fourth segment metallic greenish black. Pile on the base and sides whitish; elsewhere yellowish; third segment with a transverse yellow fascia on the base, occupying slightly over half the length of the segment and not quite reaching the side margins. Female: Face less densely pruinose; front without wrinkles or striae; with the usual transverse depression and a rather conspicuous longitudinal groove above; pile wholly shorter; third antennal joint nearly one and one-half times as long as broad. No black pile on the thorax, that on the disc tawny. Yellow abdominal band subinterrupted by a black projection in the middle posteriorly, and almost or just reaching the lateral margins. Holotype-—— ~, Aweme, Man., August 11, 1917 (N. Criddle), No. 548, in the Canadian National Collection, Ottawa. Allotype.— 2, collected by Mrs. W. W. Hippisley, at Dauphin, Man. This species is closely related to conica but is readily distin- guished by the less concave face, shorter antennae and yellow median segments of the hind tarsi, although this latter character may be variable. The wings are darker and the female of conica has no yellow abdominal fascia. Neoascia conica, new species. Abdomen of male with a yellow fascia on the base of the third segment; of female wholly black; face strongly produced, antennae short; tibiae with black bands. Length, 5.5 mm. Male: Face densely pale yellowish pruinose, somewhat less so below; the pale hairs extending broadly to the lower side margins; in profile concave on upper fourth, thence produced, the production more marked below, so that there is a very evident concavity; the oral tip as prominent as the base of the arista when antennae porrect. Front shining greenish black, the middle brassy; without striae or wrinkles; brown pilose except on the sides below. Occiput very thinly whitish pruinose, its pile yellow, including the occipital cilia. Antennae black; third joint reddish beneath; about one and one-half times as long as wide. Arista black. Thorax shining greenish black, its disc somewhat brassy; pile yellowish; a broad sub-median, abbreviated stripe black, especially noticeable behind the middle; pleura thinly whitish pruinose, with white pile. Tips of the front coxae, all the trochanters and narrow bases of the femora, the hind ones more broadly, apices of the femora, the hind ones narrowly, basal PROC, ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 57 half and apices of the tibiae, middle two joints of the front, basal three of the middle tarsi and under side of median joints of the hind ones yellow; elsewhere black. Wings cinereous hyaline; stigma pale yellow. Apical and discal crossveins rectangular, the posterior angle of the first posterior cell not or scarcely rounded. Abdomen blue black; fourth segment metallic greenish black; basal reddish yellow fascia of the third segment occupying about half the length and dis- tinctly separated from the side margins by a metallic greenish stripe. Pile on base, side margins and most of the fourth segment, whitish; on the disc, blackish, less widely so on the anterior of the second and third segments. Female: Face thinly whitish pruinose, in profile less prominent on the upper portion, the lower portion produced as much as in the male, the concavity therefore much more evident. Front broader and somewhat swollen, the trans- verse depression incomplete, the longitudinal groove broad and deep; pile black across the ocellar triangle, elsewhere whitish; front unicolorous, slightly bronzed. Thorax wholly whitish pilose. Apical crossvein with a slight curve at pos- terior corner of first posterior cell. Abdomen wholly bronze-black, with whitish pile; rather robust. Holotype.— &, Banff, Alta., June 1, 1922 (C. B. D. Garrett), No. 549, in the Canadian National pe Ottawa. Allotype.— 9, Banff, May 29, 1922 (C. B. iby Garrett). This species was possibly included by Williston under his metallica. It is quite distinct from all others, its outstanding characteristic being the remarkably produced face and short third antennal joint. Neoascia sphaerophoria, new species. Male with an interrupted or entire basal reddish fascia on third abdominal segment; female with an obscure fascia; tibiae with black bands; & genitalia very large. Length, 5 to 5.5 mm. Face yellow pruinose, the whitish hairs above the oral margin very distinct and extending to the side margins, in profile strongly produced from the upper fifth, not concave, the tip of the oral margin about as prominent as the apex of the second antennal joint when the antennae are porrect. Front shining black, more or less brassy or bronzed; below with a few transverse wrinkles; brown pilose except on the sides below; occiput thinly yellowish pruinose; yellow pilose. Antennae black; third joint brown; yellow on basal half below; third joint almost twice as long as broad, its apex obtusely rounded, never inclined to an angle above; arista black. Thorax shining greenish black, with tawny pile; that on the disc mostly black; on the pleura more whitish. Coxae with the tips of the front ones, trochanters, bases of hind femora; apices of the front four and sometimes the hind ones narrowly, basal third or less of the tibiae and their apices, first three joints of the middle tarsi and median two of the front ones, more or less yellow or whitish; legs otherwise black. 58 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 Wings cinereous hyaline, stigma pale yellow; apical and discal crossveins rectangular, the posterior angle of the first posterior cell angular or slightly rounded. Abdomen bluish-black, the fourth segment metallic, sometimes bronzed or brassy; the basal reddish yellow fascia on the third segment may be broadly interrupted in the middle or entire and reaches the lateral margin or almost so. Pile rather long, yellowish; on the posterior half of the second, and third and base of the fourth segments, black, but nowhere reaching the sides. Genitalia unusually large. Female: Facial pollen paler, whitish, and much less abundant; front yellow pilose on lower half and at vertex; in the middle with a conspicuous depression. Thorax wholly yellow pilose on the dorsum. The spots on the abdomen are not reddish, but are metallic. Holotype.— &, Banff, Alta., June 15, 1922 (C. B. D. Garrett); No. 547, in the Canadian National Collection, Ottawa. Allotype.— 9, same locality, June 1, 1922. Paratypes —5 ¢#, same locality, May 27th to June 16th, 1922. The large genitalia of the male are quite distinctive. The longer antennae, large posterior femora, two-spotted or immacu- late abdomen, and straight produced face distinguish the female from allied species. Neoascia macrofemoralis, new species. Large species, the face evenly produced to tip of oral margin; posterior femora larger than in most other species; third abdominal segment with an entire basal fascia (o7), a broadly interrupted fascia (@ ). Length, 5.5 to 6 mm. Male: Face brassy black, moderately covered with greyish yellow pollen; in profile almost evenly produced to the tip of the oral margin, narrowly flattened just below the antennae where it is almost on a level with the eyes, lower margin slightly evenly produced downwards. The short, sparse, white facial pile extends down nearly to the oral margin of the slopes. Front nearly twice as long as wide, strongly brassy, the supra-antennal depression large, with a few oblique striae below; pile short, black across the ocelli, elsewhere yellow. Occiput greenish black, with almost white pile. Antennae black, the third joint reddish on basal half below; in outline the third joint oval, one and one-half times as long as wide; arista as long as third joint, thickened on basal half. Mesonotum black, slightly bronzed, with very short whitish pile; pleura black, brassy above, their pile white; scutellum rather brassy, with yellowish pile. Coxae black, the apices of the front four yellow. Front four femora black, their very narrow bases and broad apices reddish yellow; posterior femora with the basal fourth and very narrow apex reddish yellow; tibiae with the basal third or more and the apices, reddish yellow, tarsi yellow, the last two joints and hind basitarsi black; front four basitarsi and median joints of hind tarsi more or less fuscous above. Posterior femora greatly swollen, widest at the middle, about three times as long as wide. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 59 Wings cinereous hyaline, stigma luteous, discal and apical crossveins rectan- gular, very slightly curved. Abdomen deep bluish-black, the sides bluish; the last segment metallic, blackish green; third segment with a reddish fascia which reaches the sides in its full width, and occupies about the basal half of the segment. Pile chiefly whitish; black on apical half of second, and third segments except laterally. Fifth sternite as long as wide, the genitalia normal, rather flat, not swollen. Female: Face distinctly concave, the lower part more strongly produced than in the o; front wider, one and one-fourth as long as wide. Posterior femora smaller than in & but distinctly larger than in most species. The fascia on the third abdominal segment is broadly separated from the side margins and is interrupted in the middle by a distance almost equal to the length of one of the spots; in width the spots occupy about the basal third of the segment. Holoty pe.— &, Popoftt Island, Alaska, July, 1899 (T. Kincaid) ; Harriman Alaska Expedition, No. 28170 in U. S. N. M. Allotype.— 9, same data. Paratype.— 9, same data, No. 620, in the Canadian National Collection, Ottawa. This species is closely related to N. sphaerophoria, but the male is readily distinguished by the small, not swollen genitalia. The female can not be readily separated from sphaerophoria female, but the face is distinctly concave and it is slightly larger. The legs are practically the same in both these species. Neoascia metallica Williston. Ascia metallica Williston, Pr. Phil. Soc. XX, 35, 1882. Ascia nasuta Bigot, An. Ent. Soc. Fr., 327, 1883. Ascia quadrinotata Bigot, |. c. Neoascia globosa var. metallica, Willst. Syn., 112, 1886. Abdomen with two bands or four spots; rarely with only two spots on the second segment; tibiae with black bands, anterior femora black to base or only narrowly yellow basally; face of 9 edly shining. Length, 4.5 to 6 mm. Male: Face thickly pale yellowish pruinose, the whitish hairs above the oral opening extending to the side margins and rather conspicuous; in profile perpendicular on the upper fourth, thence strongly produced, the tip of the oral margin about as prominent as the middle of the second antennal joint when antennae are porrect; the lower portion almost straight but usually very slightly concave. Often the eyes obscure a view of the upper portion of the face from direct lateral view. Rarely the upper half of the face is perpendicular in which case the lower portion is distinctly con- cave. Front shining black, distinctly bronzed; polished in the middle on the lower fourth, above which, on either side are four or five longitudinal striae. Pile black; on the sides below and on the occiput pale yellow or whitish. Occi- put thinly greyish pruinose along the eyes. Antennae black; third joint, red- dish at base below, twice as long as wide, its end evenly obtusely rounded; arista black. 60 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 Thorax metallic greenish black, the lower half of the pleura shining black, the upper half thinly whitish pruinose. Pile yellowish, including the pleura; black on the disc. Legs black; apices of coxae, most of trochanters; anterior femora beneath basally, sometimes the narrow base, bases of middle femora, apices of anterior four femora and rarely the narrow apices of hind ones, almost the basal half of the tibiae and their apices, first four joints of anterior four tarsi and the hind ones beneath, yellowish; last joint of front tarsi, disc of their basitarsi and last two joints of the middle ones, brownish; middle joints of hind tarsi rarely yellowish. Broad bases of hind femora yellowish. Wings cinerous hyaline; stigma yellow. First posterior cell a little rounded postero-apically; the apical crossvein almost rectangular or slightly bulged; discal crossvein almost rectangular. Abdomen deep black; somewhat bluish on the disc; fourth segment greenish black, metallic. Second segment with an entire, broad, orange crossband situated a little behind the middle, its anterior margin arched, but often with a broad median emargination and there may be an emargination on the usually transverse posterior margin. Band on the third segment, occupying over the basal half, its posterior border usually straight, but sometimes emitting an incomplete dash forwards, which may be disconnected leaving a longitudinal ovalspot. The bands do not reach the lateral margin but are broadly separated from it although the posterior one approaches it more behind. Pile yellow; black on posterior of second, third and base of fourth segments, but the black pile does not reach the lateral margins. Female: Face usually perpendicular on the upper two-thirds, thence rather suddenly produced, but sometimes not so abruptly; usually mostly shining black, with a narrow median, thinly pollinose stripe which expands a little below and above, but sometimes chiefly pale yellowish or whitish pollinose with an oval shining area on each side which more often connects with the shining cheeks. Front shining, rather polished black, with a rather deep median longitudinal depression which is broadened a little below the middle. Pile black on upper third or fourth. Pile of thorax shorter. Discal crossvein usually curved outward near its end. Abdomen with the side margins and terminal segments usually bronzed, sometimes metallic greenish black; rarely with only two spots, on the second segment. Usually the band on the second segment is entire, or sub-interrupted, but frequently interrupted; the band on the third segment may be broadly subinterrupted or interrupted and the spots may be greatly reduced in some cases. Described from 50 specimens from Banff, Alta., (C. B. D. Garrett), Monroe, Washington; Corvallis, Oregon; Alaska and Colorado. As suspected by Bigot, qguadrinotata is a color variety of nasuta, but is perhaps entitled to varietal rank as there seem to be slight differences, especially in color of the abdomen, those with the bronzed abdomen being typical guadrinotata. This species is readily distinguished from g/obosa by the more black anterior femora, facial profile, etc. As nasuta is clearly metal- PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 61 lica Willist., both Bigot’s names must. be relegated to the synonymy. Neoascia globosa Walker. Ascia globosa Walker, List III, 546. Neoascia globosa Williston, Syn., p. 111, 1886. Abdomen with two bands or four spots; front femora yellow on nearly the basal third; face pale yellowish pruinose. Length, 4 to 5.2 mm. Male: Face pale yellowish pruinose, the hairs below confined to just above the lateral oral opening; in profile produced from the upper third or fourth, the lower portion not or scarcely concave, the tip of the oral margin almost as prominent as the tip of the second antennal joint when the antennae are porrect. Front shining greenish black, sometimes brassy in the middle; on the lower part with two or three transverse striae and numerous longitudinal ones above these; pile black, except along the eyes below. Occi- put blue black, with yellow pile above, whitish below. Antennae black, third joint reddish below, twice as long as broad. Thorax shining greenish black, pleura lightly greyish pruinose above; pile pale yellowish; on the disc black; on the pleura white. Legs whitish yellow; hind femora on the apical two-thirds except the tip, a broad median band on the front four femora; a median band on the front, a broad subapical one on the middle and the hind tibiae except the broad base and apex and superior surface of hind basitarsi black; last two joints of hind tarsi brownish. Wings lightly fuscous; stigma yellow; apical crossvein slightly curved, its anterior end usually curved towards the base of the wing, the posterior angle of the first posterior cell rounded. Abdomen deep black, the fourth segment except the base metallic greenish or brassy; on the middle of the second segment with a broad yellow band which may be broadly interrupted in the middle, sinuate in front or entire. The band on the third segment is basal, occupies nearly two-thirds of the segment and may be sub-interrupted, but usually bears an oval spot about its middle. Both bands are broadly separated from the lateral margin. Pile yellowish, not very long; black on the posterior margins of the second and third segments and nar- row base of the fourth. Female: Face with silvery white, less abundant pollen; front without wrinkles, with a deep, broad, longitudinal depression and sometimes a shallow transverse one; pile tawny. Thorax with more tawny pile on the notum. First abdominal band always interrupted, the second always sub-interrupted or interrupted and not so wide. Described from 25 specimens of both sexes, from St. Johns, Que.; Hull, Que.; Ottawa, Ont.; Orillia, Ont.; Toronto, Ont.; Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Madison, Wis.; Maine and Massachusetts. This species is quite distinct from others which I have seen and may be readily distinguished by the more extensively yellow legs and rather uniform abdominal spots. It seems to be eastern-in distribution. I have not found it commonly in 62 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 Ontario, but have taken five or six specimens. J. albipes has wholly pale front and middle legs. The ¢ from Maine has unusually dark legs and might be confused with metallica; one Massachusetts & is similar, but mefa//ica is a mountain form and in cases of doubt locality must bear an important part, but the o of metallica never has an interrupted abdominal fascia on the third segment, while g/obosa always has one when the legs are darker than usual. Neoascia albipes Bigot. Ascia albipes Bigot, An. Soc. Ent. Fr., 328, 1883, Neoascia globosa var. albipes Williston Syn., 112, 1886. Allied to N. g/obosa but the front four legs are wholly yellow, the third joint of the antennae is three times as long as wide, the abdomen is adorned with two reddish fascia which may be interrupted or entire, the front is one-fourth the width of the head and the hind femora are slightly larger. Seven specimens of both sexes from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Williston recorded it from Connecticut. This species is so distinct that I do not describe it in detail. N. globosa has the front only one-fifth the width of the head, the third antennal joint twice as long as wide and the front legs always with black bands. TWO NEW SPECIES OF CENTRAL AMERICAN MELASIDAE (COLEOPTERA). By H. S. Barser, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. Two conspicuous species of Central American Melasidae, received for identification, appear to be new and are described below. In the tables of genera of this family by Fleutiaux, 1920, they appear to belong in Gastraulacus and Temnillus but a perusal of the descriptions in connection with the specimens before me leads to the belief that G. atratus Guérin, 1843, 1s not a synonym of the briefly characterized Brazilian species G. b7su/- catus Latr., 1834, and that other species may also have been con- fused under the name of the latter. The remarkable metasternal and abdominal grooves for the reception of the middle and hind tarsi attracted the attention of Latrielle whose incomplete notes were published after his death and established the Brazilian species as Galba bisulcatus. Nine years later this species was chosen as type of a new genus, Gastraulacus Guérin-Méneville, 1843, including also two new species. Bonvouloir, 1870, suppressed the first of these latter, atratus, as a synonym of disulcatus and made the second, lepricuri, the type of a new genus, Temnillus, chiefly because the PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 63 eye is divided by a lateral production of the supraantennal carina. This synonymy has remained unquestioned since that time. Dichotomous distinctions can not be taken from the published descriptions, but such characters as are available are included in the following table as perhaps of more use than detached com- ments. ils to Be Key to Species of Gastraulacus and Temnillus. Eye without dividing carina; propleurae with deep triangular impression (Gastraulacus) ........ SEE Se eee Re hae NE: DD Eye divided by nearly complete canthus; propleurae not impressed. (Tem- ETDS) it A Ms oa ni eo Ria oe Se Ae ESN eh Si os hee i 6. > Metasternal ‘sulci not converzent posteriorly. Se Metasternal sulci convergent posteriorly, extending from outer front angles of metasternum to near the middle of the posterior margin... £5; . Third antennal joint more than twice as long as second; last joint very short, strongly transverse and internally produced at apex. Head with two strong impressions in front. Pronotum with slight median impres- sion at base. Length, 9 mm., Mexico and Columbia... atratus Guérin. ANnwntl Ayaresovvrall Tone Woda 4. . Second and third antennal joints almost equal, cylindrical. Last joint notably larger than the preceding, thick and almost transversely square with the extremity rounded. Length about 12 mm. Brazil... bisulcatus Latreille. Antennal joint 2 wider and longer than 3d; 3 to 10 strongly transverse, together only twice as long as thickened part of joint 1, the last joint subtriangularly rounded and about twice as long as 10th. Upper surface coarsely punctate with erect pubescence, subtuberculate, opaque be- tween the shining tubercles. Front with deep impression between anten- nal sockets extending faintly to vertex. Pronotum with faint basal im- pression, an obsolescent impression at middle, and a pair of nontubercu- late impressions half way between the latter and the sides and a strong fovea near the hind angles. Scutellum subquadrate, the hind angles and margin rounded. Elytral striae represented by irregular series of coarse abrupt shining foveae becoming very coarse apically in the sutu- ral and marginal series. Side margins of last three abdominal segments not covered by elytra and conspicuous from above. Underside shining, with coarse punctures each enclosing a prostrate hair; the last sternite with two vaguely limited basal impressions expanding posteriorly into larger impunctate areas, a pair of deep foveae at apical fourth, apex broadly rounded. Length, 9.8mm. Width, 3.4mm. Costa Rica Gastraulacus nevermanni, new species. Subopaque, granulate; head deeply impressed from occiput to base of clypeus; pronotal median impression extending from near base to anterior fourth, sharp posteriorly, broader anteriorly; elytral interstices feebly convex, transversely wrinkled. Length, 13.5 mm. Chontales, Nicaragialc oes? ha SSeS - Dare Darryl Pee eres TS cavifrons Horn. 64 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 3, MAR., 1925 6. Form more robust, shining, densely punctured and shagreened; head flat- tened anteriorly with (front?) slightly excavated; pronotum with feeble posterior and median trace of longitudinal fossa. Scutellum square with posterior margin rounded; elytral intervals punctate and shagreened. Under surface strongly punctured. Length, 7 mm. Width, 3 mm. Caventiow + 2i< Basch el se, enue ees _.Temnillus leprieuri Guérin. Form more elongate, opaque, finely, densely acciculately punctate, with microscopic hairs. Occiput broadly impressed at middle, the impres- sion joining a deep chevron-shaped impression between antennal sockets. Clypeal margin produced into a narrow but well developed median lobe. Basal antennal joint longer than joints 2-6 combined, the 2d one-half as long as 3d, 4th to 10th slightly shorter than 3d and slightly transverse, 11th subquadrate with lower apical angle produced. Pronotum with feeble median impression extending from near base to apical fourth; disc slightly gibbous on each side. Scutellum slightly wider than long, sides straight and convergent posteriorly, becoming evenly rounded. Elytra distinctly sulcate, the striae confluently punctate, deeper behind, inter- vals hardly convex. Underside feebly shining, densely punctate, pro- sternum abruptly truncate behind, the last sternite with minute vestiges of the tarsal grooves at base and with strong impressions on each side near apex, leaving a median ridge which meets the underside of the strongly produced pygidium. Length, 11.5 mm. Width, 4.1mm. Chi- asad Mlexee sees es Soe ote er be a Temnillus mexicanus, new species. The four specimens of Gastraulacus nevermanni before me are from a series cut from their cells in the dead part of a standing tree in the forest at Santa Clara, 250 meters altitude, north of the Colombiana Farm and 10 km. west of Siquirres, on the Atlantic Slope, Costa Rica, Apr. 13, 1924, by Ferdinand Never- mann, in whose honor the name has been given. Type and paratypes.—Cat. no. 27857, U.S. N. M. The unique specimen of Temnillus mexicanus was collected at an altitude of 800-1,000 meters on the Pacific Slope of the Cordilleras in Chiapas, Mexico, in 1919, by L. Hotzen. Type.—Cat. no. 27858, U. S. National Museum. REFERENCES. 1834 Larreitte.—(Posthumous paper) Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. vol. 3, p. 133. 1843 Gutrin-MénevitteE.—Ann Soc. Ent. Fr. (2) vol. 1, p. 188, pl. 6, figs. 50-54. 1857 LacorpatireE.—Gen. des Coleopt. vol. 4, pp. 107-8. 1870 BonvuLorr.—Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. (4) vol. 10. Supplement, Monogr. Eucne- mides, pp. 112-117. pl. 3, fig. 2 and pl. 5, figs. 4-5. 1890 Horn.—Biol. Centr. Amer. Coleop. vol. 3, pt. 1, p. 215, pl. 10, fig. 9. 1920. FLreuriaux.—Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. vol. 60, pp. 101-103. Actual date of publication, April 3, 1925. EDITORIAL. To the thinking man it is almost self-evident that the finest fruits of Art or Science are the products of leisure. They ripen slowly and when forced lose something 1n flavor and quality. It is well for us to bear this in mind as we strive to direct Science into ways of social service—to make it “practical,” ““economic.”’ There is always a danger—a very slight danger perhaps but nevertheless a very real danger—that in endeavoring to make it immediately valuable we may make it ultimately valueless. We may produce a large fruit crop that will appease a present hunger, but that will give little nourishment. This is no argu- ment against any ““economic”’ science, nor even against Science economically directed. It is a caution to those who may be tempted to make Science completely subservient to Economics. Obviously the first business of a man is to live; but it is not his sole nor greatest business. He must live in some manner conformable with Truth. Similarly as regards Science. Her one business is to serve human necessity; for if she do not this then there is no ethical justification for her whatever. But her other and greater business is the seeking of Truth for its own sake. With such a two-fold understanding we admit at once the possibility of a conflict of interests in both the human and scientific worlds. Just as a man, who wishes to live as he should, must be ready to sacrifice his life; so Science, that would be of the greatest service, must sometimes give the search for Truth precedence over the economic problem of the moment. There is no need to stress the point. As far as Science 1s con- cerned, conflict between the ideal and the practical 1s imminent: only if we insist upon reducing scientific study to a purely utilitarian basis. In that event freedom disappears and with it the opportunity for any lasting or finally valuable con- tribution. So much for generalities. The point of the argument is this: that those who support science—the government, the corpora- tions, the public—should recognize the need of purely scientific research and provide for it generously. Science should be subsidized as Science, not metely as an adjunct to agriculture, industry, commerce or health; and the scientist should be assured of sufficient leisure for the most far-reaching investiga- tions. He on his part must not forget his obligation as a public servant; but in his endeavor to serve he should also be careful not to confound service with servitude. —Carl Heinrich. NOTES AND NEWS ITEMS. The Casey Bequest to the National Collection—The entire bequest of Col. Thomas L. Casey to the National Museum consisted of his collections in entomology, conchology and Tertiary fossils, together with his library on these subjects. The entomological portion of the collections was by far the most important, representing his life work on Coleoptera. - He had accumulated some 16,000 species of beetles, approximately one-third being of his own describing, represented by his types. The collection has been received at the Museum and is tem- porarily stored pending the assignment of a suitable room where it can be installed, the types labeled and recorded, and the other species also labeled so as to ‘show Colonel Casey’s inter- pretation of them. It will be some time before the larger part will be ready for study by specialists, although it is hoped that some groups of especial! interest, on account of investigations in progress, can be prepared in a few months. The collection is by far the largest gift of insects ever received by the National Museum. The entomological library is very complete for the order Coleoptera, and contains also some valuable sets of periodicals; a set of the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia from its beginning over a century ago is the most notable of these. The set of Annales of the French Ento- mological Society begins at 1860. There are also some publi- cations on other orders of insects. —¥. M. Aldrich. VOL. 27 APRIL, 1925 No. 4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON ~ =e OVS \ id wv APRO OIA * CONTENTS y CRAMPTON, G. C.—A PHYLOGENETIC STUDY OF THE LABIU of METABOLOUS INSECTS, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO DUPE RAY gee ee aes Testes Ge ae ak, Eatery GS Pe Le anew Aiea cag AU 68 EWING, H. E.—A NEW CHIGGER (TROMBICULA LARVA) FROM BRAZIL... 91 WALTON, W. R., GAHAN, A. B., AND HYSLOP, J. AA—PAUL REVERE MYERS . 66 PusiisHeD Monrtuiy Excerpt Jury, August AND SEPTEMBER BY THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM . WASHINGTON, D.C. Entered as second-class matter March 10, 1919, at the,Post Office at Washington, D. C., under Act of August 24, 1912. Accepted for mailing at the special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October . 3, 1917, authorized July 3, 1918. THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON OrcanizeD Marcu 12, 1884. The regular meetings of the Society are held on the first Thursday of each month, from October to June, inclusive, at 8 p. mM. Annual dues for members are $3.00; initiation fee $1.00. Members are entitled to the ProcEEpINGs and any manuscript submitted by them is given precedence over any submitted by non-members. OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1925. FlonoranyePresident a ate) ene ae arene) ss E. A. SCHWARZ President Mi ns ity GAO ® (ck 20 oa EIR 3 R. A. CUSHMAN USPC ESET ESIGENH CARL AIBINRIGH U. S. Naconal Meer Washington, D. C. Executive Committee: THE Orricers and A. N. Caupeti, W. R. Watton, J. E. Grar. Representing the Soctety as a Vice-President of the Washington Academy of SEren CES is <. ki EE AiR poe Sy ee ee es Ce = A BOVING PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. Published monthly, except July, August and September, by the Society at Washington, D. C. Terms of subscription: Domestic, $4.00 per annum; foreign, $4.25 per annum; recent single numbers, 50 cents, foreign postage extra. All subscriptions are payable in advance. Remittances should be made payable to the Entomological Society of Washington. An author of a leading article in the ProceepinGs will be given 10 copies of the number in which his article appears. Reprints without covers will be fur- nished at the following rates, provided a statement of the number desired accompanies the manuscript: 4 pp. 8 pp. 12 pp. 16 pp. 50 copies 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 100 copies 2.25 4.50 6.75 9.00 Certain charges are made for illustrations and there are available rules and suggestions governing the make-up of articles. Immediate publication in any number may be obtained at the author’s expense. AI] manuscripts should be sent to the Editor. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON Nn VOR 27 MAY 1925 No. NEW SERPHOID PARASITES FROM THE UNITED STATES (HYMENOPTERA). By Roserr M. Fouts. This paper contains descriptions of twenty -four new species and one new genus of Hymenoptera belonging to the families Platygasteridae, Diapriidae and Scelionidae. All measurements except of antennal joints were made with a Bausch and Lomb binocular microscope, 24 mm. objective, No. 5 ocular and a micrometer disc ruled to five mm. in .05 mm. divi- sions. Each division equals approximately .0108 mm. Measure- ments of antennal joints were made with a Bausch and Lomb compound microscope, 4 mm. objective, No. 5 ocular, 160 mm. draw tube, and a micrometer disc ruled to five mm. in .05 mm. divisions. The measurements made are close but only approximately correct. A difference of .002 mm. in antennal measurements means nothing. All measurements of a particular part are of its greatest dimensions. The publication referred to as “‘(Fouts, 1924)” is the author’s recent paper entitled, ‘Revision of the North American Wasps of the Subfamily Platygasterinae.”” It was published in the Proceedings of the United States National Museum, Vol. 63, 1924, pp. 1-145. Unless otherwise mentioned the type material described below is in the author’s collection. Superfamily SERPHOIDEA. Family PLATYGASTERIDAE. Trichacis cornuta, new species. Female.—Length, 1.53 mm. Runs to cornicola in the author's key (Fouts, 1924, p. 13). Differs from cornicola and texana in having lateral projections on the cheeks. Length of head 20, width 48; frons polished; occiput without sculpture medially; cheeks just above the middle of the compound eyes with a sharp laterally projecting tooth; pedicel a little over twice as long as wide, dis- tinctly but only very slightly wider than any of the four following joints, a little longer than joint four which is cylindrical, twice as long as wide; length of thorax 55, width 40, height 44; notauli distinct only on basal third of mesonotum; length of abdomen 67; length of second tergite 42, width 42; first tergite as in fexana; interfoveal area on second tergite with many short fine carinae; second tergite, except as just mentioned, and all following tergites, polished, without distinct 94 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 sculpture. Coloration as in fexana, the flagellar joints a little darker brown, however. Ty pe-locality —Brownwood, Texas. Described from one specimen collected by the author, May 1, 1924, in Pecan Bayou. Trichacis texana, new species. Female.—Length, 1.59 mm. Runs to cornico/a in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p. 13). Has the pedicel distinctly wider than any of the four joints fellow- ing it. The pedicel is, moreover, not distinctly longer than the fourth joint. Length of head 22, width 45; frons polished; occiput separated from the vertex by a sharp carina; length of thorax 55, width 36, height 43; notauli distinct on basal six-sevenths of the mesonotum; length of abdomen 70; length of second tergite 44, width 40; median area on first tergite well defined, longer than wide, with a median carina; last four tergites faintly punctulate. Black; first six antennal joints and legs in greater part, brown; club joints, coxae and femora, darker. Ty pe-locality —Brownwood, Texas. Described from one specimen collected by the author, April 24, 1924, in Pecan Bayou. Platygaster affinis, new species. Female.—Length, 1.34 mm. Runs to astericola in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p. 30). Differs from asterico/a in not having numerous diagonally directed striae on the frons above the antennae. Affinis is, moreover, much darker in color but this may be due to the length of time the specimens of astericola have been in the collection. Length of head 20, width 36; length of thorax 47, width 34, height 34; notauli distinct on basal two-thirds of mesonotum; length of abdomen 57; length of second tergite 35, width 30; foveae not well indicated, a few striae present, the striae not attaining the middle of the segment; black to piceous, the tarsi and tibiae basally, brown. Ty pe-locality —Brownwood, Texas. Described from one specimen collected by the author, June 10, 1924, in Pecan Bayou. Platygaster anura, new species. Female.—Length, 1.42 mm. Differs from minutissima in having fine wavy aciculae above on the frons. Length of head 18, width 33; antennal joints eight and nine a little longer than wide; length of thorax 41, width 30, height 30; notauli complete; mesonotum shagreened; length of abdomen 72; length of second tergite 32, width 28; third tergite divided medially by a longitudinal incision; length of third tergite 6, of the fourth 8, of the fifth 14, and of the sixth 8; basal foveae with a few striae scarcely extending beyond their apices; abdominal tergites otherwise unsculptured; wings tinged with brown. Male.—Length, 1.29 mm. Pedicel about one and one-half times as long as wide, twice as long but no wider than joint three; joint four wider, widened apically, slightly excavated inwardly, about as long as the pedicel; joints five to nine subequal, quadrate; ten conical, about as long as three and four united, PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 95 acute apically; length of head 19, width 36; length of thorax 45, width 32, height 32; length of abdomen 55; length of second tergite 32, width 32. Ty pe-locality —Brownwood, Texas. Described from nine specimens collected by the author, May 1, 1924, in Pecan Bayou. Paratypes (male and female).—Cat. No. 28111, U. S. N. M. Platygaster filicaudis, new species. Male.—Length, 2.15 mm. This species forms a new section of the genus Platygaster characterized by the scutellar structure. Length of head 22, width 32; head shining, finely granular; lateral ocelli their diameter distan from the eye margin; lengths of antennal joints in millimeters: 1.253, .389, .227, .497, .162, .281, .270, .281, .281, .410; widths of the same joints as follows: .324, .216, .162, .270, .194, .248, .259, .259, .248, .227; fourth joint broadly but not deeply excavated at base; pubescence on flagellar joints sparse, about half as long as the widths of the joints; length of thorax 65, width 40, height 38; thorax, except the pleurae and the propodeum, shining, finely reticulate; notauli complete, the median lobe narrowly truncated posteriorly, its apex coinciding with the apices of the lateral lobes; scutellum transversely elevated medially, granular, with a number of very small, indistinct, longitudinal carinae; dorsal plate of the scutellum upturned apically, forming a small tubercle; lengths of the tergites, beginning with the second: 50, 11, 15, 19, 13, 4; widths of the same ter- gites: 32, 29, 25, 20, 15, 10; second tergite subopaque, granular, with a few carinae laterally extending past the middle; basal foveae not present, or rather both foveae are merged and form one broad shallow depression; third and fourth tergites finely reticulate; fifth tergite finely reticulate, with a delicate median carina and several even more delicate ones laterally; sixth tergite finely reticu- late, polished posteriorly; seventh tergite polished; wings hyaline, the anterior pair 135 in length; black; legs rufous; last joint of each tarsus dark brown; scape rufous on basal half; antennal joints dark brown. Ty pe-locality —Paradise Key, Florida. Described from one specimen collected by the author, Feb. 27) TON: Platygaster kalmiae, new species. Male.—Length, 1.73 mm. Runs to artimesiae in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p. 28) and differs in having the frons much more strongly sculptured. Length of head 24, width 46; frons entirely strongly aciculate, transversely striate above the antennae; occiput strongly carinate; fourth antennal joint a little wider than the pedicel, slightly emarginate basally, scarcely widened apically; ninth antennal joint about as wide as long; length of thorax 65, width 41, height 45; notauli sharply indicated to middle of mesonotum; scutellum evenly convex, highly elevated, sparsely pubescent; length of abdomen 71; length of second tergite 45, width 43; striae extending to the middle of the seg- ment; black; antennae piceous; legs dark brown; anterior femora and tibiae, in part, yellowish. Ty pe-locality —Glen Echo, Maryland. 96 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 Described from two specimens collected by the author, April 24, 1918, on the leaves of mountain laurel. Paratype—Cat. No. 28112, U.S. N. M. Platygaster minutissima, new species. Male.—Length, 0.87 mm. Runs to americana in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p. 25). Length of head 13, width 25; frons polished, without apparent sculpture; occiput finely striate; pedicel one and one-half times as long as wide; fourth joint about as long as the pedicel, excavated inwardly, broad; ninth joint quadrate; length of thorax 30, width 23, height 23; mesonotum shagreened, smoother posteriorly; length of abdomen 38; length of second tergite 19, width 22; foveae indicated by a short acute ridge inwardly, without distinct striae; black; anterior trochanters, anterior tibiae, tarsi, and flagellum, brownish. Ty pe-locality —Brownwood, Texas. Described from one specimen collected by the author, Mav 1, 1924. Platygaster perplexa, new species. — Male.—Length, 1.42 mm. Runs to vernalis in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p.27). Differs from vermalis and tacita in many ways as the following description shows: length of head 22, width 33; frons subopaque by reason of a fine sculp- ture, finely carinate above the antennae; occiput finely reticulate; all antennal joints longer than wide, the flagellar joints densely covered with rather long whitish hairs; fourth joint a little longer than the pedicel, about as long as the sixth, excised basally but not much wider apically than basally, less than twice as long as wide; following joints subequal in width, gradually increasing in length; ninth joint about three times as long as wide; tenth joint much longer, acuminate, seven or eight times as long as wide; length of thorax 46, width 30, height 31; notauli distinctly indicated to anterior third of mesonotum; scutellum rather small, nearly flat, sparsely pubescent; wings a little longer than the whole length of the body, narrow, ciliate marginally; abdomen convex above and below, without sculpture or appreciable pubescence; length of abdomen 63; length of second tergite 40, width 33; basal foveae extremely minute, without sculpture; body piceous to dark reddish-brown; scape yellowish basally; all coxae and trochanters yellow; rest of legs brownish-yellow; tarsi yellow. Ty pe-locality —Grant, Colorado. Described from one specimen collected by the author, July De OLG. Platygaster scutellator, new species. Male.—Length, 0.83 mm. This species and the one immediately following form a new section of the genus P/atygaster characterized by the mesonotal structure. The posterior lobe of the mesonotum extends tongue-like over about half of the scutellum and is truncated apically. The scutellum is densely pubescent except for a small area on top, is very short and declivous posteriorly. Length of head 13, width 24; face without distinct sculpture; vertex with a few transverse carinae; lateral ocelli a little less than their own diameter distant from the margin of the eye; pedicel scarcely longer than wide, a little narrower than the fourth joint; fourth joint somewhat less than twice as long as wide, PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 oF cylindrical, shorter than the ninth joint, the latter about twice as long as wide; length of thorax 32, width 21, height 25; mesonotum polished, without sculp- ture; notauli briefly indicated posteriorly; abdomen broadly ovate, subacute apically; length of abdomen 32; length of second tergite 16, width 19; basal foveae small, with one or two faint carinae outwardly, the carinae not extending posteriorly to the apices of the foveae; interfoveal area not sculptured; wings hyaline, with long fringes, the anterior ones 70 in length; body shining black; legs golden-brown, the femora and tibiae apically and the posterior tarsi entirely, darker. Type locality —Glen Echo, Maryland. Described from one specimen collected by the author, July 4.1919. Platygaster rufidens, new species. Male.—Length, 0.75 mm. Length of head 13, width 22; face without distinct sculpture; vertex with a few transverse carinae; lateral ocelli as in scu- tellator; lengths of antennal joints in millimeters: .156, .041, .012, .053, .037, .051, .053, .055, .055, .090; widths of the same joints as follows: .027, .025, .016, .027, .023, .025, .025, .027, .025, .025; length of thorax 30, width 19, height 21; thorax otherwise as in the preceding species; length of abdomen 26; length of second tergite 16, width 16; basal foveae with several carinae within their borders; interfoveal area with a very small sulcus basally; wings hyaline, with long fringes, the anterior pair 64 in length; body shining black; legs dark brown, except all trochanters, anterior and middle tibiae basally, and anterior and middle tarsi (the last joint of each excepted). The parts just mentioned yellow to golden brown. Ty pe- locality —Glen Echo, Maryland. Described from one specimen collected by the author, July Poa 7: Platygaster signata, new species. Female.—Length, 1.90 mm. This species with floridensis, caryae, and anormis form a distinct group characterized by the scutellar structure. The scutellum is highly elevated, diclivous anteriorly and posteriorly, not evenly shagreened in any place, but rather, roughened anteriorly, obscurely longi- tudinally striate anteriorly. Signata differs from caryae in not having the second tergite extensively striate. Length of head 28, width 55; head sculp- tured as in caryae (See Fouts, 1924, p. 37), somewhat more delicately so, how- ever; scape long and slender, as long as the six succeeding joints united; pedicel nearly three times as long as wide, narrowed basally, distinctly longer than either the third or fourth joints; third joint about as long as the fourth, narrower than the fourth, a little over twice as long as wide; fourth joint wider than the pedicel, less than twice as long as wide; following six joints forming a club, all of them, except the last, transverse; length of thorax 73, width 50, height 50; notauli distinct to middle of mesonotum; mesonotum in greater part minutely reticulate; length of abdomen 75; length of second tergite 52, width 50; foveae deep and broad, on each side with a few striae which do not extend past their apices; shining black; antennae, except the terminal six joints, and legs, except the coxae and posterior femora, brownish-yellow. 98 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 Ty pe-locality —Brownwood, Texas. Described from three specimens collected by the author, in May, 1924, on Pecan leaves. Paratype—Cat. No. 28114, U.S. N. M. Platygaster striatifrons, new species. Male.—Length, 1.96 mm. This species forms a new group characterized by the scutellar structure. The dorsal surface of the scutellum is strongly convex, and the posterior face has an inverted U-shaped carina upon it. Length of head 23, width 53; frons strongly transversely carinate just above the anten- nae, with wavy aciculae otherwise; occiput strongly arcuately carinate; fourth antennal joint about as long as the fifth, distinctly emarginate basally, not widened at apex; following joints to the tenth subequal, a little longer than wide, densely covered with short silvery hairs; tenth joint cylindrical, a little narrower than the ninth, subacute apically; length of thorax 73, width 50, height 55; mesonotum strongly convex, without distinct sculpture, and without notauli except at extreme base; scutellum densely covered with moderately long silvery hairs; length of abdomen 85; length of second tergite 51, width 48; basal foveae rather long and moderately deep, with numerous striae extending beyond the middle of the segment; shining black; antennae piceous; legs dark brown; anterior femora in greater part, anterior tibiae and tarsi yellowish- brown. Type-locality.—Glen Echo, Maryland. Described from four specimens collected by the author, April 24, 1918. Two of the specimens were collected on the leaves of skunk cabbage and one on the leaves of mountain laurel. Paratype.—Cat. No. 28115, U.S. N. M. Platygaster tacita, new species. Female.—Length, 1.36 mm. Runs to vernalis in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p. 27). Length of head 21, width 39; frons finely diagonally aciculate; occiput rather strongly striate; antennae not attenuate, the eighth and ninth joints about as wide as long; length of thorax 50, width 33, height 35; median lobe of mesonotum broadly rounded, not touching the scutellum; length of abdomen 55; length of second tergite 34, width 32; foveae deep, rather narrow, the striae very numerous, not reaching the middle of the segment; following tergites short, not sculptured; black, tarsi piceous. Type locality—Brownwood, Texas. Described from one specimen collected by the author, May 1, 1924, in Pecan Bayou. EUXESTONOTUS, new genus. This genus differs from P/atygaster in having a narrow scutellar suture and parallel, widely separated notauli. The notauli diverge slightly in front of the scutellum. In Platygaster there is a rather broad depression between the scutellum and the mesonotum. The posterior margin of the mesonotum and the anterior margin of the scutellum are distinctly depressed. Such is not the case in PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 99 Euxestonotus. The two sclerites are not separated by a depression but rather by a very narrow suture. The notauli always converge posteriorly in Platy- gaster. It is possible that Ewxestonotus includes forms which Foerster had in mind when he described his genus Xestonotus. Genotype.—Anopedias error Fitch. TABLE OF SPECIES. lemibcrsuvellowaies: t.4 8M ee flavipes n. sp. ers amastiya black or. btowin.< sce-.cb_ doa sen de ahs ee ah heaton eee 2: 2 bdead: less: than, twice as wide as lone. 222 ee rufidens n. sp. Fiead about. twice asiwidetastlongeh ees fhe ke 2 oe 3 3. Antenna elongate, the ninth joint longer than wide... error (Fitch). Antennae shorter, the ninth joint quadrate.............-.---.------- brevicornis n. sp. Euxestonotus flavipes, new species. Female.—Length, 1.10 mm. Length of head 17, width 30; frons polished; occiput reticulate; antennal joints four to nine subequal in length, all a little longer than wide; length of thorax 39, width 26, height 27; length of abdomen 46; length of second tergite 30, width 24; basal foveae not present, a few short striae indicating their position: legs, scape, second and third antennal joints, and mandibles, stramineous; rest of antennae brownish. Type-locality —Glen Echo, Maryland. Described from two specimens collected by the author, July 15, L9N7: Paratype—Cat. No. 28116, U: S..N. M: Euxestonotus rufidens, new species. Male.—Length, 1.27 mm. Length of head 20, width 33; frons polished; occiput reticulate; fourth antennal joint about as long as the pedicel, slightly widened at extreme apex and sharply acute outwardly; joints six to ten a little longer than wide, cylindrical, pilose; length of thorax 50, width 31, height 36; length of abdomen 48; length of second tergite 35, width 32; striae rather numerous, extending to middle of segment; body shining black; trochanters, all tibiae basally, and the anterior tibiae apically, and the tarsi, yellowish; mandibles rufous; antennae piceous, the scapes below, yellow. Type locality —Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Described from five specimens collected by the author. They were collected, July 30, and August 4, 1920, on the leaves of mulberry and wild cherry trees. Paratype—Cat. No. 28117, U.S. N. M. Euxestonotus brevicornis, new species. Female.—Length, 1.03 mm. Length of head 16, width 30; frons polished; occiput reticulate; pedicel about as long as the two following joints united, as wide as the fourth, less than twice as long as wide; joints seven, eight, and nine subequal, quadrate; ten a little longer, conical, subacute apically; length of thorax 37, width 25, height 27; thorax polished, except the anterior part of the 100 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 mesonotum which is delicately reticulate; length of abdomen 42; abdomen polished and unsculptured except for the striae on the second tergite; length of second tergite 27, width 22; striae few, not attaining the middle of the segment; shining black; trochanters, femora, tibiae and scapes basally, and tarsi, yellowish to brown. . Type locality —Glen Echo, Maryland. Described from two specimens collected by the author in the summer of 1923. Paratype-——Cat. No. 28118, U. S. N. M. This specimen is slightly smaller than the type. Leptacis angustula, new species. Female.—Length, 0.99 mm. Runs to pennsylvanica in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p. 117). Differs from pennsylvanica and carinator in the structure of the scutellum and the head. Length of head 14, width 21; head shaped much as in Cephalonomia, the height of the head above the eyes being three- fourths the length of the eyes; frons polished; vertex and occiput without distinct sculpture; pedicel about twice as long as wide, a little longer than the following two joints united, nearly twice as wide as the third joint; joints three, four, and five subequal in width, the third distinctly the longest; joint nine wider than long; ten less than twice as long as wide, conical; length of thorax 36, width 17, height 21; thorax without distinct sculpture, sparsely covered above with short white hairs; notauli absent, their origins indicated by the median lobe which projects upon the anterior margin of the scutellum; scutellum about as wide as long, with a few short hairs laterally, the spine very short and inconspicuous; marginal cilia on anterior wings very short; length of abdomen 42; greatest thickness of abdomen 12; abdomen highly polished, without sculpture; length of second tergite 25, width 16; no pubescence on second tergite except two small patches basally; body shining black; scape, pedicel, trochanters, anterior femora apically, anterior tibiae in greater part, middle and posterior tibiae apically, and all tarsi, yellowish to light brown. Type locality —Glen Echo, Maryland. Described from one specimen collected by the author, April 24, 1918. Leptacis platygaster, new species. Female.—Length, 1.49 mm. Runs to pa//ipes in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924; p. 117). Differs in having the abdomen long and flat. Length of head 17, width 31; frons delicately reticulate laterally, more distinctly so above on the sides; occiput without distinct sculpture; scape rather short and thick, a little wider than joint nine, as long as the five following joints united; pedicel less than twice as long as wide, as long as, but considerably narrower than joint seven; joints three to six subequal in width, the fourth distinctly the longest; sixth joint a little wider, as long as the fifth; joints seven to ten subequal, about as wide as long; joint ten longer and narrower, about twice as long as wide, conically acute apically; length of thorax 47, width 23, height 31; thorax polished, with- out sculpture, sparsely covered with very short hairs dorsally; notauli absent; median lobe of mesonotum very minute, not touching the scutellum; scutellum PROC, ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 101 as in angustula but with the spine about half as long as the scutellum, abruptly turned downward at apex, forming a hook; cilia on anterior wings rather long, much longer than in angustula; length of abdomen 74; length of second tergite 34, width 27; greatest thickness of abdomen 8; black; scape and legs, except coxae, yellowish-brown; posterior femora infuscated. Type locality —Washington, Dw. Described from one specimen collected by the author, Septem- ber 245 :1923;., This species and angustula approach the forms one would expect to find in Piestopleura. Leptacis carinator, new species. Female.—Length, 1.13 mm. Runs to pennsylvanica in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p. 117). Length of head 15, width 26; frons shining, traversed by a number of distinct carinae much as may be found in Platygaster vernalis Myers although with fewer carinae than in that species. There is scarcely any further difference between this species and pennsy/lvanica. Length of thorax 41, width 21, height 30; length of abdomen 48; length of second tergite 32, width 23; following segments polished, without pubescence; last tergite sub- opaque, with a delicate sculpture. Ty pe-locality —Brownwood, Texas. Described from one specimen collected by the author, May 1, 1924, in Pecan Bayou. Leptacis dubiosa, new species. Male.—Length, 1.85 mm. Runs to floridana in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p. 135). Length of head 21, width 36; head entirely finely shagreened; antennae densely pubescent, the hairs nearly as long as the joints are wide; fourth joint a little over twice as long as wide, more or less spindle-shaped, a little wider than the pedicel; eighth and ninth joints about twice as long as wide; length of thorax 75, width 30, height 33; anterior wings very nearly glabrous, without marginal cilia; length of abdomen 75; length of second tergite 40, width 28; length of third tergite 8; tergites four to six subequal, about as long as the third; last tergite very short, not half as long as the sixth; tergites three to seven delicately shagreened. Ty pe-locality —Brownwood, Texas. Described from one specimen collected by the author, May 1, 1924, in Pecan Bayou. Leptacis abdominator, new species. Female.—Length, 1.27 mm. Runs to punctata in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p. 117). The abdomen in this species is distinctly longer than the head and thorax united. Length of head 16, width 28; head dully shining, reticu- late; ocellocular line nearly as great as the interocellar; seventh antennal joint a little longer than wide, slightly longer than joint eight; joints eight and nine quadrate; ten longer than nine, less than twice as long as wide, subacute apically; 102 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 length of thorax 37, width 24, height 25; length of anterior wing 87; length of abdomen 65; width of second tergite 26; length of second tergite 26, of the third 5, of the fourth 10, of the fifth 12, and of the sixth 10; tergites three to six shagreened, the third and sixth less strongly so; sixth tergite triangular, acute apically; black; scape yellowish basally; legs brown to yellowish-brown in greater part; last joint of each tarsus black. Ty pe-locality —Brownwood, Texas. Described from one specimen collected by the author, June 15, 1924, in Pecan Bayou. Leptacis texana, new species. Male.—Length 1.33 mm. Runs to aciculata in the author’s key (Fouts, 1924, p. 118). The second tergite in acicu/ata is distinctly longer than wide and is faintly shagreened in a narrow band apically. In ¢exana, on the contrary, the second tergite is about as wide as long and is not distinctly sculptured. Sculp- ture of the body, with the exception noted above, as in acicu/ata. Length of head 20, width 40; lengths of antennal joints in millimeters: .281, .059, .033, 109, .062, .090, .084, .086, .086, .103; widths of the same joints as follows: .039, .035, .031, .033, .029, .037, .039, .039, .039, .031; hairs on flagellar joints scattered, long; length of thorax 55, width 36, height 38; mesonotum and scutellum as in aciculata; length of abdomen 48; length of second tergite 37, width 37; black, trochanters, tibiae basally, and tarsi, except the last joint of each, brown; legs otherwise dark brown to black. Ty pe-locality —Brownwood, Texas. Described from eight specimens collected by the author, April 21, 1924, in Pecan Bayou. The following note was made at the time the specimens were collected: Flying in sunshine at tips of twigs; tree about seven feet high, two inches in diameter; bark smooth; leaves alternate. Paratypes—Cat. No. 28119, U.S. N. M. Four specimens. Family DIAPRIIDAE. Idiotypa pallipes, new species. Female.—Length, 1.56 mm. Length of head 26, width 35, height 29; scape as long as the two following joints united, about twice as long as wide; about as wide as the seventh joint; third joint as wide but longer than the fourth; joints four to seven subequal in length and width, about as wide as long; eighth joint a little wider and longer, spherical; following four joints much wider, transverse, the eighth joint the narrowest; last joint conical, a little longer than wide; length of thorax 48, width 38, height 31; scutellum with one fairly large fovea basally and one smaller one on each side of it; length of abdomen 70; height 28; first segment a little longer than wide, with a number of longitudinal ridges dorsally and laterally; length of second tergite 50, width 37; second tergite with three short sulci basally; wings hyaline; venation as in pallida Ashm.; black; basal four antennal joints brown; legs, except last joint of tarsi, pale yellow; middle femora infuscated above. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 103 Ty pe-locality —McLean, New York. Described from one specimen sent to me by Mr. M. D. Leonard of Cornell University for determination. This speci- men was collected by Professor C. R. Crosby, June 21, 1924, from spider material by sifting. Family SCELIONIDAE. Hoplogryon coxalis, new species. Female.—Length, 1.0 mm. Differs from c/laripennis Ashm., in having the wings tinged with brown. Length of head 18, width 34; frons polished, with a delicate median carina below; malar area striate; occiput delicately shagreened; third antennal joint distinctly longer than the second or fourth, nearly twice as long as wide; joints two, three, and four subequal in width, the second and fourth of about the same length; club joints closely united, transverse; last joint about as long as wide, conical, blunt at apex; length of thorax 33, width 31, height 30; mesonotum obscurely delicately sculptured, pubescent; scutellum polished; anterior wings brownish, with long cilia; length of abdomen 50; abdomen egg-shaped, strongly convex above; first and second tergites with many deep longitudinal grooves, those on the second tergite extending to the apical third of the segment; length of third tergite 22, width 32; third tergite shining, very delicately reticulate; fourth tergite finely shagreened at base, black; scape at base, mandibles, and all legs in greater part, yellow; antennae piceous; anterior femora in greater part, middle and posterior femora at extreme apex, and all tibiae and tarsi, brownish. Ty pe-locality.—Suffern, New York. Described from one specimen collected by C. R. Crosby, May 26, 1924. A NEW SPECIES OF LEPTOSTYLUS FROM THE UNITED STATES (COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE). By W. S. Fisuer, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. Leptostylus knulli, new species. Form similar to Leptostylus tuberculatus ¥r6l., uniformly pale reddish-brown, rather densely clothed with cinereous and brownish-yellow recumbent pubes- cence, the pronotum with a few more or less distinct darker areas, and elytra ornated with irregularly placed tufts of long black or yellowish-white hairs, and with an elongate black area along the lateral margins; mandibles reddish- black; palpi brown, with the tips slightly paler. Head quadrate in front of antennal tubercles, slightly convex, rather deeply angularly depressed between the antennal tubercles, whch are moderately developed but not widely separated at the base, the surface finely, densely punctate, rather densely clothed with moderately long recumbent brownish and yellowish-white pubescence, more or less mottled, not quite concealing the punctuation, and with a narrow longitudinal groove extending from the epistoma to occiput; eyes rather large, moderately granulated, deeply emarginate, and separated from each other on the top by about the width of the emargination 104 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 of the eyes in front, the lower lobes rounded and rather strongly convex, and the upper lobes smaller and narrow. Antennae slightly longer than the body, mottled with short whitish and brownish pubescence, and the outer joints more or less annulated with brown at base and apex; first joint slender, cylindrical, gradually expanded toward apex, extending nearly to base of pronotum, and subequal in length to the third joint, which is only slightly longer than the fourth. Pronotum about three-fifths wider than long, and the apex and base about equal in width; sides feebly constricted near base, and with a more or less distinct obtuse tubercle placed slightly behind the middle; surface feebly transversely depressed along base and anterior margin, with five more or less distinct obtuse tubercles on the disk, placed transversely in two rows, two anteriorly and three posteriorly, rather coarsely and densely punctate, rather densely clothed with brownish-white pubescence, and ornated on each side behind the lateral tubercle with a blackish area, and a similar colored longitudinal vitta on each side of the middle, the vittae extending from lateral margin to base and more or less broadly interrupted on disk. Scutellum triangular, slightly broader than long, and broadly rounded or subtruncate at apex. Elytra not quite two times as long as wide, and about one-half wider than pro- notum at base; humeri prominent and rather strongly elevated; sides nearly parallel to apical third, then strongly arcuately attenuate to the tips, which are obliquely truncate internally, obsoletely arcuately emarginate, and with the exterior angles obtuse; surface more or less uneven, with a broad transverse depression on disk at basal third, with numerous irregularly placed tubercles, and with the sides abruptly declivous and more or less longitudinally concave, coarsely and rather densely punctate, rather densely clothed with cinereous and brownish-vellow pubescence, and with tufts of longer black or yellowish-white hairs on the tubercles, and each elytron with a longitudinal black vitta along the lateral margin extending from the humerus to near the tips of the elytron, with a more or less distinct black oblique fascia at apical third, in front of which the pubescence is slightly more cinereous. Beneath finely, densely punctate, not very densely clothed with brownish and yellowish-white pubescence, which gives the surface a more or less mottled appearance, and sometimes the tibiae at apex, and tarsi of a darker brown color; last abdominal segment broadly rounded and feebly emarginate in the male, and longer and more acutely rounded in the female; prosternal process about one-half as wide as the coxal cavity; femora very strongly and abruptly clavate aft apex. Length, 7.5-10 mm.; width, 3.2-4 mm. Type locality —Dorchester County (near Lloyds), Maryland. Other localities —Piney Point, Maryland; Oak Grove, Ala- bama; and Hope, Arkansas. Type, allotype and paratypes—Cat. No. 27918, U.S. N. M. Paraty pes —Collection J. N. Knull. Described from seven specimens, three males and four females. The type (male), allotype, and one female paratype collected at the type locality, July 10, 1907, by H. S. Barber; one male para- type from Piney Point, Maryland (Hubbard and Schwarz); one PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 105 female paratype collected at Oak Grove, Alabama, June 17, 1893 (H. Soltau Coll.); and a male and female paratype received from J.N. Knull, which were collected at Hope, Arkansas, June 5, 1922, by Louise Knobel. The dark markings in this species are more or less variable, in some specimens the two black vittae on the pronotum are nearly obsolete, and the tufts of black hairs on the elytra are mostly replaced by tufts of yellowish-white hairs. This species is allied to serraecolor Horn, but in that species the pubescence is more ochraceous, without the longer tufts of black hairs on the elytra, sides of pronotum arcuately rounded without a distinct lateral tubercle, antennae longer, and the elytra without the longitudinal black vittae along the lateral margins. A NEW CUBAN TERMITE. By T. E. Snyper, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. Dr. Barbour and Mr. Brooks recently collected a new termite in Cuba. It is characterized by dark antennae, rather narrow nasus, and short points to the mandibles. Fig. 1. Nasutitermes (Tenutrostritermes) brooksi. Dorsal view of head and pronotum. ‘ Fig. 2. Nasutitermes (Tenuirostritermes) brooksi. Lateral view of head and pronotum. Drawings by Miss FE. T. Armstrong. 106 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 Nasutitermes (Tenuirostritermes) brooksi, new species. Soldier.—Head light yellow-brown (light castaneous), lighter colored posteri- orly; widest posteriorly, narrowed anteriorly, slightly constricted at about middle, slightly convex in profile except for depression at middle; with dense fairly long hairs, and longer hairs on the anterior and posterior portions; a small process on front of head between antennae and nasus. Nasus reddish-brown to blackish, elongate, slender, conical, with dense fairly long hairs. Mandibles with sharp points, but points fairly short. Antenna grey-brown, with 12-13 segments, segments relatively short, with long hairs; second and third segments approximately equal (subequal); when 13 segmented, fourth segment short and ring-like; when 12 segmented, fourth segment approximately as long as or longer than third and broader; fifth seg- ment longer; segments become longer and broader towards apex; last segment slender and sub-elliptical. Pronotum light yellow-brown, darker anteriorly; saddle-shaped, anterior margin high, rounded, slightly emarginate, posterior margin rounded, emargi- nate with short and long hairs. Legs yellowish, fairly elongate and slender, with long hairs. Abdomen grey-brown, with dense fairly long hairs, a row of ionger hairs at the base of each tergite; cerci fairly prominent. Measurements: Length of entire soldier: 2.20 mm. Length of head with nasus: 1.10 mm. Length of head to anterior: 0.70 mm. Length of nasus: 0.40 mm. Length of pronotum: 0.20 mm. Length of hind tibia: 0.90 mm. Width of head (at posterior, where widest): 0.65 mm. Width of head (at anterior, where narrowest): 0.45 mm. Width of pronotum: 0.35 mm. The soldier of T. drooksi Snyder, though smaller, is similar in size and shape to Odtusitermes aequalis Snyder from Cuba, but is darker and has one more segment to the antennae and has points to the mandibles; O. aequalis may be a Tenutrostri- termes. Post-clypeus of worker dirty white with tinge of yellow, about one-half as long as broad, arched, with long hairs. Type locality —Soledad, Cienfuegos, Cuba. Described from a series of soldiers and workers collected by Dr. T. Barbour and Mr. Winthrop Sprague Brooks at the type. locality, under stone?, in April, 1924. Named in honor of Mr. Brooks of the Boston Society of Natural History. Type, soldier—Cat. No. 15067, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. Paratype in U.S. N. M. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 107 SOME AMERICAN SYRPHIDAE (DIPTERA). By Raymonp C. Suannon, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. A number of species of Syrphidae of various genera from North, Central and South American countries are here described. Chrysogaster ithaca, new species. The present species is of special interest as it 1s our first eastern United States form belonging to a group of Pacific Coast species, the original members of which were described under the genus Chi/osia. It bears a strong superficial resemblance to Chilosia comosa Loew. Male.—Head large, broader than high; ocellar triangle slightly protuberant, black pilose; frontal triangle somewhat inflated with sparse black pile; antenna very small, brownish, above middle of head; arista equal to half the width of the face, measured across middle; face broad, but much higher than broad; with a small rugulose patch on each side and a small central tubercle; thoracic dorsum with fairly long, black pile, nearly erect, directed slightly backward; wings with yellowish brown tinge; apical crossvein directed outward, its extreme tip turned upward; petiole beyond first posterior cell but little longer than discal crossvein; penultimate section of fifth vein straight; petiole beyond anal cell noticeably shorter than in nigripes, evanescent at tip; squamae smoky, halteres yellowish; outer styles broad. Type-locality —\thaca, New York, June (R. C. Shannon). Type.—Cat. No. 27815, U. S. N. M. C. nigripes differs by having the antennae placed at middle of head; a much larger frontal triangle; longer petioles beyond first posterior and anal cells; and the penultimate section of fifth vein distinctly bowed downward. C. versipellis has the face and frontal triangle more sharply convergent above; the frontal triangle distinctly smaller; outer styles much narrower. Chrysogaster neotropica, new species. Belongs to vitida group: first two tarsal joints bright yellow; antennae elongate; apical crossvein rectangular; stigma about as long as distance between the tips of second and third vein; mesonotum coppery vittate. Female.—Linear markings of eye extremely labyrinthine; transverse marking nearly obsolete; antennae reddish yellow, moderately elongate, not as long as width of face at antennal base; first joint very short; second subequal to third; six mesonotal stripes, the lateral ones inconspicuous; scutellum subquadrate; legs bluish black with bases and apices of tibiae and the two basal tarsal joints yellow (three on hind tarsus); abdomen broad and flat, the disc subopaque; wings hyaline with dark spots as follows: just beyond middle of marginal cell; at tip of second vein and extending across to tip and along the apical crossvein at tip of submarginal cell; on discal and posterior crossveins and middle of discal cell. Length, 5 mm., wing, 3.75 mm. 108 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 Type-locality—San Bernardino, Paraguay (K. Fieber). Type.—Cat. No. 27814, U. S. N. M. Tribe MYIOLEPTINI, sensu stricto. The genus Myiolepta Newman (1838) was established for Musca luteola Gmelin, a European species. Twelve American species have been described under the name Myiolepta. The writer, in his revised key to the American genera of Syrphidae (1921) erected the genus Eumyiolepta for Myiolepta strigilata Loew. In a later paper (1922) he called attention to the fact that Lepidostola Mik. (1886) was a member of the Myioleptini (previously associated with Cérysogaster) and gave a key to the three genera of the tribe. Another species has come to hand which typifies a fourth genus of Myioleptini. Key To THE GENERA OF MYIOLEPTINI. Al. Face concave or flat, with tubercle in male; metasternum membranous behind. Bl. Body pile normal, composed of small hairs... Myiolepta Newman, B2. Body pile modified, scale-like. Cl. Antenna moderate, second and third joints as broad as long... Eumyiolepta Shannon. C2. Antenna much elongated, second and third joints much longer elven RO Cla ee Baa 4 9 ON Belts ee PS Btn Lepidostola Mik. A2. Face with strong carina; metasternum girdled with a chitinous band; thomax without tomentume. =) S85 22) a ae Zonemyia, new genus. Probably all of the tropical species described under Myzolepta will be found to belong to genera other than Myjolepta, sensu stricto. Lepidostola has also been recorded under Lepidomyia decessum Hutton by Miller (Trans. New Zealand Institute, LIII, 294, 1921), from New Zealand. The writer has seen specimens of this species in Mr. W. M. Davidson’s collection. It belongs to the genus Psi/ota. Lepidostola jenningsi, new species. A remarkable species, peculiarized by the thorn-shaped scutellum. Male.—Head flat in appearance, not much broader than high; ocellar triangle small, strongly protuberant, shining black; frontal triangle pollinose at apex, and lower corners shining black and bare above antennae; face broad, narrowing a little below, flat in profile with small median tubercle, mainly shining black through middle, densely pollinose on sides; antenna yellowish brown, slender, very elongate, nearly equal to height of head, first joint more than twice as long as broad, subequal to second, the third longer than first two together; arista much shorter than third joint; mesonotum with very short black pile on disc with scattered yellow scales intermixed; anterior margin of mesonotum with broad band of yellow tomentum; band of yellow tomentum behind transverse PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 109 suture broadly interrupted in middle; posterior margin with yellow tomentose band which extends forward on sides nearly to suture; scutellum with short stiff yellowish and black hairs, produced behind to a sharp point, in general appear- ance like that of a very stout thorn, or a nearly equilateral triangle; pleurae shining black with a very few widely scattered whitish scales; femora stout, strongly spinose below, black with the bases sharply yellowed, apices briefly yellow; tibia black with yellow bases; tarsi yellow, last two joints in all cases black; second and third abdominal tergites subopaque black with shining metallic lateral margins and the third with broad band of dark metallic colora- tion; fourth tergite shining bronze with scattered white scales; wings hyaline; discal crossvein near base of discal cell; first posterior cell with very short petiole beyond; spurious vein absent; squamae white, halteres yellowish. Length, 6.5 mm., wing, 5 mm. Type-locality—Canal Zone, Panama (A. H. Jennings). divpe—Cat. No, 2/856, Unswinee ME. The specimen was evidently reared as the pin also bears three puparia. No rearing data is available, however. Mr. C. T. Greene states that the puparia greatly resemble the Myiolepta type which is added proof of the relationship of Lepidostola to Mytolepta. The head greatly resembles that of the Chryso- gasterae as claimed by Williston, but this seemingly is a coinci- dence. ZONEMYIA, new genus. Face with a deep cavity below antennae, which is directly raised to a strong keel which continues to oral margin; thorax without tomentum, the usual pile extremely reduced, apparently absent; anterior margin of mesonotum armed with a transverse row of short, stout black spines (always?); metasternum with a band of chitin extending clear across its posterior surface. Genotype.—Zonemyia spinosa, new species. Zonemyia spinosa, new species. Male.—Head very broadly elliptical; ocellar triangle very large, blackish in vicinity of the ocelli but yellowish pollinose before and behind; eyes narrowly separated; frontal triangle and face, except carina and jowls, densely golden pollinose; face with fairly deep but short concavity below antennae then raised to a strong straight keel which extends to oral margin; upper posterior rim of head armed with short stout black spines; mesonotum black with numerous minute hair tubercles bearing minute hairs; three golden pollinose transverse stripes, the anterior pair placed before middle of thorax, interrupted in middle; posterior one in front of scutellum; a row of short stout spines along anterior margin of first transverse stripe; the second one extending well onto the pleurae; scutellum yellow pollinose; fore and mid femora slightly swollen, the anterior pair simple, mid pair with few small ventral spines; hind femur much swollen, spinose on ventral surface; tibiae reddish brown, fore pair darkened apically; fore tarsi enlarged (asin Temnostoma and Sphecomyia pattont) black; mid and hind tarsi normal, yellowish; abdomen very insignificantly pilose; constricted at second and third segments, second tergite with pair of shining brassy spots; 110 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 third and fourth tergites brassy on sides, subopaque medianly, with pale short pile; wings smoky; petiole beyond first posterior cell nearly as long as discal crossvein; apical crossvein angulated. Length, 7.75 mm., wing 5.5 mm. Female.—Front variegated golden and blackish pollinose, at vertex equal to length of third joint; at antennal base slightly longer than length of antennae. Ty pe-locality —Trinidad River, Panama. Type.—Cat. No. 27828, U.S. N. M. Holotype male and allotype female, June 2, 1911 (A. Busck). Another male specimen, Trinidad River, Panama, June 5, 1911 (A. Busck) differs a little in color from the above. The scutellum has very little trace of golden pollinosity and the second tergite has a pair of elongate yellow spots. Myiolepta transversa Hine evidently belongs to Zonemyia. It differs from spinosa principally in having patches of dense golden tomentum on the abdomen. Genus QUICHUANA Knab. Quichana Knab, Ins. Ins. Mens, I, 13, 1913. Two species were included in this genus at the time of its erec- tion: sy/vicola Knab, genotype, and picadoi Knab and Knab further stated that ?Ma/lota championi Williston probably belonged here, too. Two additional species are at hand and a synoptic key is given for the group. Al. Arista much shorter then antenna; hind margins of second and third terantes: «yellows, ¢(Petil)tie.c:02..05..as0.3 kee ee inca, new species. A2. Arista as long as antenna; abdomen not bicolored. Bl. Abdomen shining metallic bronze. (Mexico)... championi Williston. B2. Abdomen shining black. Cl. Anterior margin of wing distinctly infuscated; no stigmatic crossvein. (Batata) eee eae ee es calathea, new species. C2. Anterior margin of the wing hyaline or nearly so; stigmatical crossvein present. D1. Face broader than length of arista. (Peru) — sy/vicola Knab. D2. Face a little narrower than length of arista. (Costa 15 Ss Ment ie) Be ere i SELLS. ae Oa picadoi Knab. Quichana inca, new species. Male.—Head broadly elliptical; ocellar triangle normal with rather long black pile; eyes contiguous; frons rather large with long black pile and with short yellow pile along eye margins; antenna elongate, slender, much longer than arista and width of face; second joint twice as long as first and nearly as long as second; face shining black with four narrow pollinose stripes extending down from antennae, the lateral ones extending to eye margins, the median ones to oral margin and thence to eye margin and turning upwards along the eye margins they meet the lateral stripes, thus forming an elongate pear-shaped outline; facial pile fairly long, pale; mesonotum dark, a pair of pale pollinose stripes, fading posteriorly; pile short and yellowish with longer black hairs intermixed; scutellum brownish, crescent-shaped, nearly three times as broad as Jong; femora PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 htt black, reddish brown apically; tibiae and tarsi reddish brown; hind femora greatly enlarged; abdomen chiefly black, narrow, slightly constricted subbasally; first tergite with matted yellow hairs; second and third tergites bordered behind with yellow pollinosity; wings infuscated anteriorly; stigmatical crossveins present; squamae darkly tinged, cilia brownish; halteres reddish brown. Length, 9 mm., wing, 7 mm. Ty pe-locality —Huascaray, Peru. One male September 21 (C. H. T. Townsend). Type.—Cat, No. 27829, U.S. N. Mi Quichana calathea, new species. Male.—Orbits with yellow pile; ocellar triangle black pilose; frons with coarse bright yellow pile; antenna moderately elongate, slightly shorter than arista, third joint nearly as long as first two combined; arista longer than width of face; face whitish pollinose with fairly dense whitish pile; mesonotum dark with four whitish stripes; pile yellow, fairly long, a dense patch of yellow pile on notopleura which extends onto mesopleura; legs blackish to reddish brown; hind femur moderately enlarged; abdomen entirely shining black, broadest basally; clothed with yellow pile, mat-like on first tergite; wings with a large white spot apically, strongly infuscated anteriorly and basad of the white spot; stigmatica! crossvein absent. Length: 16 mm., wing, 8.5 mm. Female.—Front rather narrow; pile everywhere darker, apex of wing usually without white spot. Ty pe-locality.—Porto Bello, Panama. Us pe — GateNo. 27830, Us S.No Me. Ten specimens were reared from the water and material in the flower bracts of a large species of Ca/athea, August 28, 1923 (R. C. Shannon). Mixogaster rarior, new species. Ma/e.—Head broader than its height by nearly the width of an eye, broadly elliptical; eyes widely separated, the front slightly widening upwards; distinctly longer than broad; a transverse impression midway of ocelli and antennae; a yellow spot behind ocelli and a yellow transverse stripe below ocelli; antennae dark brown, shorter than length of face; first joint as long as following two, the second about one-third of first; first joint slender, following two thickened; arista paler, a little longer than third joint; face bright yellow, clothed with scattered pile; nearly three times as high as broad, straight in profile with gentie slopes; a small shining black tubercle a short distance below antennae; dorsum of thorax dark brown bordered completely, except on anterior margin between humeri, by a yellow stripe which includes scutellum; pleurae yellowish; legs dark reddish brown, bases of tibiae yellow; abdomen greatly constricted basally, the third and fourth segments of normal width, dark reddish brown color, paler on basal two-thirds and post margin of second and post margin of third tergites; wings infuscated anteriorly; a spur extending upwards from tip of fifth vein into first posterior cell; apical crossvein twice angulated, and with spurs at each angle also at the base of apical crossvein (four spurs in all). Length, 9 mm., wing, 6 mm. $k2 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 Female.—Front and vertex subquadrate, a little longer than broad; length, 11 mm., wing, 9.5 mm. Ty pe-locality —Vaboga Island, Panama. Type.—Cat. No. 27831, U. S. N. M. Holotype male, paratype male, February 23; allotype female, February 26, 1924 (A. Busck). Mixogaster dimidiata Giglis-Tos (Mexico) is apparently the closest related species to the above but it is distinguished by its extraordinary arcuate face. M. mexicana also is closely allied. It may be distinguished by its yellow antennae and lack of yellow lateral mesonotal border. Mixogaster rarior rarissimus, new variety. Male.—Differs from the male of the above by its larger size, 11 mm., vertex behind ocelli uniformly reddish brown; a median brownish stripe extending from oral margin to faint tubercle below antennae; only the spur at the tip of the fifth vein present. Ty pe-locality.—Cacao Trece Aguas, Alta Vera Paz, Guatemala, March 28, 1906 (Schwarz & Barber). Type.—Cat. No. 27832, U. S:.N. M. Microdon micromidas, new species. Female.—Small species of a general yellowish appearance. Head as broad as high; ocellar triangle protuberant; front black, with scant bright yellow appressed pile; front narrowed somewhat above; antennae yellowish brown, shorter than face, first joint twice as long as broad, the second much smaller than the first, the third nearly three times as long as first; face yellowish, narrow- ing below, evenly clothed with bright yellow pile; dorsuin of thorax noticeably smaller than frontal aspect of head, brassy black, with golden pile; pleurae dark with yellow pile; legs bright yellow, the hind legs with the apical half and first two tarsal joints black and with black pile; abdomen yellow with diffuse dark markings at the middle, clothed with yellow pile; wings with a distinct yellow- ish tinge, darkened apically. Ty pe-locality —Taboga Island, Panama, February 21, 1911 (A. Busck). Type.—Cat. No. 27833, U.S. N. M. This species is closely related to Microdon wheeleri Mann which differs by having the first antennal joint as long as the third; a broad median stripe of the face shining and bare; dorsum of thorax larger than frontal aspect of head and nearly entirely yellow in color with a transverse band of black pile behind suture; legs entirely yellow (apical half of hind tibia and tarsi with black pile). Micromidas shows several strong points of relationship with Microdon (Masarygus) megacephalus chiefly in the large head and small thorax and color and pilosity of the hind legs. Perhaps the three species discussed here will eventually be shown to be a closely related group. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 1g THE HISTORY OF THE RYNCHOPHORID GENERA RYNCHO- PHORUS, CALENDRA, SPENOPHORUS AND SITO- PHILUS (COLEOPTERA). By W. Dwicur Pierce, Banning, California. > Ry I have been asked by Mr. A. F. Satterthwait to elucidate in full my studies of the genotypes of the important genera of the grain weevils, and the corn root weevils. The following notes are extracted from my manuscript on the generic nomenclature of the Rhynchophora, which is based on personal study of practi- cally all the original publications in the group. I will trace step by step the citations which may have a direct bearing on type fixation in the genera concerned. CURCULIO Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., 10th edit., pp. 377-386. Includes 80 species, no type designated. First valid designation of type by Latreille, 1810,=nucum Linnaeus. Balaninus Germar, 1817, is an isogenotype. This genus had as its first three species palmarum, indus, and hemipterus. RYNCHOPHORUS Herbst, 1795, Der Kifer, vol. 6, pp. 3-429. Includes 22 species, no type designated. First designation of type by Schénherr, 1826, = palmarum Linnaeus. CORDYLE Thunberg, 1797, Kongl.—Vet. Ac. Handl., vol. 18, pp. 44-49. Includes 5 species, no type designated. The first species was palmarum Linnaeus, and is hereby designated as type, making Cordyle an isogenotype of Rynchophorus. RHYNCHOPHORUS Illiger, 1798, Verz. Kaf. Preuss., pp. 497-510. Equals Rynchophorus Herbst, 1795. CALENDRA Clairville-Schellenberg, 1798, Ent. Helv., pp. 62, 63. Includes 2 species, no type designated. First designation of type by Latreille, 1810,= abbreviata Fabricius. Sphenophorus Schénherr, 1838, is an isogenotype. CALANDRA Clairville-Schellenberg, 1798, Ent. Helv., plate 2. Equals Calendra Clairville-Schellenberg, 1798. CALANDRA Fabricius, 1801, Syst. Eleuth., vol. 2, pp. 429-438. Equals Calendra Clairville-Schellenberg, 1798. CURCULIO Latreille, 1810, Consid. Gen. Type designation=nucum, (Fabricius) Linnaeus. CALANDRA Latreille, 1810, Consid. Gen. Type designation=abbreviata Fabricius. Equals Ca/endra Clairville-Schellenberg, 1798. CALANDRA Leach, 1815, Edinb. Encyc., vol. 9, Entom., pp. 106-109. Type designation=granaria Linnaeus. Equals Sitophilus Schonherr, 1838. CALANDRA Say, 1824, Amer. Ent. Equals Calendra Clairville-Schellen- berg, 1798. RHYNCHOPHORUS Schénherr, 1826, Curc. Disp. Meth., pp. 23, 326. Type designation =pal/marum (auct.) Linnaeus. Equals Rynchophorus Herbst, 1795. CALANDRA Schonherr, 1826, Cure. Disp. Meth., pp. 23, 328. Type designation = granaria (auct.) Linnaeus. Equals Sitophilus Schénherr, 1838. SPHENOPHORUS Schonherr, 1838, Gen. et Sp. Curc., vol. 4, pt. 2, p. 875. 114 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 Type designation=abbreviata Fabricius. Equals Calendra Clairville-Schellen- berg, 1798. SITOPHILUS Schonherr, 1838, Gen. et Sp. Curc., vol. 4, pt. 2, p. 968. Type designation = oryzae Linnaeus.! The synonymy given above may be expressed briefly as fol- lows: CURCULIO Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., 10th edit., pp. 377-386. type—nucum Linnaeus, designated by Latreille, 1810. BALANINUS Germar, 1817, Mag. der Ent., pp. 339-341. type—nucum Linnaeus, designated by Leach, 1819. RYNCHOPHORUS Herbst, 1795, Der Kafer, vol. 6, pp. 3-429. type—pal/marum Linnaeus, designated by Schénherr, 1826. CORDYLE Thunberg, 1797, Kongl. Vet. Ac. Handl., vol. 18, pp. 44-49. type—pa/marum Linnaeus, hereby designated. RHYNCHOPAORUS Illiger, 1798, Verz. Kaif. Preuss., pp. 497-510. type—pa/marum Linnaeus, designated by Schénherr, 1826. CALENDRA Clairville-Schellenberg, 1798, Ent. Helv., pp. 62, 63. type—abbreviata Fabricius, designated by Latreille, 1810. CALANDRA Clairville-Schellenberg, 1798, Ent. Helv., plate 2. type—abbreviata Fabricius, designated by Latreille, 1810. SPHENOPHORUS Schénherr, 1838, Gen. et Sp. Curc., vol. 4, pt. 2, p. 875. type—abbreviata Fabricius, designated by Schonherr, 1838. SITOPHILUS Schénherr, 1838, Gen. et Sp. Curc., vol. 4, pt. 2, p. 968. type—oryzae Linnaeus, designated by Schénherr, 1838. CALANDRA Leach, 1815, Edinb. Encyc., vol. 9, Entom., pp. 106-109. type—granaria Linnaeus, designated by Leach, 1815. 1My attention has just been called to a point in Schonherr’s work that I seem to have overlooked in my studies. It seems that Sch6nherr (1826, Curc. Diep. Meth. pt. 4, preface p. V) preferred to change all feminine genonyms into masculine form, and that when he proposed Sitophi/us he intended to substitute this name for Ca/andra as he interpreted that name. We might truly consider it a pure substitution and consider his genus Sitophilus a pure genotypic syno- nym of his 1826 conception of Calandra if he had named the same species as his type of Sitophilus; but he did not do this. Instead he named another species, now considered as congeneric, but which has a morphological character of such importance that in many families the two would be separated as distinct genera. This may never occur in this group; but because future entomologists may con- sider the presence or absence of wings of true generic character, it is best for us to abide by what Schénherr did. rather than what he intended to do. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 115 DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SAWFLY INJURIOUS TO JACK PINE. By S. A. Rouwer, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. The description of the species given below is published at this time so that the name may be available for use in a paper dealing with the life history and habits of the jack pine sawfly. Neodiprion (Neodiprion) banksianae, new species. Structurally this new species is very closely allied to dyari Rohwer but, besides certain details in sculpture and a somewhat different clypeus, it may be readily separated from dyari by the paler abdomen of the female and the ferruginous venter of the male. This species is also closely allied to eximina Rohwer, but it may be distinguished from that species by the narrower and broader postocellar area, the more finely punctured pre-’ scutum, more sparsely punctured mesepisternum, and the pale tergum. , Female.—Length 7 mm. Clypeus convex, covered with rather large irregu- lar punctures, the apical margin slightly emarginate and narrowly depressed; middle fovea large, somewhat circular in outline, rather deep; frons coarsely, irregularly punctured; vertex and posterior orbits shining, with large scattered punctures; postocellar area convex, three times as wide as its anterior width, not depressed medianly; antenna 19-jointed, the third joint slightly longer than the fourth, the rami about equal to the length of the joints; scutum and prescutum polished but with small, separate, distinct punctures; scutellum sharply angulate anteriorly, almost truncated posteriorly, the sides with large distinct punctures; mesepisternum shining, dorsally with distinct separated punctures; tarsi normal; hind basitarsus distinctly longer than its apical width; tergites polished; sheath when seen from below with the apical margin rounded, the pad-like brush elongate and separated from the median ridge by a distance greater than one- half its width, the length of the pad subequal with the basal portion of the ridges supporting them. Ferruginous, testaceous and black; head ferruginous; frons from the bases of the antennae up to and including the ocelli (making a broad U), the vertical furrows and antennae black; prescutum except testaceous lateral margins, scutum and metanotum, black; pronotum, pleurae, base of the venter and sides of the tergites, testaceous; abdomen, except where mentioned, pale, ferruginous; coxae, trochanters, bases of tibiae testaceous; femora except the black basal part of the anterior pair, apices of tibiae and tarsi ferruginous; wings hyaline; venation dark brown, costa testaceous. Paratype females vary in the amount of black on the frons and in some of them the U-shaped black mark is broken so as to be only a transverse black band around the ocelli and irregular spots at the bases of the antennae. In some paratypes, the posterior median portion of the scutellum is punctured, but in none of the specimens is the scuteilum punctured in the anterior median portion. Male.—Length 5.5 mm. Clypeus convex the surface with large well defined punctures, the apical margin gently arcuately emarginate and very narrowly depressed; head with large punctures which are irregularly confluent on the 116 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 5, MAY, 1925 frons; postocellar area not sharply defined laterally, distinctly convex; antennae 20-jointed; pronotum irregularly punctured; scutum and prescutum shining, with separate small punctures; scutellum with large close punctures which are irregu- larly confluent laterally; mesepisternum coarsely irregularly punctured dorsally, ventrally shining and with small scattered punctures; two basal tergites with a- few large scattered punctures, remaining tergites polished; hypandrium with the apical margin broadly rounded, the surface with distinct scattered punctures. Black; clypeus, ventral aspect of tergites and all the sternites ferruginous; labrum and tegulae testaceous; apices of coxae, trochanters, base of the four anterior tibiae and four anterior tarsi, testaceous; femora, apices of the four anterior tibiae, all of the posterior tibiae and the posterior tarsi, ferruginous. Ty pe-locality—Itasca Park, Minnesota. Paraty pe-locality —Osage, Minnesota. Described from three (one type) females and two (one allo- type) males from the type locality and from seven females and five males from the paratype locality. This material was reared from larvae feeding on Pinus banksiana by S. A. Graham and is recorded under Bureau of Entomology Nos. Hopkins U. S. 17501 and 17500 and various sub-letters. The type is recorded under No. 17501—u and the allotype under 17501—v. All of the specimens emerged during September, 1924. Type, allotype and paratypes.—Cat. No. 28104 U.S. N. M. Two females and three male paratypes deposited in the collec- tions of the University of Minnesota. Actual date of publication, May 28, 1925. EDITORIAL. What are the chief requisites for a scientist? Obviously, the first is an insatiable curiosity concerning the workings ot Nature; and the second, a tireless patience with small details. About the third Doctors will disagree. Some will hold for education; some for imagination; others for an acute reasoning faculty; and still others for certain a priori or, at least, a posteri- ori convictions. For my part, I contend that the third and most essential requisite—because it is a kind of saving grace—is a humorous and healthy scepticism, an ability to doubt against the loud voice of authority and the circumstantial evidence of the apparently obvious. Of course the scientist must have certain other qualifications—the practical virtues of industry, courage and docility, and the psychic virtues of faith, hope and vanity; but these he requires rather as a man than as a man of science, and these he shares with the common run of men. Faith, for example, is something we all have—and must have. Every one believes in something; if not in Santa Claus, then in the authori- ty of professors, Natural Selection, Psychology, the evidence of plotted curves, statistics or the finality of his own inductions; and he believes with a sincerity that is at once simple and sublime. But in such belief a certain danger lies. It is too easy—and often too profitable—to believe. This is an age of faiths; and they are so many and all-sufficient, so insinuating, so well served by propaganda, so conveniently capsulated that one 1s apt to gulp them in almost unconsciously, to the ruin of his mental health. Nearly every belief held by normal beings contains some measure of truth, but none is altogether, or even substantially, true—as stated; and to swallow any of them whole, as many do, does not make for sound science, however much it may promote ethics or prosperity. The scientist should never make a complete, unqualified act of faith—never surrender unconditionally to a theory or synthe- sis of facts. When he does he ceases to be a scientist, and is fit only for stratagems, reformism and the bureaucratic somnam- bulance of efficiency. He becomes a “practical”? man. A “practical”? man can not afford to doubt. A man of science can not afford not to. For him a reasonable minimum of doubt is always the incentive to look further, to examine anew, to reassort facts, to probe for contradictions, weaknesses, omis- sions,—in other words, to continue the laudible business of exploring the privacies of Nature. It is his v/s a tergo. Heisa scientist primarily because he is curious, and to satisfy that curiosity he must be laboriously patient; but he is curious chiefly because—in his secret, plasomic self—he is considerable of a sceptic. —Carl Heinrich. c : Pt. Eh ‘ ’ . va ; 7 ey Me is] ay abo’. ES pTiin eaten WAT. so anerens |“ a.” ee, y a id y a ; a ald , Ge vd 4 a > ig g “a ‘ ~ Y heals es VOL. 27 JUNE, 1925 No. 6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL ee LEY OF WASHINGTON«\: he yuL 71925 * CONTENTS ALDRICH, J. M.—TWO NEW SPECIES OF THE TACHINID GENUS LIXOPHAGA, WInHPNOTES AND! KEY (DIPTERA)! .). 3 sts se a e Say ae ASD BARNES, WM. AND BENJAMIN, F. H.—NOTES AND NEW SPECIES (cEeipee. pon Ss ORT atc tons BE ear, CHITTENDEN, F. H.—THE GENUS COCCOTORUS LECONTE (COLEOPTERA) . 129 MALLOCH, J. R.—A SYNOPSIS OF NEW WORLD FLIES OF THE GENUS SPHAE- ROCERA (DIPTERA: BORBORIDAE) ya soca rei Ei ee Unb en arene 20 oe eaten LI LIEY, PusiisHeD MontHiy Except Juty, AuGust AND SEPTEMBER BY THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM WASHINGTON, D. C. Entered as second-class matter March 10, 1919, at the. Post Office at Washington, D. C., under Act of August 24, 1912. Accepted for mailing at the special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized July 3, 1918. THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON Orcanizep Marcu 12, 1884. The regular meetings of the Society are held on the first Thursday of each month, from October to June, inclusive, at 8 Pp. M. Annual dues for members are $3.00; initiation fee $1.00. Members are entitled to the ProcreEpINGs and any manuscript submitted by them is given precedence over any submitted by non-members. OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1925. Flonoraryele hesiaent iz Ul nc Vue) goes a) eee le, eine Se eee rAU SS CEIVWAIRNZ President Be med oh ee ees De a nally tia Satapie) oy ORAL USERS First Vice- Pretiden! Babine? -feldon tohestys epg Me einen > >) SOME OBSERVATIONS UPON NECREMNUS LEUCARTHROS (NEES) (HYMENOPTERA: EULOPHIDAE). By T. R. Cuamper.in, U.S. Bureau of Entomology. In the summer of 1923, the writer received at the laboratory of the U. S. Bureau of Entomology at Hyéres, Var, France, some shipments of cocoons of the alfalfa weevil (PAyfonomus posticus (Gyll.)) from which the eulophid, Necremnus leucarthros issued. The character and identity of the insect was not known to the writer at the time of its emergence but it was suspected of being a secondary of the alfalfa weevil, possibly through Joplectis maculator (Kab.) or Dibrachoides dynastes (Forst.) In experi- ments conducted at the laboratory it could not be made to re- produce upon Dibrachoides dynastes but it reproduced freely as an external parasite upon the prepupae of the alfalfa weevil. No attempts were made to breed it upon Lfoplectis maculator because of the scarcity of this species. PREVIOUS HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION. Necremnus leucarthros was first described by Nees von Esen- beck in 1834 under the name Eulophus leucarthros from speci- mens taken in flowers of Anethus graveolentus at Sickerhaus, Germany in July (1). The species was transferred to the genus Necremnus by Thomson (2) in 1878 who stated that it occurred all over Sweden but specified no locality. Dr. Franz Ruschka (3) records it as a parasite of the Chrysomelid, Lema cyanella Linn., infesting Hordeum sativum at Eisgrub, Moravia. The species is recorded and illustrated but not described by Graham- Smith (4) who states that it is a parasite in puparia of Diptera but he mentions no localities.2 In records of the alfalfa weevil work conducted in Europe in 1911, W. F. Fiske mentions an “external eulophid” found in alfalfa weevil cocoons, and Dr. Martelli in his ‘First Contri- bution to the Biology of Phytonomus variabilis Herbst” (5) speaks of an ecto-parasite of the larva which he calls “ Eulophus sp.’ It may be that both of these men encountered the species under consideration. Dr. W. R. Thompson observed several species of Eulophids in his work on alfalfa weevil parasites in 1The writer wishes to express his appreciation to Mr. A. B. Gahan for his determination of the insect and the references to the literature which he fur- nished. 2Of this Mr. Gahan says in correspondence, “I assume that it was somewhere in England, possibly at Cambridge where Graham-Smith was a lecturer * * *. It may be that the Graham-Smith record refers to a different species from that you are dealing with * * *. The host records seem to conflict * * *.” PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 7, OCT., 1925 143 1912 and 1913 and he very probably saw this species although the writer has been unable to decide this point from Thompson’s original notes. A study of material preserved by Mr. P. H. Timberlake at the Salt Lake laboratory of the Bureau of Ento- mology while he was engaged in parasite liberation there shows that. the insect was found sparingly in material received from Portici, Italy, but Timberlake did not determine whether it was a primary or secondary parasite. The writer has been able to add to the localities from which the parasite has been previously recorded the following: Piedimonte d’Alife, Italy, Tournon Ardéche and the environs of Chambéry, France. In the writer’s experience the insect appeared rare except in a few instances where it was found in fair numbers. REPRODUCTION OF NECREMNUS LEUCARTHROS (NEES). The most important of the reproduction experiments with N. leucarthros was performed with 8 females and 1 male which were confined with 18 specimens of the host between June 9 and June 23, 1923, inclusive. The hosts, which usually were freshly spun prepupae of Phyfonomus, were taken two at a time and kept in a tube with the eight females and one male from one to two days, when they were removed and two fresh prepupae sup- plied. The eggs, which were placed externally upon the hosts, were counted as accurately as was possible without disturbing them or the hosts but undoubtedly some eggs were overlooked. In six cases, egg records were not kept for the following reasons: one host was parasitized by a species of Bathyplectes and not oviposited upon, one died before oviposition by the parasites, one broke from its cocoon, the eggs on two were not observed until after they had hatched, and one pupated and cast the eggs off with the skin before they were counted. For some reason the parasites failed to oviposit upon one of the other hosts. On the remaining 11 hosts, a total of 212 eggs, or an average of 19.3 per host, were counted. The maximum number per host was 40 and the minimum 6. From the 40 eggs deposited upon a single host only four adults were produced, although most of the eggs hatch- ed and many more than four of the larvae pupated. All of these were undersized. From this it would appear that so large a number of eggs per host is abnormal in nature. As many as 18 well developed adults were, however, secured from a single host. The eggs were usually found on the day following the confine- ment of the parasites with the host. Most of the eggs were hatched on the day following that on which the eggs were ob- served. The meconium was cast in from 5 to 9 days, pupae appeared within 8 to 15 days and adults within 13 to 17 days. Since two hosts were usually parasitized at the same time and these were kept and examined together throughout the experi- 144 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 7, OCT., 1925 ment, it was possible to study the effect of light or heavy feeding by the parasite upon the length of its larval period. When the number of larvae per host was large and the food supply per larva small, the larvae finished feeding early and pupated before the wellfed larvae which continued to feed until they had grown to large size. Nevertheless, results seemed to indicate that the pupal period in underfed individuals was somewhat lengthened, so that the whole time from egg to adult in underfed specimens was not shortened to the extent which might have been expected. The data on this last point are too meagre to do more than sug- gest the idea as stated. CONCLUSIONS. Though in our experience Necremnus leucarthros has proved to be rare, it has a wide distribution and breeds freely upon the prepupae of Phytonomus posticus in the laboratory. It would appear, therefore, that it could very probably be colonized in the United States and that it might increase its usefulness and para- sitize a large percentage of the weevils under favorable con- ditions. This possibility is suggested by the case of the larval parasite Tetrastichus incertus (Ratz.) which has usually appeared unimportant as a parasite of the weevil in Europe but which in the summer of 1922, developed a high degree of parasitism at Piedimonte d’Alife, and Acerra, Italy. REFERENCES TO LITERATURE. (1) Hymenoptera Ichneumonibus Affnum Monographie II, 1834, p. 172. (2) Hymenoptera Scandinaviae, Vol. V, 1878, p. 234. (3) Zeitschrift ftir angewandte Entomologie, 1915, Band II, Heft 2, p. 398. (4) Journal of Parasitology, Vol. II, 1919, p. 374. (5) 1911 Primo Contributo alla Biologia del PAytonomus variabilis Herbst., Boll. Lab. Sool. Agr. Portici, Vol. 5, p. 226-230. A CHANGE OF NAME IN BUPRESTIDAE (COLEOPTERA). By W. S. Fisuer, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. In: the Proce U7 Ss Nae Mus:, vol 66, 1925. rarts leap: 38-39, I described a species of this family from Bolivia under the name of Taphrocerus parvus. Recently I received from Dr. Jan Obenberger a copy of a paper (Sbornik Ent. Nar. Mus. Praze, vol. 2, 1924, No. 13, pp. 57, 76) in which he has described a species under the same name from Paraguay. Since the name given to the species from Paraguay by Dr. Oben- berger has priority, | propose the new name Taphrocerus mod- icus for the species I described from Bolivia under the name of Taphrocerus parvus. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 7, OCT., 1925 145 TWO NEW CHIGGERS (TROMBICULA LARVAE). By H. E. Ewine, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. Each of the two new species of chiggers described in this short communication has a very unusual parasitic habit. One of them has been found only in the small axillary pouches of the front legs of an Indian gecko, and the other has the quite unusual habit of naturally parasitizing a tree toad. Few indeed are the ectoparasites that can find attachment to the smooth, slimy skin ofan amphibian and endure the cutaneous acid secretions of these hosts. That this second species naturally infests the tree toad there can be no doubt for nymphs and adults have been reared from these amphibians captured in nature in a parasitized state. Trombicula gymnodactyli, new species. Specimens as a whole typical for the genus in size, shape and color. Mouth- parts smaller than usual. Palpi short, not reaching the tips of chelicerae, strongly down-curved. First palpal segment about three times as broad as long; second segment, or palpal femur, of about equal length and breadth, and but slightly swollen laterally; third segment slightly broader than long; fourth segment reduced and bearing the three-cleft palpal claw, which is longer than the segment bearing it and has the middle prong of its divided tip longer and stouter than the other two; fifth segment, or palpal thumb, small, short, not swollen, and bearing pectinate setae, some of which are over twice as long as the segment itself. Seta on palpal segment II with one or two barbs; seta on palpal segment III simple; setae on palpal segment IV either simple or with a single barb; some of the setae on segment V rather strongly pectinate. Cheli- cerae each with from five to seven sharp, recurved teeth above and four or five upturned, smaller teeth below. Eyes two each side, almost touching and almost equal. Dorsal shield small, with recurved setae and flagelliform and slightly pectinate pseudostigmatic organs. Number of dorsal abdominal setae about 24. Legs rather small and short, second pair slightly shorter than the other two pairs. Coxa I shorter than coxa II and bearing a single seta near its anterior margin; coxa II with a single seta which is situated near its posterior margin; coxa III shorter than either I or II, and with a single seta which is situated on the anterior margin near the base. Length of engorged specimens, 0.52 mm.; width 0.30 mm. Type host.—A Gecko, Gymnodactylus lawderanus. Type locality —Kooloo Valley, India. Type slide —Cat. No. 955, U.S. N. M. Described from five specimens which were a part of a lot of many specimens that completely filled the axillary pits (mite pockets?) of the front legs of the host. The host specimen was taken in the Kooloo Valley, India, May, 1874, and bears the Museum of Comparative Zoology number 4803. It was sent to the writer for study by Joseph Bequaert, of the Department 146 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 7, OCT., 1925 of Tropical Medicine, of Harvard Medical School. This species is closely related to Trombicula dentata Ewing, from which it may be distinguished by having more ventral teeth to the cheli- cerae and fewer dorsal abdominal setae. TJ. dentata was de- scribed from specimens taken from a white-tailed deer and a cotton rat in the New World. Trombicula hylae, new species. Larvae much longer than in the more typical species of the genus. Palpi rather slender, surpassing the chelicerae. First palpal segment about twice as broad as long; second segment longer than broad and not swollen; third seg- ment slightly broader than long; fourth segment bearing the three-pronged palpal claw, the middle prong of which is much larger and longer than the other two; fifth segment, or palpal thumb, rather slender and not swollen. Seta on second palpal segment much longer than the segment itself and simple; seta on third segment long, simple; setae of fourth segment moderate and simple; some of setae of palpal thumb pectinate but two are simple in addition to a shorter spine-like seta which is simple. Chelicerae with peculiarly shaped arm. Instead of the arm being curved and claw-like it is almost straight, with an enlarged and flattened knob at the end. Above, this knob is recurved and bears a few irregular teeth. Galea small, with simple seta. Eyes two on each side, subequal, touching. Dorsal shield small, about as long as broad, front margin almost straight; behind, the shield is produced into a median angular process. Setae of dorsal shield six, in addition to the pseudostigmatic organs. There is a pair at the antero-lateral corners of the shield, a submedian pair near the front margin, and a pair at the postero-lateral angles. Pseudo- stigmatic organs short and apparently pectinate. Dorsal setae of abdomen about 26. Legs moderate. Coxa I with a single seta which is situated on the posterior margin just inside of spiracle; coxa II with a single seta which is on the anterior margin; seta on coxa III not observed. Length of engorged specimen, 0.65 mm.; width 0.33 mm. Type host.—A tree toad, Hy/a arentcolor. Type locality —Cottonwood Creek, San Diego County, California. Ly pe siide—Cat. No. 956; UL St IN: M. Described chiefly from holotype specimen, which was one of many found infesting the ventral surfaces of tree toads of the species Hy/a arenicolor. These toads were collected March 15, 1925, by L. M. Klauber, at Barrett Dam, Cottonwood Creek, San Diego County, California, and sent to the Division of Rep- tiles and Batrachians, United States National Museum. My attention was called to the infesting mites by Miss Doris M. Cochran. At present the writer is studying their very unusual habits of parasitism and will report on the same in a later paper. The nymphs have been reared in considerable numbers. PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 7, OCT., 1925 147 NEW SERPHOID PARASITES FROM NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA (HYMENOPTERA). By R. M. Fouts. This paper contains descriptions of nine new species of Hy- menoptera belonging to the families Scelionidae and Diapriidae. Measurements are as in the author’s recent paper published in the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, Vol. 27, 1925, pp. 93-103. Each division equals .0108 mm. The specimens from New York were sent to me for identi- fication by Mr. M. D. Leonard of Cornell University. Unless otherwise stated, the types are in the author’s col- lection. Acerota leonardi, new species. Male.—Length 1.23 mm. Length of head (dorsal view) 19, width 34; head rather roughly sculptured, scaly reticulate; lateral ocelli their width from the eye margin; pedicel a little less than twice as long as wide, longer and narrower than the third joint, which is slightly transverse; fourth joint nearly as long as the second and third united, a little wider than the third, slightly curved inwardly and rather sharply produced at apex on the inner side; joints five to ten subequal in length; joints seven, eight, and nine subequal, a little wider than long; tenth joint as long as the fourth, narrower, acute apically; sculpture on the thorax as on the head but much finer; length of thorax 40, width 31; length of anterior wing 95, width 40; wings slightly brownish; length of ab- domen 55, width 24; length of second tergite 27; second tergite with two basal foveae, without distinct sculpture; black; antennae dark brown; coxae black; front legs light brown, the femora darker; middle tarsi and tibiae (except medially) light brown; posterior legs same color as middle pair. Type locality—McLean Bogs, N. Y. One specimen collected by M. D. Leonard, May 16, 1925. It gives me great pleasure to name this species after my friend, Mr. M. D. Leonard, of Cornell University. This species is most closely related to confusa Ashm. The fourth antennal joint in confusa is about as long and as wide as the pedicel. Platygaster nigricoxa, new species. Body black; anterior tibia basally and apically, middle tibia basally, and all tarsi, pale brown; length of head 23, width 40, height 35; frons shining, with a few distinct transverse carinae below, above these striae to the middle of the face finely transversely wrinkled; upper part of frons finely shagreened; occiput finely striate medially, shagreened laterally; length of thorax 55, width 40, height 35; length of thorax behind apex of tegula 21; notauli complete; mesonotum entirely shagreened; median lobe sharply pointed posteriorly, the tip nearly touching the scutellum; scutellum circular, feebly convex, shagreened on anterior half, polished posteriorly; wings hyaline; length of front wing 148 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 7, OCT., 1925 (measured from apex of tegula) 130, greatest width 52; length of longest cilia on front wing 3; cilia on hind wing one-fifth the greatest width of the wing. Female.—Length 3.02 mm. Scape as long as the terminal five antennal joints, finely longitudinally striate above, beset with short white hairs; pedicel about twice as long as wide, nearly as long as the following two joints united; joints two to five subequal in width; third joint shorter than the fourth, closely joined to the fourth, about as wide as long; fourth joint slightly longer than wide, subequal to the fifth; sixth joint as long as the fifth but somewhat wider; joints seven to nine wider than the sixth, distinctly longer than wide, slightly produced outwardly at apex; joint ten longer than joint nine, one and one-half times as long as wide, subacute apically; length of abdomen 130; dorso-lateral ridges on first tergite distinct but not prominent; median area on first tergite smooth, somewhat depressed across the middle; length of second tergite 43, width 33; foveae deep and broad, extending to basal three-sevenths, with several distinct striae inwardly, the latter not reaching beyond the apices of the foveae; interfoveal area suddenly narrowed anteriorly, smooth, without sculpture; length of third tergite 12, width (anteriorly) 32; length of the fourth tergite 19, width 24; length of fifth tergite 28, width 15; length of sixth tergite 20, width 13; sixth tergite triangular, sharply pointed at apex; tergites three to six without sculpture. Male.—Length 1.10 mm. Third antennal joint about as wide as long, nar- rower than the fourth, closely joined to the fourth; fourth joint slightly widened apically, less than twice as long as wide; joints six to nine distinctly longer than wide; joint ten about twice as long as wide, blunt at apex; length of ab- domen 75, width 40. Type locality —San Francisco, California. Description based on two females and one male sent to me for identification by Dr. E. P. Felt. The notes accompanying the specimens were as follows: No. A 2723. Reared from a gall on Lupine produced by Dasyneura /upini Felt and received from San Francisco, Calif., May 13, 1916. Allotype and paratype in Coll. U. S. Nat. Mus., Cat. No. 28497. Platygaster pallida, new species. Male.—Length 1.75 mm. Length of head 23, width 39; frons strongly granular, transversely aciculate medially; occiput separated from the vertex by a sharp carina; occiput traversed by numerous small carinae; lateral ocelli their diameter distant from the margin of the eye; pedicel about as thick as the fifth joint, thicker than the third or fourth, twice as long as wide, slightly longer than the third; third joint more than twice as long as wide, shorter than the fourth; fourth joint as wide as the third, about three times as long as wide, not excised basally; joints seven to ten a little longer than wide; ten less than twice as long as wide, conical; length of thorax 55, width 35; mesonotum finely shagreened; notauli complete, indistinct anteriorly; median lobe of mesonotum rounded posteriorly, extending nearly across the scutellar fovea; scutellum circular, somewhat roughened dorsally, the actual sculpture more or less ob- PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 7, OCT., 1925 149 scured by the presence of numerous fairly long white hairs; length of abdomen 84, width (at apex of second tergite) 41; lengths of tergites as follows: 10, 44, 10, 6, 5, 4, 5; second tergite very strongly striate to apical one-fourth, polished laterally and apically; following tergites polished, without sculpture; second sternite very strongly sculptured to apical one-fourth; wings hyaline, with cilia; body and appendages yellowish-brown; metapleura, propodeum, second abdominal segment except laterally and apically, and last segment entirely, dark brown. Type locality —McLean Bogs, N. Y. One specimen collected May 16, 1925, by Mr. M. D. Leonard. The general color of the body and the sculpture of the ab- domen distinguish the species. The structure and vestiture of the scutellum is also somewhat unusual. The pubescent scutellum recalls forms in the genus 4mé/yaspis but the hairs are less dense and the fovea is deep. Platygaster oenone, new species. Female.—Length 1.35 mm. Length of head 17, width 32; frons mostly polished, with delicate aciculae laterally; antennal joints seven to nine very little longer than wide; length of thorax 40, width 27; mesonotum faintly sha- greened; notauli distinct only posteriorly; scutellum short, circular, subconvex above, polished, sparsely pubescent, separated from the mesonotum by a deep constriction; length of second tergite 30, width 21; foveae short, shallow, a few striae extending past the middle of the segment; length of the third tergite 8, of the fourth 12, of the fifth 13, and of the sixth 11; width of the third tergite (at apex) 14, of the fourth 10, of the fifth 8; sixth tergite conical, acute apically; fifth tergite longitudinally striate medially; other tergites polished; wings hyaline; black; legs dark brown, the tibiae and tarsi lighter. Type locality —Revelstoke, Selkirk Mts. Two females collected by J. C. Bradley, July 1, 1905. Paratype.—I\n Coll. Cornell University. This species 1s mostly closely related to /eguminicolae Fouts. It differs in the structure of the antennae and the shape of the second tergite. In /eguminicolae the second tergite is not dis- tinctly longer than wide. Hadronotus variicornis, new species. Female.—Length 2.07 mm. Length of head 40, width 90; head deeply and broadly excavated posteriorly, the upper margin of occiput very sharp; frons re- ticulated with raised lines, the areas averaging in size one of the ocelli; spaces between the raised lines with a faint sculpture; lateral ocelli their diameter distant from the margin of the eye; pedicel about as long as the third antennal joint, a little over twice as long as wide, scarcely narrowed basally; third joint slightly narrower than the pedicel, as long as the two following joints united; joints four and five subequal, as long as wide; sixth joint as long as the fifth 150 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 6, OCT., 1925 but a little wider; joints seven to twelve forming a club, all of them, except the twelfth, transverse; last joint longer than wide, longer than the penultimate, acute at apex; length of thorax 75, width 82; mesonotum and scutellum reticu- lated like the frons but with the ridges higher; mesonotum without notauli; length of abdomen 85, width 83; length of the first tergite 17, of the second 30, and of the third 22; first tergite with many small longitudinal carinae and with eight larger ones; one of these carinae on each side of the center and those at the extreme edge of the segment somewhat larger than the others; second ter- gite with strong carinae on basal one-third toward the middle; apical margin of segment polished, without sculpture; otherwise the second tergite is granular with a few small wavy longitudinal carinae; third tergite sculptured like the second but with the polished band at apex wider; tergites four and five granu- lar, polished on apical edges, the polished area wider medially; last tergite very short, arcuately excised posteriorly; black; antennae, except last five joints, brownish-yellow; club joints black; legs stramineous. Type locality —Blairmont Plantation, British Guiana. Described from four females reared by H. E. Box, August 18, 1923, from Hemiptera eggs collected on bamboo leaves. Type.—Cat. No. 28498, U. S. Nat. Mus. Paratype in Coll. Fouts. This species is most closely related to H. minimus Kieffer. It differs principally in having the first tergite more than four times as wide as long. Spilomicrus kiefferi, new species. Female.—Length 3.4 mm. Length of head 52, width 54; body polished, except metapleura, propodeum, and first segment of abdomen; antennae 14- jointed, longer than the head and thorax united; scape much less than half as long as the flagellum; pedicel and third joint subequal, the former a little wider at apex, about twice as long as wide; joints to the eighth becoming grad- ually shorter and wider, the eighth about as wide as long; following five joints forming a distinct club, all the joints, except the last, transverse; fourteenth joint a little longer than wide, conical, acute at apex; length of thorax 98, width 65, height 57; notauli briefly but sharply indicated posteriorly; scutellum with two deep and broad foveae at base; scutellum behind foveae flat, transverse; propodeum with a conical prominence at base; first tergite about as wide as long, with strong ridges laterally; length of second tergite 100, width 67; second tergite elevated at base, without foveae or incisions; wings subhyaline; margi- nal nervure reaching margin of wing a little before the middle, a little longer than wide, longer than the radius; black; antennae, except last five joints, dark reddish; club black; palpi stramineous; legs reddish-brown. Male.—Length 3.0 mm. Length of head 50, width 58; antennae thirteen jointed, considerably longer than the whole body, all the joints longer than wide and of uniform thickness; scape somewhat longer than the last joint; joints 3-12 inclusive subequal in length and width; last joint a little longer than the twelfth, five times as long as wide, acute at apex; length of thorax 100, width PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 7, OCT., 1925 151 65, height 57; notauli longer than in the female, extending to the middle of the mesonotum; thorax otherwise as in the female; length of first tergite 35, width 17; first tergite with many more or less distinct longitudinal ridges; length of second tergite 87, width 52; abdomen distinctly longer than the thorax; color, except of the antennae, as in the female; scape dull red; pedicel yellowish- brown; flagellum rather dark brown. Type locality —Saranac Lake, N. Y. Described from ten females and two males collected, August 26, 1916, at Saranac Lake, and from one female collected, April 24, 1925, at Ithaca, New York. Type and paraiypes.—Two females in Collection Cornell Uni- versity; one female and one male in Collection United States National Museum, Cat. No. 28499. This species is named in honor of the distinguished entomolo- gist Dr. J. J. Kieffer. Cinetus pleuralis, new species. Female.—Length 3.40 mm. Length of head 37 (.40 mm.), width 55; lengths of antennal joints: 40, 8, 24, 19, 19, 20, 17, 16, 15, 14, 14, 14, 13, 13, 16; all joints subequal in width, the third about five times as long as wide; second joint a little longer than wide, slightly wider than the scape; fifteenth joint blunt at apex; pubescence on antennal joints about as long as the joints are wide, semi-erect; length of thorax 90, width 56; carina on propodeum not divided; length of first tergite 40, width 14; first tergite of uniform width, with four longitudinal ridges, the two toward the center larger than the others; toward the apex are several small carinae between the ridges; length of second tergite 78, width 50; radial cell closed, about as long as the marginal vein, approximately three times as long as wide; marginal vein as long as the basal; head black; scape rufous; second and third antennal joints brown; flagellum piceous; thorax black, the pronotum and the venter rufous; petiole black; abdomen saffron-yellow except laterally where it is dark brown; legs yellowish- brown, the posterior tibiae and all tarsi somewhat darker. Male.—Length 2.80 mm. Length of head 37, width 52; antennae rather long, filiform, with pubescence as in the female; lengths of antennal joints: 30, 6, 26, 20, 20, 19, 19, 18, 18, 18, 17, 16, 15, 18; third joint very deeply exca- vated on basal two-thirds, the cavity formed being deeper than the fourth joint is wide; width of third joint just behind the excavation 6; second joint slightly longer than wide, a little wider than the fourth joint; joints four to fourteen becoming gradually narrower; length of thorax 85, width 56; length of petiole 40, width 14; petiole sculptured as in the female; length of second tergite 76, width 53; scape yellowish, brown on the outer side toward apex; third joint yellowish, fuscous on the outer side; rest of antennae piceous; thorax colored as in the female; about half of second tergite (basally) and large spot medially on second sternite, saffron-yellow; abdomen otherwise black. Type locality —McLean Bogs, N. Y. Two specimens collected by M. D. Leonard, May 16, 1925. tow PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL 27, NO. 7, OCT., 1925 This species is closely related to ca/ifornicus Ash. The abdo- men in the latter species is uniformly dark brown. I have ex- amined the type of californicus and find that it is a female. Belyta robustior, new species. Female.—Length 3.70 mm. Length of head 63, width 56; pedicel as long as wide, a little over half as long as the third joint, as wide as the third; last joint as long as the third; pronotum narrowed neck-like anteriorly, not bulg- ing outward laterally, with a median groove; pronotum a little over one-third the length of the mesonotum; median carina on propodeum divided at middle; lateral areas not sculptured; posterior angles more or less prominent, subacute; length of first segment 37, width 27; first tergite smooth, with four well defined longitudinal carinae; length of second tergite 100, width 74; median sulcus extending to basal third; a few short grooves on either side of the median sul- cus; total length of abdomen 174; radial cell slightly longer than the marginal vein; black; palpi yellow; antennae rufous; legs reddish-yellow; wings brown- ish. Type locality—Glen Echo, Maryland (Coll. Fouts). Described from one specimen from Glen Echo labelled, Sjune.55 921 and one vspecimen labelled, s) Uthacas, IN- yi Inaly 9 1904. Paratype.—I\n Coll. U. S. Nat. Mus., Cat. No. 28500 AN ADDITION TO THE SAPROMYZID4E OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (DIPTERA). By J. R. Matuocnu, U. S. Biological Survey. In the Proceedings of the United States National Museum, Vol. 65, 1924, the writer, with W. L. McAtee, published a list of Sapromyzidae of the District of Columbia which contains records of 49 species. To this list may now be added Sapromyza rotundicornis Loew which was taken by the writer at Glen Carlyn, Va., in May, 1925. This species is essentially a north- ern one, occurring in New England and the Northwest, and its occurrence here is exceptional. Actual date of publication, October 1, 1925. EDITORIAL. What’s in a name? ‘Tis but a symbol, a tag tacked to a thought or a thing. How much then or how little shall it bind us? May we not be arbitrary with what is often arbitrarily fashioned and, in first instance, was arbitrarily applied; or must we respect the symbol as something sacred, something fixed as to application and limited in implication, something that may be accepted or rejected but, if accepted, may not be capri- ciously employed? Your modernist will answer quickly enough (he always has a ready if not a reliable answer): “Tet us have freedom in our symbols. Let them be elastic rather than rigid, capable of readjustment, transmutation even. Stretch your tags (they are poor things anyway and hardly fit, however applied). Shift them with the shifting of fancy. If I call an earthworm an insect, what harm? I change no facts regarding earthworms or—what some people call insects. I have merely carried over a whole term for a fragment of its meaning. I have made a yard stick elastic.” Exactly! But, one might ask, how is one to measure with an elastic yard stick? What does it mean now to say, “six inches by the yard stick.’” And how is one to know what you are talking about when you use the word insect? There’s the rub. Names, symbols, are tags absolutely essential to the transmission of thought. They are its medium of exchange. Debase the me- dium and you go bankrupt. Confuse the tags and you fre- quently obscure the thought. Certainly you make its trans- mission difficult if not impossible. If you have any doubts about this, read over the articles of the recent defenders of evolution, and please tell me what they are defending. Ask an “‘advanced thinker” to define what he means by “evolution” (distinguishing evolution, change, growth and development). Ask a popularizer of science to define what he means by “‘sci- ence’’; a liberal to define what he means by “liberalism”’; or a modernist to define anything. If he does so, ask him to de- fine his definition. (Don’t ask him to stick to it. That is too big an order for a philosopher who is accustomed to philosophy without logic.) Then dispute, if you can, the sacrosanct nature of the symbol or the self-evident truth of the proposition, that a word applied in two meanings at the same time means nothing. And how does all this pertain to Entomology? Well, there is such a thing as nomenclature, which is some- thing in the way of being a science of symbols, and which, be- cause of our sinning with symbols, has become also something of a nuisance. —Carl Heinrich. NOTES AND NEWS ITEMS. Zoological Record—Part Insecta.—The “Insecta” part of the - aie Record,”’ (as distinguished from the complete volume) will in future be published by, and only obtainable from, the Imperial Bureau of Entomology. The price for the part will be 15/-, as heretofore. It is, however, proposed as an ex- periment to break up a limited number of copies into the follow- ing sections, which will be sold as follows:— Section A. List of Titles and pnead Index’ 2 eee Section B..Coleoptera . . . EE ene seta 15) = Secrom Co Lepidoptera... : a eels ema WA NG / Section D. Hymenoptera and Diptera .4/- Section E. Hemoptera, Orthoptera and remaining Orders | 4/- The above division has been instituted for the benefit of those entomologists who are interested in a portion only of the sys- tematic part of the work. Itisin the nature of an experiment only and can not be continued unless it is widely supported. All orders for the “Insecta” part, or any sections of it, should be addressed to the Assistant Director, Imperial Bureau of Entomology, 41 Queen’s Gate, London, S. W. 7. Orders for the complete volume of the “Zoological Record” should continue to be sent to the Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N. W. 8 VOL. 27 NOVEMBER, 1925 No. 8 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL epee CONTENTS ] D) ) On the afternoon of July 16, while watching the wasps that were busy among the flowers on some plants near the nesting site among the sand dunes, I saw a female seize a large fly (Eristalis tenax L.) on a flower and tumble with it to the sand, where, after a fierce struggle the pair came to rest with the wasp uppermost. The rapidity and violence of the respiratory move- ments of the wasp showed that the struggle had taxed her en- ergy severely. Before I could get near enough to the pair to use my net, the wasp rose with her victim, flew away a short distance and alighted or rather tumbled down on the sand, where the two struggled and rolled about for some time before the wasp succeeded in righting herself with the fly beneath her. Again I approached and again the wasp flew away with her prey with me in pursuit. Fortunately the wasp directed her flight against the wind which together with the weight of the fly so impeded her that I caught her after a short chase. When taken in the net the wasp released the fly, which to my surprise had not been harmed in the least. It has generally been ac- cepted as a fact that these wasps paralyze their prey by stinging it immediately after seizing it, but in this case, although “the wasp had had ample time and opportunity to sting the fly, she had failed to do so. On July 19, the wind swept over the nesting site with more than usual force and the w asps, active in spite of the strong wind, were having more than their share of trouble in entering their nests with flies. As is well known these wasps carry their prey ventral side up firmly clasped beneath them by use of their middle pair of legs. They do not lay aside their prey while opening the nest but retain it in this position and so carry it into the nest. While opening the burrow they stand on the hind legs and dig with the first pair, the second pair being used to hold the prey. Consequently, on this day when the wind was strong and intermittent, whenever a wasp alighted and began to dig open her nest, a strong puff of wind would strike her and send her with her prey rolling over and over on the sand sometimes to a distance of ten or fifteen feet before she could rise and fly back to her nest. All this was very amusing to the observer, but the wasps did not appear to get much enjoyment out of the proceedings. One wasp came in with an unusually large fly and time and again when she tried to enter her nest the wind caught her and sent her with her fly rolling over the sand. It was fully ten minutes from the time she arrived with her victim until she succeeded in entering her nest. When she did succeed in opening the nest the entrance proved too small to permit her to carry in her prey in the usual way, consequently when she entered carrying the fly she had to re lease her hold and so left the fly with its legs sticking up in the air and its head tightly wedged in the entrance to the nest. I reached over PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 9, DEC., 1925 193 with a pair of forceps, seized the fly by one leg and pulled it out. It promptly twisted off the leg and flew away. It was un- harmed. Soon after this another wasp arrived with a large fly and after having almost as much difficulty as the first, finally suc- ceeded in opening her nest. When she entered with her prey she had to release her hold upon it and leave it with its head wedged in the entrance to the nest. Before I reached the fly it set up a vigorous kicking, got loose and flew away. The wasp came out, hunted all about for her prey and then reentered the nest. While she was inside at this time I placed at the en- trance a half-eaten large fly that I had taken from another nest and when the wasp came to the entrance she seized this wreck of a fly and dragged it into her nest, from which she presently emerged and flew away in the usual fashion. Later on in the day a third wasp came to her nest with a large fly and after the usual struggle with the wind succeeded in open- ing her nest. Like the other two she was obliged to leave her victim wedged head-first in the entrance when she attempted to carry it into the nest. This fly quickly got loose and es- caped. The wasp came out, hunted all about and not finding the fly reentered the nest from which she emerged shortly and set off in search of another fly. At the end of twenty minutes she was back with a second fly that I believe to be of the same species as the first. On this occasion I crept quite close to the nest and when the wind rolled the wasp and her victim about on the sand I could plainly see that this fy too had been brought to the nest unharmed. In the struggle that followed, each upset by the wind, the wasp was hard put to it to regain her feet and still maintain her hold upon her prey. As far as I was able to judge from her actions in these struggles, the wasp made strenuous and repeated efforts to sting her victim but it seemed that the necessity of holding the fly tightly against her in order to hold it at all, made it impossible for her to flex the abdomen sufficiently to enable her to use her sting. She finally succeeded in entering the nest leaving this fly wedged in the entrance as she had left the first. Realizing that this one also would escape before the wasp would return to the entrance, I threw the net over it flat just as it got loose and thus held the fly at the entrance under the net. The wasp came out and seized the fly, which had crept a short distance away from the entrance, and started to drag it back into the nest. As the wasp began backing up dragging the fly after her, she became entangled in a fold of the net, released her hold and attempted to escape. Both fly and wasp were taken and are placed on the same pin. The fly, which was identified by Mr. Greene, is Erstalis arbustoreum L. 194 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 9, DEC., 1925 Now, the question arises: why did not these wasps paralyze these large flies before bringing them to the nest? Flies as large as these, perhaps specimens of the same species, were found in the nests of other wasps. Were these thus found paralyzed before taken into the nest or afterwards? In two cases where the flies were so large that they had to be left sticking in the entrance when the wasp attempted to carry them into the nest, they were removed by me and found to be paralyzed. Do the individuals of this species of wasp differ in their ability to inflict a sting on a large fly or do some of them make a practice of bringing in their victims alive and then paralyze them after they get them inside the nest? Unfortunately, I failed to find a case in which an uninjured fly was left sticking in the entrance and was afterwards seized and dragged into the nest, nor have I any evidence to show that smaller flies are ever taken into the nest in the usual way before being paralyzed. That some of these wasps do attempt to bring into their nest flies that have not been paralyzed is evident but we shall have to await further investigations before we can explain this departure from what has been regarded as the orthodox course for a Bembix wasp to pursue in such cases. Wasps of this species will work under weather conditions that would completely discourage the other species of this genus, spinolae and nubilipennis, that I have had an oppor- tunity to study. This is, no doubt, due to the fact that comata has become adapted to conditions that prevail on the sand dunes. The wind blowing over the dunes is always cold so that early and late in the day the wasps are not active at all, and if the sky is heavily overcast with clouds they remain inactive all day long. I made several trips to this nesting site arriving about 1:30 p. M., only to find the sky heavily overcast and not a wasp on the wing. The energy, however, that is displayed by these wasps in bringing food to their young is shown by the following data obtained on a day when the clouds were high and thin and the sun occasionally broke through. | kept four nests under observation at the same time for a period of almost two hours. Wasp of No. I arrived at her nest with preyas: tollows: 11e32) 144 sliles 29 e592? and 12227 No Unita 238501257 Sand del ieiNow mle abiS6;, 2-048 ADD eve Ae D -Soenanicl else wINo: inet 12235 Tes. He: 13% Ike 19, and 1:23. From this it will be seen that No. I brought into her nest six flies in a period of 55 minutes; No. II, four flies in an hour and 27 minutes; No. III, six flies in an hour andes minutes; and No. IV, five flies in 55 minutes. The time spent by the wasps within the nest on these visits varied from one- half to one and one-half minute, the usual time being about one minute. The rapidity with which a wasp brings in prey when the day is favorable depends largely upon the age of the PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 9, DEC., 1925 195 larva she is feeding. If the larva is approaching full growth and the flies furnished are small the larva can devour them almost as fast as the mother wasp can bring them in and this is particularly true if the weather for a day or two preceding has been such that the mother was forced to remain idle. Unhappily I had not the facilities nor the time to attempt to rear the larva of this species from egg to encasement and consequently I have no data showing how long the feeding period lasts or what quantity of food the larva consumes. When the larva is full grown it forms a case, or cocoon, about it composed of grains of sand held together by cement furnished from glands in the mouth. An examination of several of these encased forms, derived from eggs deposited this season, showed that some had already transformed to the pupa stage. I brought a few of these encased forms home with me and on September 28 an adult female emerged from one of them in the laboratory. It is my conviction that at least two (perhaps more) broods per year are produced on the sand dunes. In opening the nest on the different days I saved a number of the flies not yet mutilated by the larval wasps and brought them back with me. These were kindly identified for me by Dr. Aldrich. A list of them with his notes follows. The numeral opposite the name indicates the number of specimens. List or DiprerA FROM NEsts OF BEMBIX COMATA. Apatolestes heraO. S. 2 9,2 %. Known heretofore only from the two type females, collected on the streets of San Francisco by the actor, Henry Edwards, prior to 1877, when the species was described. Thereva niveipennis Kréber. 8. Apparently known heretofore only from the single type, now in the National Museum from Alameda, Calif. Hydrophorus gratiosus Ald. 1. Hydrophorus sp. 1. Toxomerus sp. 1. Headless. Eristalis tenax L. 1. Eristalts latifrons Lw. 1. Hylemyia cilicrura Rdi. 1. Lispa tentaculata DeG. 15. Muscina assimilis Fall. 2. Musca domestica L. 2. Lucilia sericata Mg. 1. Phormtia regina Mg. 1. Senotainia trilineata V. d. W. 1. Tachinomyia similis Will. 1. Bonnettia comta Fall. 1. Meigenielloides cinerea Tns. 1. We had two—the types, from New Mexico and one from Mexico City. 196 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 27, NO. 9, DEC., 1925 A NOTE ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND SYNONYMY OF A MYIASIS- PRODUCING FLY. By Raymonp C, SuHannon, U. S. Bureau of Entomology. Lucilia argyricephala Macquart, Dipteres Exotiques, Supp. I, p. 326, 1846. Lucilia pallescens Shannon, Ins. Ins. Mens. XII, 1924. While visiting Prof. Mario Bezzi (Turin, Italy, July, 1925), the writer showed him specimens of Lucilia pallescens Snn., described from Wilmington, North Carolina. Bezzi stated they were con-specific with Lucilia argyricephala Macqr., a well known species in parts of Asia and Africa which has been reported as an agent of myiasis. Additional material is at hand from the United States which shows this species to be widespread although occurring much less commonly than Lucilia sericata. The writer has very re- cently collected two males of this species on the windows of the National Museum. Apparently the species is established in the vicinity of Washington. DIsTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES. Texas: Dallas, reared December 27, 1913 (Screw-worm Breeding 327, E. W. Laake). Dallas, June 19, October 26, 1914 (Bishopp 3375, 39170). Galveston, August 9, 1914 (Bishopp 3514). Kansas: Parsons, October 10, 1914 (Bishopp 3790). Mississippi: Christian Pass, June 8, 1914 (J. M. Aldrich). North Carolina: Wilmington, July 1, 1919 (Max Kisliuk). District of Columbia: Washington, September 27, 1920 (A. N. Caudell), Sep- tember 3, 1925 (R. C. Shannon). The writer has also seen specimens of Lucilia argyricephala from Hawaii in the British Museum collection. (Recorded in the Fauna Hawaiiensis, vol. III, p. 84, as Luci/ia species, Mts. of Honolulu, 1900.) Actual date of publication, December 24, 1925. INDEX TO VOLUME 27 Acerota leonardi, n. sp., 147. Agabus alpestris, 23, 26, 29. Aglossa gigantalis, n. sp., 127. Agromyza parvicornis, parasite of, 138. Agrotis segetum, 125. Aupricu, J. M., Articles by, 13, 132. Amara quenseli, 22. Amblyteles brevipennis, hosts of, 139. Ameloctonus, 165; fugitivus, 165. Amobia, position of, 158. Amobiopsis, position of, 158. Amorbia emigratella, parasite of, 141. Anaphothrips flavidus, n. sp., 8 Anemosella basalis, 128. Angitia, synonymy, 166 Anilastus, 165. Anisopus, labium of, 91; punctatus, 91. Anopedias error, type of n. gen., 99 Anthomyiidae, 161. Apanteles marginiventris, hosts of, 138; mili- taris, hosts of, 138, parasites of, 139, 140; rufocoxalis, hosts of, 138. Apatolestes hera, 195. Aphodius lapponum, 22. Araneus folium, 22. Archypas piliventris, hosts of, 140; analis, hosts of, 140. Arctocorixa carinata, 23. Astrothrips pentatoma, n. sp., 9. Asyndulum montanum, labium of, 91. Atelura manni, n. sp., 43. Atherigona pulvinata, position of, 162. Autographa brassicae, parasite of, 138. Autographa spp., parasites of, 137-140. Balaninus, type of, 113, 114. Banchus fugitivus, 164, 165. Barser, H. S., Article by, 62. Barnes, Wo., and F. H. Benjamin, Articles by, 7, 14, 123, 168. Barynotus sch6nherri, 22. Belyta robustior, n. sp., 152. Bembidium islandicum, 31. Bembix comata, On the nesting habits of, 189; Diptera from nests of, 195. Benyamin, F. H., and Wm. Barnes, Articles by, 7, 14, 123, 168. Bittacus, sp., labium of, 91. Bolivia, A new species of Myrmecophilous thy- sanura from, 43. Bombus, jonellus, 22. Bombus sp., labium of, 91 Bonnettia comata, 195. Bovine, Apam G., Article by, 17. Brazil, A new chigger from, 91 Brownsville, List of reared parasitic insects from, 137. Buprestidae, change of name, 144. Buscx, Aucust, Articles by, 46, 48. Byrrhus fasciatus, 21; pilula, 21. Calandra, type of, 113, 114; granaria, 113, 114. Calathus melanocephalus, 21. ! Calendra, type of, 113, 114; abbreviata, 113, 114. Calliphora erythrocephala, 25, 32. Calliphoridae, characters of, 161. Calopteron sp., labium of, 91. ; Casey, Colonel Thomas Lincoln, Obituary, 41, 42. CaupveE LL, A. N., Articles by, 43, 154. ee macrotis, larva, 159; cooki, larva, Cerastis lobato, 124; hahama, 124; olivata, 124; oxalina, 124; rubricosa, 125. Chalybion cyaneum, labium of, 91. CuHaMBERLIN, T. R., Article by, 142. Chelonus texanus, hosts of, 138. Chetophlepsis tarsalis, host of, 140. Chiggers, A new species from Brazil, 91; Two new species, 145. CuiTreNnDEN, F. H., Articles by 129, 141. Chorista australis, labium of, 91. Chrysogaster ithaca, n. sp., 107; neotropica, n. sp., 107. Chrysomela staphylea, 22. Chrysomyia, 161. Cinetus pleuralis, n. sp., 151. Cirphis latiuscula, parasites of, 137-140; uni- puncta, parasites of, 137-140. Cisthene (Ozodania) juanita, n. sp., 123; sub- jecta, 123. Citheronia splendens, 123. Coccinella 1]1-punctata, 22. Coccotorus, 129; scutellaris, 129, 131; Key to species of, 130; pruniphilus, n. sp., 130 prunicida, 131; hirsutus, 132. Cocoanut moth, New tachinid parasite of, 13. Colymbetes dolabratus, 23. Cordyle, type of, 113, 114. Corydalis cornutus, labium of, 91. Crampton, G. C., Article by, 68. Cryptohypnus riparius, 21. Cuba, New termite from, 105. Cupes, sp., labium of, 91. Curcullio, type of, 113-114; nucum, 113-114. Curran, C. Howarp, Article by, 51. Cusuman, R. A., Article by, 164. Cuterebra americana, larva, 160; buccata, hag 160; cuniculi, larva, 160, baeri, larva, Cymodusa rivalis, 166. Cytilus varius, 21. Dermatobia hominis, larva, 160. Dexiidae, characters of, 158. Diaspine, One with legs, 36. Dibrachys meteori, hosts of, 139. Diptera from nests of Bembix comata, 195. District of ‘Columbia Sapromyzidae, addition to, 152. Edwardsina sp., labium of, 91. Ellabella, n. gen., 46; editha, n. sp., 48. Empis clausa, labium of, 91. Encyrtid parasite in eggs of Moneilema, 167 Enicospilus purgatus, hosts of, 139. Epiperola, 129; drucei, 129; perornata, 129. Eristalis tenax, 195; latifrons, 195; arbus- toreum, 193. - Eros sp., labium of, 91. Erythraeus phalangioides, 21. Eudesmia, 123; ruficollis, 123. Eumyiolepta, 108. Eupelminus meteori, host of, 140. Euplectrus platyhypenae, hosts of, 140; com- stockii, hosts of. 140. Eupogonius knabi, n. sp., 15; marmoratus, n sp., 16. Eupteromalus viridescens, host of, 140 197 198 Eurymus eurytheme, parasite of, 137. Euxestonotus, n. gen., 98; Key to species of, 99; error, 99; flavipes, n. sp., 99; rufidens, n. sp., 99; brevicornis, n. sp., 99. Ewrnc, H. E., Articles by, 1, 91, 145. Ewine, H. E., M. E. Hatz and S. A. Ronwer, Article by, 153. Fannia brevis, position of, 162. Feltia annexa, parasites of, 137, 138. Fiji, Record of parasite from, 188. Fisuer, W. S., Articles by, 15, 103, 144. Fouts, RoBERT M., Articles by, 93, 147. Frontina archippivora, host of, 140. Ganan, A. B., Articles by, 167, 188. Gauan, A. B., J. A. Hystop and W. R. Wat- ton, Article by, 66. Gasterosteus aculeatus, 28. Gastraulacus, Key to species of, 63; atratus, 63; bisulcatus, 63; nevermanni, n. sp., 63; cavifrons, 63. Gastrophilus equi, larva, 160; haemorrhoidalis, larva, 160; nasalis, larva, 160. Gelis minimus, hosts of, 139. Gonioctena viminalis, 21. Green, Cuar.es T., Article by, 157. Hadena maillardi, 20. Hadronotus variicornis, n. sp., 149. Haematobia irritans, position of, 162. Hatt, M. E., H. E. Ewine and S. A. Ronwer, Article by, 153. Bernas fulvipes, 21; caliginosus, labium of, 1 Hedobia hybrida, 31. Helicobia helicis, host of, 141. Heliothis obsoleta, parasites of, 137-140. Hilarella, position of, 158. Hoxe, Grapys, Article by, 36. Holometabolous insects, Phylogenetic study of labium of, 68. Homohadena loculosa, oziphona, 126. Hoop, J. Douctas, Article by, 8. Hoplogryon coxalis, n. sp., 103. Horogenes, synonymy, 165. Howarp, L. O., Article by, 170. Hunter, Walter David, Obituary, 169; Bio- graphical account of, 170; Biography of, 176. Hydrophilus sp., labium of, 91. Hiycropoute nigrita, 23, 29; gratiosus, 195; sp., 195. Hylemyia cilicrura, 162, 195. Hypocera subsultans, 119; mordellaria, 119. Hypoderma lineatum, larva, 160. Hyposoter, 165; fugitivus, 165; pilosulus, 166; ephestiae, 166; perrivalis, 166. Hypothereutes, 165. Hystop, J. A.. W. R. Watton and A. B. Ga- HAN, Article by, 66. Iceland, A summer trip in, 17. Ichneumon-flies, synonymy and generic posi- tion of two, 164. Idiotypa pallipes, n. sp., 102. Illice, 123. Ischnoscopus, 165. Jack Pine, New Sawfly injurious to, 115. Kalotermes approximatus, 14. Labium of holometabolous insects, 68. Laphygma frugiperda, parasites of, 137-140; exigua, parasites of, 137-140. Larentia thulearia, 20. 2 Laelaps, New parasitic mites of genus, 1; hollis- teri, n. sp., 1, 2; barbatus, n. sp., 1, 2; brazili- ensis, n. sp., 1, 3; wetmorei, n. sp., 1, 4; ru- bustipes, n. sp., 1, 4; californicus, n. sp., 1, 5; glasgowi, n. sp., 2, 6; virginianus, n. sp., 2, 6; reithrodontis, n. sp., 2, 7. Lepidomys nevalis, n. sp., 127; irrenosa, 128; olealis, 128. Lepidoptera, Notes and New species, 123. 125; continentis, 126; INDEX Lepidostola, 108; jenningsi, n. sp., 108. Leptacis angustula, n. sp., 100; platygaster, n. sp., 100; carinator, n. sp., 101; dubiosa, n. sp., 101; abdominator, n. sp., 101; texana, n. sp., 102. Leptostylus knulli, n. sp., 103. Leucaspis knemion, n. sp., 36; Comparative chart of characters of Leucaspis, 38-39; pini, 38; pusilla, 38; perezi, 38; signoreti, 38; india- orientalis, 38; loewi, 38 Limneria guignardi, 164; oedemasiae, 164. Limnerium (Horogenes) discoocellellae, 165. Liothrips genualis, n. sp., 10; badius, n. sp., 11. Lispa tentaculata, 195 Litomastix truncatellus, host of, 140. Lixophaga, New species of and notes on, 132; Key to species of, 133; variabilis, 133; parva, 133; aurea, 133; diatraeae, 134; plumbea, n. sp., 134; mediocris, Nesp 30: Loxostege caffreii, 7; similalis, 7; rantalis, 7. Lucilia sericata, 195; argyricephala, distribu- tion and synonymy of, 196; pallescens, 196. Lycophotia margaritosa, parasite of, 141. Lycus sp., labium of, 91. McArTEE, W. L., Article by, 181. Macaria punctolineata, parasites of, 137, 141. Mattocg, J. R., Articles by, 117, 152. MANN, W. M., and E. A. ScHWARz, Article by, Me cencnsaes cinerea, 195. Melasidae, Two new species from Central America, 62. Melittia lindseyi, n. name, 14. Metachaeta helymus, host of, 141. Meteorus laphygmae, hosts of, 137; parasites of, 139, 140. Metopia, position of, 158. Mexican Cerambycidae, new, 15. Microdon micromidas, n. sp., 112. Microlepidoptera, A new North genus of, 46 Microplitis varicolor, hosts of, 138; brassicae, host of, 138; feltiae, host of, 138; croceipes, host of, 138. Mixogaster rarior, n. sp., 111; rarior rarissimus, n. var., 112 Moneilema, Egcyrtid parasite in eggs of, 167. Monodes nucicolora, parasites ob AST, 140, 141. Morellia micans, position of, Morrisonia diplogramma, 5; Saiseues 125; inquisita, 125. Musca domestica, 162, 195. Muscidae, characters of, 161. Muscina assimilis, 195. Ae eas Classification based on puparia of, 157. Myers, Paul Revere, Obituary, 65, 66. Myiasis-producing fly, Note on distribution and synonymy of, 19 Mryiolepta, 108. Myioleptini, Key to genera of, 108. Myrmicomorpha perniciosa, hosts of, 139. Mythimna albipuncta, 125. Nannochorista dipteroides, labium of, 91. Nasutitermes (Tenuirostritermes) brooksi, n. sp., 106. Nebria gyllenhali, 21. Necremnus leucarthros, observations on, 142. Nemoptera sinuata, labium of, 91. Nemorilla maculosa, host of, 141. Neoascia, Revision of the genus, 51; Table of species, 51-52; subchalybea, n. sp., 53; mi- nuta, n. sp., 53; distincta, 54; unifasciata, n. sp., 55; conica, n. sp., 56; sphaerophoria, n. sp., 57; macrofemoralis, n. sp., 58; metal- lica, 59; nasuta, 59; quadrinotata, 59; glo- bosa, 61; albipes, 62. Neodiprion (Neodiprion) banksianae, n. sp., 115. American Neopristomerus appalachianus, hosts of, 139. INDEX Nigeria, Record of parasite from, 188. Notaris acridulus, 21 Notiophilus biguttatus, 22. Obrima, 126, 168; pyraloides, 126, 168; pimaen- sis, n. sp., 126; rinconada, 168; rinconada primaensis, 168. Oedemagena tarandi, larva, 160. Oestridae, characters of, 159. Oestrus ov is, larva, 159, Omalium rivulare, 21. Ooencyrtus moneilemae, n. sp., 167. Ophion bilineatus, hosts of, 139. Opius otiosus, host of, 138. Orthosia instabilis, 125. . Otiorrhynchus arcticus, 21, 25. Pachyophthalmus, position of, 158. Panorpa lugubris, labium of, 91. Paracarotomus cephalotes from Nigeria, 188. Parasites from hosts collected near Browns- ville, 137. Parker, J. B., Article by, 189. Patrobus septentrionis, 22. Peleteria robusta, hosts of, 140. Periplaneta (Blatta) orientalis, labium of, 91. Phenogodes sp., labium of, 91. Philornus, position of, 161. Phobolosia duomaculata, n. sp., ana, 126; grandimacula, 126. Phormia coerulea, 30, 32; regina, 195. Phorocera marginalis, host of, 141. Pierce, W. Dwieut, Article by, 113. Plagia americana, host of, 140. Plathypena scabra, parasite of, 138. Platygaster affinis, n. sp., 94; anura, n. sp., 94; filicaudis, n. sp., 95; kalmiae, n. sp., 95; minu- tissima, n. sp., 96; perplexa, n. sp., 96; scu- tellator, n. sp., 96; rufidens, n. sp., 97; sig- nata, n. sp., 97; striatifrons, n. sp., 98; tacita, n. sp., 98; nigricoxa, n. sp., 147; pallida, n. 148; oenone, n. sp., 149. eee frigidus, 21. Pollenia rudis, position of, 162. Porismus strigatus, labium of, 91. Presidential address, 17. Prodenia spp., parasites of, 137-140. Protagrotis speciosa, 125. Protocalliphora, position of, 161. Pseudoglaea blanda, 124 Ptychomyia remota, n. sp., 13. Pulex serraticeps, labium of, 91. Puparia of muscoid flies, 157. Pycnoscelus surinamensis, On nymphs and damage to rose bushes, 154. Pyrausta caffreii, On the types of, 7; obliter- alis, 7; marculenta, 7. Quichana, Key to species of, 110; championi, 110; inca, n. sp., 110; picadoi, 110; calathea, mesp.;) LO) V1 Quichuana, 110. ia Doctor Brayton Howard, Obituary, 153. Records of two little-known Hymenoptera, 126; brimley- Rhinoestrus nivarleti, larva, 160. Rhipiphorus dimidiatus, labium of, 91. Rhynchophorus, type of, 113, 114. Rogas laphygmae, host of, 138, parasites of, 139; molestus, host of, 138; atricornis, host of, 138. Rouwer, S. A., Article by, 115. Rouwer, S. A., M. E. Hatt and H. E. Ewrne, Article by, 153. 19 Rose bushes, damage to from Pycnoscelus sur- inamensis, 154. Rynchophorid genera, genotypes of, 113. Rynchophorus, type of, 113-114; palmarum, 113, 114. Sabatinca sp., labium of, 91. Sagaritis dubitatus, hosts of, 139; parasites of, Salda littoralis, 22. Sapromyza rotundicornis, 152. Sapromyzidae, addition from District of Co- lumbia, 1 Sarcophagidae, characters of, 158. Sawfly, new, injurious to Jack Pine, 115. BOE W ANZ, E. A., and W. M. Mann, Article by, Senotainia, position of, 158; tailineata, 195. Sericomyia lappona, 21. Serphoid Parasites, New from the United States, 93; New from North and South America, 147. Setiostoma, On the genus, 48; 48-50. Suannon, Raymonp C., Articles by, 107, 196. Sialis sp., labium of, 91. Sidemia devastator, 124. Silpha sp., labium of, 91. Sitophilus, type of, 114; oryzae, 114. Snyper, Tuos. E., Articles by, 14, 105. Sphaerocera, New World flies of, 117; Key to ee of, 118; curvipes, 119; flaviceps, n. 120; annulicornis, 120; flavicoxa, n. sp., 126: pallipes, 121; bimaculata, 121; varipes, n. sp., 121; striata, n. sp., 122 . nigrifemur, Nn. sp., 122: scabra, 122; pusilla, 122. Sphenophorus, type of, 113, 114. Spilochalcis pallens, hosts of, 139; hosts of, 139. Spilomicrus kiefferi, n. sp., 150. Stenoma querciella, 48-50. Stomoxys calcitrans, position of, 162. Syrphidae, Some American, 107. Tachinidae, characters of, 158. Tachinomyia similis, 195 Tachinus collaris, 21. Tanyderus, labium of, 91. Taphrocerus modicus, n. name, 144; parvus, 144 xanthobasis, torvina, Telenomus nawaii from Fiji, 188. Temnillus, Key to species of, 63; leprieuri, 64; mexicanus, n. sp., 64 Thereva niveipennis, 195. Thysanoptera, Four new from Africa, 8. Thysanura, A new myrmecophilous, 43. Toxomerus sp., 195. Trichacis cornuta, n. sp., 93; texana, n. sp., 94. Trichalophus foveirostris, n. sp., 141. Trichopteran, labium of, 91. * Trichorthosia spinosa, 125. Triphaena pronuba, 125. Trombicula brasiliensis, n. sp., 92; gymno- dactyli, n. sp., 145; hylae, n. sp., 146. Type specimens of insects, Policies relating to, 181 Vickery, R. A., Article by, 137. Watton, W. R., A. B. Ganan and J. A. Hy- stop, Article by, 66. Xyela sp., labium of, 91. Zele melleus, host of, 138. trae n. gen., 108, 109; spinosa, n. sp., 109. .~ a a Ce ve iS ; EDITORIAL. From a casual reading of scientific journals one might get the impression that taxonomy is necessarily a rather dull, prosaic business and that the taxonomist, however he may be inclined to flirt with theory, must remain safely and sacredly wedded to fact. To any one so deluded I recommend a paper by Dr. Roger Verity (M. D.) which has been running for several months in The Entomologists’ Record and Fournal of Variation. With the freedom of an emancipated mind this author soars beyond the commonplace of facts, mounting from assumption to conclusion through the magic circles of hypothesis unto the dizzy empyrean of fiction pure and undefiled whence he views with clairvoyant eye the evolution of species, and reveals to us the meaning and the methods of their evolving. Mystery is unveiled. We are bidden to look upon a war of hormones, a new kind of Guelf and Ghibbeline contest of catabolics and anabolics, begun in preglacial days and continued under the spur of chill and balmy breezes unto the production of what— for lack of a better name—we may call the Zygaenae complex. The paper deserves an extended commentary; but our space is limited and I must confine myself to quotation of a single paragraph (p. 118). It is a choice bit, but typical. “To better define” (the doctor is a congenital splitter it seems)— “to better define what I designate as catabolic and anabolic constitutions, I must recall the latest discoveries of Physiology in the Vertebrates. It has been established that both their minutest features of structure and their behavior are due to the proportions between the secretions of their endocrine glands, which are thus the cause of individual and racial differences. In dogs, the catabolic greyhound is a typical example of a thyro-centric (predominance of thyroid- gland), and the anabolic bull-dog of a pituitary-centered. All have been ack by the resemblance of certain men to these types, showing that the same combination of glands can reproduce them in the most different kind of species. In mankind the Caucasian race owes its superiority and adaptability, which have made it predominant, to a particular concentration and balance ‘of hor- mones in its blood”’; (some might want to credit the predominance to gunpowder. I suspect the doctor is a Nordic); “the Mongolian 1 is subthyroid; the Negro sub- adrenal. We are thus perfectly justified in assuming” (a fine bit of post-impres- sionist logic) “that similar phenomena take place also in the invertebrates, with the difference, that the latter are much more sensitive to surroundings and in consequence more markedly modified by them.” And so it goes—an intolerable deal of speculation without one half-pennyworth of fact. Yet withal the flighty doctor does us a service. He settles the vexing question of what is a species. It isn’t. At most it is a subspecies, an “‘exerge’’ either “catabolic” or “‘anabolic”—and sometimes a little of both (my grammar reflects the doctor’s reasoning). This of course helps; but there’s a heavy payment exacted for the service. From the illicit union of assumption and conclusion he litters a mongrel progeny of subspecies, races, varieties, forms and hybrids which he must needs legitimatize by nomenclatorial baptism, thus overburdening more an already overburdened synonymy. We can only wish that one who seems so suscept- ible to modern vagaries would suffer that last infirmity of scien- tific minds—eugenics—and practice a little birth control. —Carl Heinrich. “Remarks on the evolution of the Zygaenae and an attempt to analyse and classify the Variations of Z. lonicerae Scheven, and of Z. tr ifolii Esp., and other subspecies,” 1925, pp. 101-104, 118-121, 135-138, 154-158, ete. NOTES AND NEWS ITEMS. The Dognin Collection: The Museum has been most fortunate in securing the Dognin Collection of Heterocera with its numer. ous types, making our Neotropical collection by far the best and most complete of any museum either public or private. For many years Mr. Dognin has had collectors in the field, besides correspondents who have sent him large local collections, chiefly from localities heretofore poorly represented in Washington. Mr. Dognin, a friend of many years’ standing, had always promised me the first chance to secure the collection if offered for sale; this he did last year, so with the sanction of Dr. Wal. cott, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and Dr. Howard, Chief of the Bureau of Entomology, I sent out a large number of letters urging people of wealth to subscribe to the fund of $50,000 required, not only on account of the economic value of the collection, but also out of patriotism, as it-would have been an irreparable loss to American students and workers if the collection had remained in Europe. With one exception, the three thousand species described by Mr. Dognin are all American. There are also over three hundred species described by Thierry-Mieg, mostly American, the others European or Oriental, and quite a number of types described by Druce, Hampson, Jordan and Prout. The collection contains approxi- mately: Amatidae ........ . . 964 species, 4708 specimens. Nolinae . hide Der eat CCMA GSE ee ees 140 SS ithostinae:. ies ey) OB 1426 s ING GUM ges Att) aM, so sei ce EDT a eS 5527 - Noctuidae Ae Al iijiesriin' nah DODA GK DOGS s Geometridae’ iis ky) tics ork 44D 4 Da § Splinpidae seventy i weet 789s 1417 7 Sacuibniicaciues iene heleee RATA G Gime nice 2119 s Cenutidac oie 8.) Seni. eo ORIG oS 5610 os asiocampidae wele io hig. eotus 2 Gove 1809 ~*~ EAVGaliGac ways tucelPcik. “fstysa seb lOBi yah: 6357 Micros va hy it escbe ot ae (fe eB trenl se 1246 * The balance consists of Phalaenoididae, Liparidae, Calli- morphidae, Eupterotidae, Melalophidae, Cymatophoridae, Dioptidae, Uraniidae, Psychidae, Cossidae, Pterophoridae, Megalopygidae, Limacodidae, Dalceridae, Castniidae, Zyga- enidae, Hepialidae, etc. . As soon as the full amount was raised for the purchase of the collection I, accompanied by my friend, Mr. J. T.. Barnes, sailed early in June for France, and in five weeks of incessant work had packed and shipped the specimens to Washington, where they are now being unpacked and the types entered in the book kept for that purpose. Later on a paper will be pub- lished with more complete details of the interest and value of this exceptional collection. —Wm. Schaus. * ; Poets i nag ‘ i mh (ran a As HM ihe a Lee Ro i ' } { Al ! we fh P,,4 ‘ eh), iat 4 ns f Po my han Lan : aut i le ae ay At ot Cee ey Mane vised - os estan Py am ie) Mi b, Oty - i ra % if pan Ty, fi i 7; ; ( i ee . - 4 i 7 os 7 ; ay a ae eo } ay eri ; i Vi y | oie & ve ua Be Vu r - ha Me ? 7 } ih ew) G4 a ieee vo Ap MAT A ' oe Ne ‘ ‘ ; uw A. vs 4a Pyar AG ar a | 1 1} ‘Oat v VAS , ‘ + ig i y . 7 | \ a p r) is " a 7 : ' ‘ i ‘ Hl ‘ = ‘ : | ' ( 4 ' s ‘ : fe rd ‘ i e “gy | a L ; a ; 26" Tw . s f } . 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