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A Journal of Entomology

Volume XVII

1910

Published by the Cambridge Entomological Society, Bussey Institution, Harvard University, Forest Hills, Boston, Mass., U.S. A.

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PS Yoh A JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY

ESTABLISHED IN 1874

VOL. XVII FEBRUARY, 1910 NUMBER 1

Prodryas persephone Scudder.

CONTENTS

Two new Myrmecophilous Mites of the Genus Antennophorus. W. VW. Wheeler Ate Ppp oie laa nls Arne RIN ee i ao A Revision of the Species of Agathomyia of the Eastern United States. C. W. Johnson SET DE ieee NIsea Prete mitch Candee sy? i, The Chaleidoid Parasites of the Common House or Typhoid Fly and its

Allies. A.A. Girault and G. E. Sanders

The Harris Memorial Tablet Pia Si he ve Notes on Hemileuca lucina Hy. Edw. William Reiff

A Peculiar Type of Phoridae from Natal. C. 7. Brues Recent Literature Ais ee ea ea ad Lees toe ee Fifth Meeting of the Entomological Society of America

EDITOR - IN - CHIEF.

C. Tl. Brues, Harvard University.

ASSOCIATE EDITORS,

C. B. DAVENPORT, C. W. JOHNSON,

Carnegie Institution. Boston Society of Natural History. J. H. EMERTON, A. P. Morse,

Boston, Mass. Wellesley College. ¥. L. Revioés, J. G. NEEDHAM,

Stanford University, Cornell University.

W. M. WHEELER, Harvard University.

PsycHeE is published bi-monthly, 7. e. in February, April, June, August, October and December.

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CAMBRIDGE ENTOMOLOGICAL CLUB, Bussny Instrirurion, Harvarp UNIvprsiry, Forrsr HI zs, BOSTON, MASS.

Entered as second-class matter Dec. 21, 1906, at the Post Office at Boston, Mass., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.

Poe lac

VOL. XVII. FEBRUARY, 1910. No. 1.

TWO NEW MYRMECOPHILOUS MITES OF THE GENUS ANTENNOPHORUS:' .

By Wiiu1am Morton WHEELER.

THE mites of the genus Antennophorus, owing to their extraordinary parasitic relations with various ants of the genus Lasius, have been assiduously studied in Europe by Janet, Wasmann, Karawaiew and Berlese, but up to the present time our North American species have remained unknown. <A few North and South American mites, to be sure, have been described as species of Antennophorus, but they are now known either to belong to different genera or to have a very doubtful taxonomic status. Several years ago I found on some workers of Lasius wmbratus Nyl. var. aphidicola Walsh, at Colebrook, Connecticut, a large, active mite, which Wasmann described as Antennophorus wheeleri.2 Berlese ? however has recently placed this species in a distinct genus, Echinomegistus, which also includes, though in a separate subgenus (Antennomegistus), a Brazilian mite which he formerly described as Antennophorus caputcarali. In another paper Wasmann described under the name A. barbatus * a large mite which was found attached to a common legionary ant, Eciton praedator, in the state of Santa Catharina, Brazil, but it is by no means clear from his brief description, in which he dwells only on a few superficial characters, that the specimen is a true Antennophorus. Berlese has shown that still another species, A. raffrayt Wasmann, found in nests of Plagiolepis custodiens at the Cape of Good Hope, belongs to a peculiar genus which he calls Physalozercon. I am inclined to believe from the taxonomic changes which have overtaken

1 Contributions from the Entomologica! Laboratory of the Bussey Institution, Har- vard University. No. 12.

2Zur Kenntnis der myrmecophilen Antennophorus und anderer auf Ameisen reiten- der Acarinen. Zool. Anzeig., XXV, 1902, 72.

3 [llustrazione Iconografica degli Acari Mirmecofili. Redia, I, 1904, p. 398.

4 Neue Dorylinengiste aus dem neotropischen und dem aethiopischen Faunengebiet. Zool. Jahrb, Abth. f. Syst. XIV, 1900, p. 41.

1

2 Psyche [February

all of these species except barbatus, and the insufficient evidence of this really being an Antennophorus, that the genus will prove to be peculiar to the north temperate zone and to comprise species which are always parasitic on ants of the genus Lasius. As this group of ants is abundantly represented in North America, we should expect the parasitic genus to have a like representation. ‘This turns out to be the case, since during the spring of 1909 I succeeded in finding near the Arnold Arboretum at Forest Hills, Boston, Massachusetts, two typical Antennophori allied to the four known European species (uhimanni Haller, foreli Wasmann, pubescens Wasmann and grandis Berlese). ‘The American forms occurred, as was to be expected, on workers of the common yellow ants belonging both to the typical genus Lasius and to the subgenus Acanthomyops, which is peculiar to the nearctic fauna. Only one of the mites, the one I call A. donisthorpei, was seen in a living condition. It was perched on the gula, or lower surface of the ant’s head, actively waving its long, antenniform fore- legs about in the manner so often described for the various European species. There can be little doubt, therefore, that, like its trans- atlantic cousins, it titillates its host or any ants within reach of its appendages and induces them to feed it with droplets of regurgitated food. Janet* has shown that when only a single A. pubescens is present on the European L. miatus it clings to the ventral surface of the ant’s head, with its forelegs directed towards the ant’s mouth-parts. When two are present, there is one on each side of the head or one on each side of the gaster; in the former case the antenniform appendages are directed towards the anterior, in the latter towards the posterior end of the ant’s body. When there are three mites, one attaches itself to the gula and the two others to the sides of the gaster. Four place themselves in pairs on the sides of the head and gaster. If six are present, which rarely happens, four are arranged in pairs on the sides of the head and gaster, while of the two remaining individuals, one attaches itself to the gula, the other to the mid-dorsal surface of the gaster. Janet believes that these symmetrical arrangements are for the purpose of balancing the burden and thus making it easier for the ants to carry.

As the species of Lasius on which both the European and North American Antennophori occur, are specially devoted to attending root-

1 Sur le Lasius mixtus, L’Antennophorus uhlmanni, ete. Etudes sur les Fourmis, les Guépes et les Abeilles Note 13. Limoges 1897, 62 pp., 16 figs.

1910] Wheeler — Mites of the Genus Antennophorus 3

aphids and root-coccids and may be said to live in permanent symbiosis with these Homoptera, we can understand why the mites occur only on these particular ants. ‘The plant-lice and mealy-bugs pump the juices out of the plants and pass on to the soliciting ants the unas- similated portions in the form of saccharine excrement, while the ants regurgitate some of the liquid to the mites which ask for it by aping, with their long, hairy, forelegs the antennal movements of hungry ants. In other words the ants serve as cup-bearers, distributing to one another and to the indolent, sedentary Antennophori the nectar which the tapster aphids and coccids keep drawing from their vegetable hosts.

Owing to this intimate serial ethological arrangement the worker Lasvi, unlike most of our ants, do not have to come out on to the surface of the ground to seek their food, but live a hypogaeic, or sub- terranean life. The eyes of these workers have therefore become so minute that their visual powers must have nearly or quite disappeared. We can, perhaps, best appreciate the relations of these ants to their parasites, if we fancy ourselves blind and condemned to live in dark cellars and continually occupied in pasturing and milking fat, sluggish cows that yielded quantities of strained honey instead of milk. Then let us suppose that occasionally there alighted on our cheeks or backs small creatures which took great care not to annoy us by placing themselves in positions asymmetrical to the median longitudinal axis of our bodies, and stretched forth to us from time to time small, soft hands like those of our children, begging for a little of the honey. Should we not, under the circumstances, treat these little Old Men of the Sea with much lenity or even with something akin to affection ?

During the coming spring I shall endeavor to make a more detailed study of the habits of A. donisthorpei and of the other species A. wasmanni, which, to judge from its longer appendages, must be an even more persevering and impudent beggar. For the present I shall confine myself to giving a description and several figures of both sexes of the two species, so that they may be easily recognized by other students of our North American myrmecophiles.

Antennophorus donisthorpei sp. nov.

Male. (Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 8.) Body nearly as broad as long, broadly oval or subtrapezoidal, broader behind than in front, with very obtuse anterior and posterior borders, the latter in some specimens almost straight. In

4 Psyche [February

profile the dorsal scute is only moderately convex. Dorsal surface and legs yellowish brown, the former smooth and shining, not polygonally areolated under a high magnification, with a darker brown, O-shaped vitta enclosing a large, elliptical, pale central area and separated by a pale border from the edge of the dorsal scute. Ventral surface of body yellowish; sternal and ano- ventral scutes brownish. Dorsal surface densely clothed with short, rather stout hairs, which are distinctly longer and sparser in front and on the sides than behind. Legs short and stout, anterior border of coxa and trochanter of three posterior pairs not laciniate-denticulate, but entire. Hairs on the three posterior pairs of legs short, stout and distinctly curved, especially towards their tips. Sternum in some specimens connected with the lageni- form anoventral scute by a pair of slender processes, which surround the genital orifice. In other specimens (Fig. 2) the two processes are separated from the anoventral scute, and in still others they may be continuous with this sclerite but separated from the sternum. Hairs on the sternum and anoventral scute very short and sparse. Chela rather small, its fixed digit flattened, spatulate and curved, terminating in a round knob; movable digit dilated at the tip where it is bilobed, with one of the lobes folded back.

Length: 750-790 »; breadth: 700-800 vp.

Female. (Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7.) Resembling the male in form and colora- tion, but somewhat larger. Sternum large, median and entire, with a very few short hairs on its posterolateral portions. Anoventral scute subcordate, pro- longed anteriorly as a slender tapering process which terminates between the lips of the genital scutes; covered behind with short, sparse hairs. Genital scutes resembling those of A. foreli Wasm. Chela with slender tapering digits, pointed and hooked at their tips and armed on their inner edges with very minute, blunt denticles.

Length: 760-825 »; breadth: 780-980 p.

Described from several males and females taken May Sth, 1909 on the Faulkner Farm, near Forest Hills, Boston, Mass. They were attached to the gular surface of workers of the following ants: Lasius flavus L. subsp. nearcticus Wheeler; L. (Acanthomyops) latipes Walsh; L. (A.) claviger Roger and L. (A.) interjectus Mayr.

The new species, which I dedicate to Mr. H. S. J. Donisthorpe, the well-known student of British myrmecophiles, seems to be most closely related to the European A. foreli Wasm., but the shape of the body is more trapezoidal, the hairs on the dorsal surface are shorter and more abundant, the pale dorsal area is larger, the chelar digits of the female have much smaller and blunter teeth and a differ- ent flagellum, and the male chela is of a very different shape, to judge from the figures of Berlese and Karawaiew.' The sternum of the

1 Weitere Beobachtungen tiber Arten der Gattung Antennophorus. (Russian) Mem. Soc. Natur. Kieff. XX, 1906, pp. 209-230, 1 fig.

1910] Wheeler — Mites of the Genus Antennophorus 5

female is much longer and very different in outline and the anoventral scute is less tapering in front.

Several of the female specimens of A. donisthorper each contain a single, large, mature egg, as shown in Fig. 3. This seems to indicate that Antennophorus, unlike many other mites and the ticks, is in the habit of producing only one egg at a time. This egg is perhaps at- tached to the surface of the ant which is infested by the mite.

Antennophorus wasmanni sp. nov.

Male. (Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15.) Body very convex above, nearly as broad as long, very broadly oval, distinctly wider behind than in front, with its anterior and posterior ends very obtusely angular. Upper surface smooth and shining, polygonally areolated under a high magnification, brown, without a darker vitta or perceptibly paler central area, and covered with longer, more slender and somewhat sparser hairs, than the preceding species. Legs and scutes of the ventral surface brownish, remaining portions yellowish. Legs decidedly longer than in A. donisthorpei, coxze and trochanters of three posterior pairs not laciniate-denticulate. Hairs on these pairs of legs very long and straight. Anoventral scute broad in front, connected with the ster- num by two slender bands which enclose the genital orifice. Chela very long; digits slender, subequal, the fixed one simple but not spatulate, its tip curved, blunt and finger-like; the movable digit with a hooked, pointed tip and a flattened, lobular process (adnate spur) on its outer side.

Length: 900 4; breadth: 830 p.

Female. (Figs. 14, 16,17 and18). Resembling the male in form and color- ation but somewhat larger. Body broader than long. Sternum larger, sub- elliptical, median, entire and apparently nude. Anoventral scute short, sub- cordate, with a rapidly tapering anterior process that terminates between the genital scutes. The latter resemble those of the preceding species and A. foreli. Hairs on the anoventral scute very short and sparse. Chela with subequal digits, each terminating in a hooked point, their inner borders armed with larger denticles than in the preceding species and one large tooth on the

movable digit. Length: 990 4; breadth 1040 pu.

Described from two males and two females taken May 22d, 1909, on the Faulkner Farm at Forest Hills, Boston, Mass., with workers of Lastus umbratus Nyl. var. aphidicola Walsh. ‘The mites were not seen till after they had been killed in alcohol with their hosts.

This species is dedicated to the Rev. E. Wasmann, S. J., who has contributed so much to our knowledge of the myrmecophilous insect of all lands. It may be readily distinguished from the preceding species by its much more convex dorsal surface, longer legs, the longer

6 Psyche [February

and straighter hairs on the three posterior pairs of these appendages and the shape of the chele of the two sexes. Like the preceding species, A. wasmanni seems to be most closely allied to the European foreli in having an undivided sternum in the female. In the convexity of its body it resembles A. pubescens Wasm., but the male chela is of an entirely different shape, the female sternum is entire and there are fewer hairs on this sclerite and on the anoventral scute of both sexes.

EXPLANATION OF PLATES.

Plate I.

Fig. 1. Antennophorus donisthor pei sp. nov.; male; dorsal view.

Fig. 2. Same, ventral view.

Fig. 3. Female A. donisthor pei, ventral view.

Fig. 4. Chela of male, ventrolateral view.

Fig. 5. Genital scutes of female.

Fig. 6. Chela of female; dorsal view.

Fig. 7. Left hind leg of female, ventral view.

Fig. 8. Dorsal seute of A. donisthorpei, in profile; a, anterior; p, posterior end.

Fig. 9. Portion of dorsal integument near posterior end of body.

Fig. 10. Dorsal scute of A. wasmanni sp. nov., in profile; a, anterior; p, posterior end. :

Fig. 11. Portion of dorsal integument of A. wasmanni near posterior end of body.

Plate II.

Fig. 12. Antennophorus wasmanni sp. nov.; male, dorsal view. Fig. 13. Same, ventral view.

Fig. 14. Female, ventral view.

Fig. 15. Chela of male, ventral view.

Fig. 16. Chela of female, ventral view.

Fig. 17. Genital scutes of female.

Fig. 18. Left hind leg of female, ventral view.

Wanted, caterpillars, especially of exotic families, and named micros, preferably in alcohol. Wm. ‘Tl. M. Forbes, Clark University, Wor- cester, Mass.

1910] Johnson — Agathomyia 7

A REVISION OF THE SPECIES OF AGATHOMYIA OF THE

EASTERN UNITED STATES.

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON.

Boston Society of Natural History, Boston, Mass.

Table of Species.

ieeetveads.thorax;andsaodomen blacker: su cesses aatler aecis sive aeberet reer Head black, thorax and abdomen fulvous................fulva Johns.

2. Abdomen broadly banded with yellow, scutellum yellow. pulchella Johns. Abdomen not banded. Asie BRE Rs ie fede Sas

3), Lhorax’ and cbdameh shosh meni mith arsine Sites halteres black. . Las sh .notata Loew.

Thorax Gal, eeenineed cain mousey ie ‘Halfered selina divergens Loew. Thorax and abdomen without maculations, tip of abdomen in the female cinereous, knobs of the halteres black.............. talpula Loew.

Agathomyia fulva Johnson. Callimyia fulva Johns., Psyche XV, p. 59, June, 1908.

At the time I described this and the following species, I did not have access to Verral’s work on the British Flies. A further study of these, together with the types of divergens and talpula Loew, shows that the four species are all true Agathomyia.

Agathomyia pulchella Johnson. Callimyia pulchella Johns., Psyche XV, p. 58, June, 1908.

Since describing this species from specimens obtained at St. Johns- bury, Vt., June 27, 1906, I have collected two specimens on Mt. Ascutney, Vt., July 11, and one at Brattleboro, Vt., July 15, 1908.

Agathomyia talpula Loew. Callomyia talpula Loew, Centur., IX, 81 (1869). Callimyia talpula Johns., Psyche XV, p. 59 (1908),

8 Psyche [February

A female of this species was obtained at East Walpole, Mass., May 26, 1908.

Agathomyia divergens Loew. Callomyia divergens Loew, Centur., V, 77 (1865).

Aside from the type there is a specimen in the Museum of Com- parative Zoology, from the District of Columbia.

Agathomyia notata Loew.

This species has been obtained by the writer at Westville, N. J., July 2, 1893; Riverton, N. J., June 1; Auburndale, Mass., August 28; and Hanover, N. H., July 5, 1908.

Callimyia venusta Snow.

I was very much surprised to capture at Shackford Head, near Eastport, Maine, July 14, 1909, a specimen of this beautiful species, agreeing in every respect with the description. It is a true Callimyia.

UnusuaL Parasitic Hasirs or AN ArricaAN Epuyprip. By Dr. C. Wellman, translated from Zeitschr. wiss. Insektenbiol., N ov. 18, 1909, p. 356. .

While collecting insects some time ago in West Africa, a small fly which was laying eggs on living ants (Cremastogaster sp.) attracted my attention. The fly rested on her victim, inserted her ovipositor, and then carried the seemingly perplexed and helpless ant into a small deserted spider burrow, where the ant remained until the fly larva had emerged. It was interesting to see how well the fly managed so strong a fighter as the ant, for this ant can sting severely. At first I mistook the fly for a Phorid as I knew Phora formicarum to be parasi- tic on Lasius niger, but on closer examination by specialists, it proved to be a member of the Ephydridae representing a new genus and species. I take this occasion to present these observations as this kind of parasitism is to my knowledge something entirely new among Diptera.

B... Bi

1910] Girault and Sanders — Chalcidoid Parasites 9

THE CHALCIDOID PARASITES OF THE COMMON HOUSE OR TYPHOID FLY (MUSCA DOMESTICA LINN.) AND ITS ALLIES.!

By A. A. GrRAULT AND GEORGE ETHELBERT SANDERS. The University of Illinois. Habits in General and Biology.

A. Oviposition. ‘This appears to be the only function of the female. When thus engaged she is not easily disturbed and the function is normally performed even in small capsules or vials, and in the insectary at various times, females were often observed attempt- ing to gain entrance to breeding-cages containing their hosts; in the case of large cages they were quite often successful and under certain conditions it was impossible to keep them out. ‘The following detailed, though fragmentary observations were made on ovipositing females.

(1) - Sept. 12, 1908.— The female often faces towards the caudal end of the host puparium when engaged in ovipositing — on this date, in the cases of 8 host puparia (Phormia regina), apparent oviposition was observed once in four cases and twice in the other four — the times of these ovipositions were between 9:55 A. M. and 1:20 P. M. and the time required to deposit a single egg varied from 14 minutes to 16, averaging 74 minutes; the particular spot on the host puparium into which the ovipositor of the female was inserted was usually in the region of the 4th and 5th segments, but varied to the 6th and 7th or 7th and 8th. The hole made by the ovipositor was not distinct afterwards, but in many cases it became covered with a white mycelium-like growth the nature of which we have not determined. (2) On Sept. 29, 1908, at 11:30 A. M., in the case of three virgin females ovipositing into the puparia of Phormia regina, the ovipositor was inserted for its full length for 3, 7 and 8 minutes respectively. (8) On Sept. 13, 1908, a female was watched while ovipositing into a hard puparium of the Phormia. ‘The puparium was pierced by rotating the ovipositor and pressing it down, the force of the pressure often causing the organ to bend, when the rotary motion was more easily seen; this continued

1Continued from Vol. XVI, p. 132,

10 Psyche [February

for 11 minutes; the abdomen, during this time, was inclined upward, its tip applied to the surface and the ovipositor appearing as a per- pendicular rod issuing from the venter slightly beyond the proximal third. After drilling through the crust of the puparium, the rotary motion was considerably lessened but not entirely discontinued and 10 more minutes were consumed in working the ovipositor back and forth, apparently in order to enlarge the aperture, the edges of which were frayed. ‘The ovipositor was then pushed farther into the aperture, the abdomen moving up and down slightly arid gradually being triangularly or conically produced at the base of the ovipositor, and as the latter entered farther, approaching nearer and nearer to the surface of the puparium, until after 30 seconds the ovipositor was fully inserted. The female then remained motionless for 32 minutes, when the ovipositor was partially redrawn and reinserted two or three times, and finally wholly withdrawn from the host, assuming its usual concealed position within the valves along the venter. Upon the withdrawal of the ovipositor, the female immediately left the host. The time that she was engaged in the whole operation was 254 minutes. (4) Observations made on three females depositing eggs into puparia of the Phormia, on Sept. 29, 1908, showed in three instances that the ovipositor was fully inserted for 70, 90 and 95 seconds respectively. (5) On Sept. 18, 1908, a female of this parasite was confined in a small homeopathic vial with a quantity of muscid puparia of varying ages — some three or four days old, some but several hours. ‘The female chose an ‘“‘old” puparium, formed about two days, and ap- parently deposited three eggs into it, one following the other. At first, she chose a place for inserting the ovipositor by examining closely the entire surface of the host; the ovipositor was then guided to the spot by bending the abdomen, the whole body convexly bent, the head turned as though the insect was watching the operation; as soon as placed, the ovipositor was released from the valves along the venter and the abdomen assumed its usual position. Piercing the shell of the puparium required 14 minutes; the ovipositor was then inserted for its entire length, without other delay, and as quickly withdrawn, fifty seconds being occupied in enlarging the hole. After this short period of time, the ovipositor was pushed in again for its entire length, remaining so for forty-five seconds, during which time, apparently, the egg was deposited. After the ovipositor was withdrawn, the parent parasite carefully examined the puncture with the antennae

1910] Girault and Sanders — Chalcidoid Parasites 11

and mandibles and apparently also by means of sight. (6) The deposition of an egg observed at 9:45 P. M., Sept. 14, required 16 minutes; the host was Phormia regina. Another observation made at 10:15 A. M. the same day, showed that the act required 8 minutes; the host puparium was that of Musca domestica; in the latter case, the ovipositor was inserted into the 9th segment of the host. A female was observed to deposit an egg in confinement at 7:30 A. M. to-day. (7) A female confined at 9: 20 A. M., Sept. 10, deposited into puparia of the Phormia at 9:32 A. M. and 1:20 P. M. the same day. One confined at 10 A. M. the same date with 2 puparia of the same host oviposited at once. (8.) In the cases of 4 females confined separately in vials each with 4 (in one case 8) puparia of Cynomyia cadaverina Desy., April 29, 1909, oviposition occurred with one female at 10:25 P. M., April 30, and again at 9 P. M., May 1; no other observations were recorded. (9.) Nine males and twenty females confined at 11:20A. M., April 29, with 10 puparia of the same host commenced oviposition about noon, or sooner, and oviposition was observed at nearly every hour between 9 A. M. and 11 P. M., for several days.

B. Nature of the Parasitism. Examinations made of parasitized hosts, showed that in all cases, the parasite is “social” or gregarious and does not attack the host until after the formation of the puparium, preferably after the latter has been formed for at least twenty-four hours. Puparia of Phormia regina examined, were in some cases filled entirely with the larvae of the parasite which had totally consumed the host pupa; for example, from one puparium 47 larvae of the parasite were removed; from another 8 larval parasites were removed, together with a shriveled pupa of the host — none of the parasitic grubs had entered the body of the latter, which indicates that the parasites are external as far as the host pupa is concerned, obtaining their nourish- ment by means of absorption; in the case just cited, one of the parasitic larvae was attached to the head of the host pupa over the eye, one to the thorax and six to the abdomen. In a third Phormia puparium, there were found 21 larval parasites, the host pupa being totally con- sumed; in four more single cases there were 8, 13, 13 and 16 larvae of the parasite respectively. In another, 27 parasitic pupae were found, from a single puparium of Sarcophaga sp. “e” 22 o\o and 4 2 2 of the parasite were taken. As a rule, the remains of a parasitized host — the fully formed pupa — is a flat, scale-like mass apparently con- sisting of the ventral shell of the pupa and that of the head; for

12 Psyche [February

example, the thecae of the eyes, legs and wings are discernible, and the remains are not much shrunken, so far as the original length is concerned. In the case of Cynomyia cadaverina, in one pupa- rium infested with 21 larvae of the first spring generation, the parasites were all attached to the dorsal surface of the host from the pronotum to the tip of the abdomen; these parasitic larvae were nearly full-grown. But in another puparium of the same host, in which 13 larvae were found, their attachment to the host appeared to be hap- hazard, and the host pupa was considerably shrunken, especially in width. It is evident, from their appearance, and from the fact that the larger larvae are found attached externally to the host — between it and the inner walls of the puparium — that the larval parasites obtain their nourishment through the body wall of the host pupa, leaving the integument intact. In both of the latter cases, the host pupae were nearing the final ecdysis when they were attacked by the parasites.

Although gregarious, the host is not as completely destroyed as by Spalangia, Muscidifurax or Pachycrepoideus, which though solitary parasites, reduce the host to a mere flat unrecognizable shell.

In addition to the foregoing, Mr. Maurice C. Tanquary has kindly collated the following records from our rearing notes:

TasLe I. NUMBER AND SEX OF PARASITES (Nasonia brevicornis) ISSUING FROM PUPARIA OF Phormia regina.

Males Females Larvae. Total. Males. Females. Larvae. Total. 8 7 15 0 5 5 3 6 9 0 1 1

10 4 14 5 0 +) 5 3 8 9 6 15 1 13 14 it 6 7

i 14 6 16 22

10 17 Pf 0 5 5 # 6 13 16 5 21

13 iat 24 0 i 7 4 9 ils} 2 12 14 6 15 21 1 4 5 0 1y/ ly 3 9 12

15 5 20 3 8 ll 1 PHI 22 7 12 19

10 4 14 6 4 10 4 6 10 1 10 ll 6 i 13 3 9 12

1910] Girault and Sanders — Chalcidoid Parasites 13

Males. Females. Larvae. Total. Males. Females. Larvae. Total. 5 + 9 9 13 Dep 7 1 8 9 10 19 1 10 11 7 5 12

17 0 17 10 9 19 2 7 9 4 5 9 4 11 15 0 4 4 4 10 14 11 8 19 1 6 7 11 4 15 3 if 10 1a 18 29 2 113k 13 1 0 5 6 2 3 5 5 4 9 5 11 16 -2 0 2

11 0 11 2 6 8 1 9 10 0 4 4

ule 5 22 3 1 4

38 4 42 5 1 6 6 10 16 10 ial 21 1 2 3 3 4 7 1 2 3 13 4 17/ 4 U 11 5 10 15

15 4 19 4 2 6 6 0 6 1 10 11 5 1 6 2 8 10 5 5 10 22, 6 28

il 0 11 3 2 5 5 14 19 3 8 11 0 4 4 9 6 15 9 11 20 9 3 12 6 5 11 8 5 13 2 fl 3 0 2 2

15 IZ 27 20 11 34 8 8 16 4 2 6 1 7 8 a 5 9 2 1 3 9 S 12 iq 9 16 6 9 15 8 i 18 9 3 12 9 3 12 Za 1 8 0 6 6 1 2 3 7 9 16 3 7 10

12 7 19 8 4 1 16 6 0 3 3 6 9 13 22 4 uf 11 18 6 1 9 10 23 3 8 3 14 3 3 6

Totals ls 789 61 1555

14 Psyche [February

The puparia from which the foregoing records were made were selected at random from a large quantity formed by maggots obtained August 28, 1908, in the decomposed cadaver of a large angora cat, taken from the city dumping-grounds, Champaign, Illinois. Each puparium was confined separately in a gelatine capsule, until the parasites emerged; they were confined’ on Sept. 15, and on Sept. 29 the majority of the parasites had emerged; the count was not made, however, until nearly a month later, or on Oct. 19, 1908.

In 119 puparia there were 1496 individuals of Nasonia brevicornis, of which 710 were males and 786 females. The average number of males in each puparium was 5.96, of females 6.60; the average number of specimens from each puparium was 12.57. Of the whole number, 52.4% were females and 47.6% males. ‘The averages do not include 8 larvae found in two of the hosts.

On the date of counting — October 19th — 8 of the puparia were found to contain larvae of the parasite, some in addition to the adults, over half of the larvae being still alive; but 14 of the puparia contained only dead pupae of the host, that is to say, were not parasitized. So that of the 140 puparia examined, 14 were not parasitized, 126 were. The total number of parasites in the 126 parasitized puparia, includ- ing larvae, was 1555, and on this basis, the average for each host was 12.34, very near the former average. The maximum number of parasites obtained from a single host (Phormia regina) was 47, recorded in the first paragraph of this section; the minimum was 1, recorded in the table.

The meconial discharges of this parasite, found scattered through the host puparium, are brownish yellow or dark olive green in color and consist of small conglomerations of round pellets, or are some- times in irregular chains like some bacteria, but are never single, solid pieces as with Pachycrepoideus, Spalangia and Muscidifurax.

C. Length of the Period of Oviposition. In the cases of two females captured and confined together with eight puparia of Musca domestica at 11:30 A. M., Sept. 10, the first oviposition was observed at 1 P. M., Sept. 10, the second at 7:30 A. M., the following day, the third at 10 A. M., Sept. 14, and the fourth and last, fifteen minutes later; here, at least, oviposition was continued over a period of 34 days or more.

In the case of 9 males and 20 females, parents of the first spring generation of 1909, which were confined at 11:20 A. M., April 29, 1909, with 10 healthy puparia of Cynomyia cadaverina which were

1910] Girault and Sanders — Chalcidoid Parasites ' 15

freshly emerged (average, 9 A. M., April 29) and of the same age, oviposition was begun at noon the same day and continued steadily until at least 9 P. M., May 2, 1909, when further observations were interrupted. These facts also hold for a single female of the same lot confined separately with 8 of the hosts.

D. Time Elapsing between Emergence and Reproduction. Eleven adults of mixed sexes emerging from a single puparium of Phormia regina, from 11:45 A. M. to noon, Sept. 28, 1908, were at once confined together with four healthy puparia of the same host. At noon the following day oviposition was observed, or after a period of twenty- four hours. One pair of adults emerging at 8 A. M., Sept. 30, was confined immediately with seven healthy puparia of the same host; at 8:13 A. M. mating was observed and at 6:50 P. M. the same day the female was observed ovipositing; or after 10} hours. Mating in this instance followed almost immediately after emergence, and lasted for 14 seconds. In the case of the parents of the first spring generation of 1909, mating followed almost immediately after emer- gence and oviposition about 3 hours later.

E. Duration of the Pupal Stage. This was obtained in one case only. A larva pupated during the night of Sept. 17-18, 1908, the newly formed pupa being yellowish white; by the twenty-first of the same month, the pupa had assumed nearly the colors of the adult, dark greenish, the head and thorax coloring first, the abdomen a few hours later. The resulting adult female emerged at 10 A. M., Sept. 23, 1908, making a pupal stage of approximately 53 days. The average length of this stage for the first spring generation (17 cases) was 9 days (May 14-23, 1909).

F. Length of the Life Cycle. The few incidental observations obtained on this point are herewith given in tabular form. (Table IT, Bel.)

Thus while the average daily effective temperature shows a gradual decrease, there seems to be no corresponding increase in the duration of the cycle.

The duration of the cycle appeared to be somewhat longer in the case of the first spring generation, however, when the daily average effective temperature was low. Thus, hosts exposed to recently mated adults from noon, April 29, 1909, to late on May 2 —ovi- position continuing throughout that time — were filled with the nearly full-grown larvae of the parasite on May 13, pupation com-

16 Psyche [February

Taste Il. Duration or tHE Lite Cycie In Nasonia brevicornis,

1908. te. L Ovipositi E | ac Koh cetoed. |) Orapoattion. | mengeneeyo® |i |e ahe eeeae | Ets | AS A, a 1 | Musca | Sept.9-10 Sept.26 Oss. i 169 )'35:9° 574.09 10 Q’s | (Sept. 10-25). 2 Sept.10, 11 a.m. Sept.28 res 18 35.5 | 634572 |2Q’ | (Sept. 10-27). 3 Sept.10, 1 p.m. | Sept.25, 10 a.m | 9 @’s, | 14% | 36.2° | 538.3° 12 Q’s | (Sept. 10-25). 4 Sept.10, 10 p.m. Sept.25, 10 a.m./ 10, 14% | 35.5° 514.9° | 6 Q’s | (Sept. 11-25). | Sept.11 | Sept.28 26's, |217 | 34:38° | 578262 17 Q’s | (Sept. 12-28). 6 | Phormia| Sept.14, 7 a.m. | Oct.1,7 a.m. | 20"s, | 17 31.4° | 533.9° 8 Q’s | (Sept. 14-30). 7 Sept.18, 6 p.m. | Oct.2,9 p.m. |7<"s, | 14% | 28.3°| 408.1° 12 Q’s | (Sept. 18—Oct.2). 8 Sept.29 Oct.15 170’s| 16 | 19.6° | 314.3° \(Sept. 30-—Oct. 15). AV: 14 15.9 | 32.6° | fA

mencing on May 14 at the average time of 4 P. M. Emergence of the adults occurred at 4 P. M., May 22, becoming general at 3 P. M., May 24. Hence, taking average time, the life cycle in this case had an average duration of 224 days, natural temperatures.

G. Progeny of a Single Female. The number of observations which we were able to make concerning the fecundity of the species was not large, but those which are tabulated in the attached table (table III) appear to show that there is quite a wide range, within certain limits, which is more or less dependent upon the number of host puparia available for purposes of oviposition and also the host species. For instance, it is at once noticed that the most productive females had access to a comparatively large number of the host

1Inception of development taken as 43° Fahr, Sums of daily averages. 2 Daily averages.

1910] Girault and Sanders — Chalcidoid Parasites 17

puparia, of which they made use for purposes of oviposition, whereas those having access to but one or two host puparia, especially those of the smaller host, Musca domestica, produced the least progeny. These experiments were performed at various times in the laboratory and are by no means conclusive, that is, do not establish the range or average of fecundity.

Tape III. ProGeny or SINGLE FemMALes or Nasonia brevicornis.

Progeny of single | ¢ g Female} Date, Hae | eae: Hpaae AoE ENO eevee No. | 1908: ost. ex- |, Hosts B| 8] & posed. infested. ee HE eS uss O’s. | Total. | = | = |e | 1 Sept. 25 | Musca 1 1 1 6 7 2 1 1 4 6 10 3 Bane! 1 5 6 fas. | 4 Phormia | 1 1 a7)" 5 2 2 38 +1 6 4 4 39 a Sept. 28 | Musca 4 4 2 ily / 19 8 1 1 1 2 3 3 9 | Sept. 30 1 1 2 4 6 | 10 Oct. Phormia 5 4 9 18 PAE a 11 Oct. 1 if 1 2 8 10 12 Oct. 20 Many — ‘a 12 19 i183 | Many — 4 22 26 14 130 17 21 57 78 15 | 86 22 38 65 103 103)100 16 Chrysomyia| 1U7/ ie. 31 53 84

It is thus seen that in one instance, a female was able to parasitize successfully 22 host puparia and another 17, when quite a number were available. The observations do no more than indicate the probabilities and possibilities of fecundity for the species. Apparently, all of the females concerned were fertilized. From the fact that single ovipositions take so much time, as well as for other reasons, we strongly suspect polyembryony in this connection.

H. Proportion of the Sexes. he following results, recorded in table IV, comprise actual counts of over seven thousand specimens, including practically every individual of this parasite reared or ob- served by us during the period of breeding, excepting one thousand individuals of mixed sexes released for experimental purposes.

1 All from one of the puparia; the numerous larvae in the other died and were not counted,

18

Psyche

' [February

The specimens are from various sources, but the great majority were reared from puparia obtained under natural conditions, so that the general result should show a nearly normal or actual ratio of the

sexes.

The table follows.

Taste IV. Proportion OF THE SEXES IN Nasonia brevicornis.

. Total. | Ratio.

1:3

1:9

Remarks.

Comprises all ac- cessioned rear- ings. See pp. 7-9.

From sweepings, Algonquin, Illi- nois.

1:1+ | From a single host

21+

131+

ea

lot from a de- composed cad- aver, city dump- ing-grounds.

Same as lot No. 3, later, excluding 1000 removed at random for ex- perimental pur- poses.

Host puparia in fecal matter, miscellaneous.

Reared.

From isolated pu- paria of Musca, Sarcophaga, Phormia and Chrysomyia.

The general result shown in the table is about what one would expect if consideration is taken of the fact previously pointed out, namely, that the species is occasionally parthenogenetic, which, however, follows no general law in the Hymenoptera.

It should be

explained, in regard to lot No. 4 in the table that, after it was separated from lot No. 3, the first 1000 individuals of mixed sexes coming to

|

1910] Girault and Sanders — Chalcidoid Parasites 19

the light were removed and released to be used in an experiment to test artificial propagation. Unfortunately, these were not counted in regard to sex, so that it is unknown whether the females greatly predominated, a result which we were led to suspect from the fact that this sex appeared to be more attracted to light; for the first 932 individuals taken from the experiment, after all emergences, were females, dead in the exit-tube, which alone was light. Lot No. 3 is the most complete record made, none of the emerging parasites having escaped, and we are inclined to think that it represents the actual ratio of the sexes, the females slightly predominating.

The proportion of the sexes in a small number of the parasites which hibernated as larvae, hence the parents of the first spring generation, was as 37 males are to 61 females; these emerged during the last day of April, 1909. ‘Their descendents or parents of the 2d generation were also of mixed sexes, being the progeny of fertilized females, there being 24 males to 45 females, which emerged on May 25, 1909.

I. Emergence of the Adult. In general, it may be stated that the adult parasites emerge from the host puparium through from 1 to 3 circular holes, situated variously, usually in the dorsal or dorso-lateral aspect; and when more than one exit-hole, the two or three are usually scattered or widely separated. The manner of emergence does not differ for sex. The exit-hole varies in diameter from about 0.75 to 1.50 mm.; it is usually larger and single when the host is Musca or Chrysomya and smaller when Phormia, though this difference may be more apparent than real. Individual exit-holes may of course vary considerably in shape; for rarely it may involve the whole of one end of the host puparium and is then relatively very large and irregular. The margins of the exit-holes are always jagged or serrate, showing that the adults gnaw their way out. Specific instances may better illustrate.

From a single puparium of Musca domestica, 1 male and 6 females issued from a single dorsal exit-hole just behind the head end; several parasites of both sexes issued from another puparium from a hole in the dorsal aspect of the 7th segment; several adults of both sexes issued from a third puparium through two exit-holes in the cephalic and caudal segments respectively. Again, 1 male and 2 females emerged from a more irregular exit-hole in the dorso-lateral aspect of the caudal or anal segment of the host. Ina last case recorded, 2 jo and 4 2 @ issued from a single hole near the cephalic end of the host.

.

20 Psyche [February

In the case of Phormia regina. From one puparium, 7 females issued from a single hole in the lateral aspect of the 3rd segment; from a second, 37 males issued from 2 holes in the ventro-lateral aspect of segments 2 and 5; from a third 15 males issued from a single hole in the dorso-lateral aspect of segment 5; from four more puparia, of the same lot, 9 males and 18 females issued, making but a single exit-hole in each of the hosts. In each of the following instances several parasites issued in the manner stated; both sexes were present:

(a.) 2 similar holes in a longitudinal line, dorsal aspect of 2d and 4th segments. (b.) 3 holes, lateral aspect, 2 on one side at segments 3 and 7, the other at segment 2 on the opposite side. (c.) 2 holes, lateral aspect of segment 5 and tip of the anal segment. (d.) 2 holes, dorsal aspect of segment 3 and dorso-lateral aspect of the anal segment. (e.) 2 holes in an oblique line, dorsal aspect, 5th and 7th segments. (f.) 1 hole, lateral aspect of segment 3. (g.) 1 hole lateral aspect of segment 6. (h.) 2 holes, opposite sides, lateral aspect of penulti- mate segment and dorso-lateral aspect of segment 7. (i.) 3 holes, scattered. (j.) 2 holes. (k.) 2 holes caudal end, dorsal and ven- tral aspects of the penultimate segment.

With Chrysomyia, several adults issued from a single puparium through a single hole in the dorso-lateral aspect of the cephalic seg- ment; from 12 puparia of this species, there emerged 32 males and 64 females, or an average of 8 to each; in the case of 8 of the puparia, but a single exit-hole was present, nearly all in the dorsal aspect of the 3d, 4th, 5th and 8th segments; the remaining 4 hosts bore each 2 exit-holes, usually widely separated.

In Cynomyia cadaverina Desv., 8 oo’, 16 2 Y issued from a single puparium from two equal round holes in the dorso-lateral aspect of segments 3 and 5.

In regard to the time of emergence, the males usually emerge from 2 to 20 hours earlier than the females, a few emerging some hours previous to the simultaneous emergence of the majority, but there is considerable variation in individual cases. ‘Thus some males may be the last to emerge, but the tendency is for them to emerge earlier than females.

J. Local Abundance. In order to show the local abundance of this parasite during 1908, we have merely to point out the fact that as many as eight thousand or more specimens were reared by us during the months of September and October. This large number

1910] Girault and Sanders — Chalcidoid Parasites Pil

was reared quite incidentally, that is to say, without conscious effort on our part to augment it. From one experiment alone, there were obtained as many as seven thousand specimens, in round numbers, though we have no knowledge concerning the number which may have escaped. Further, the local abundance of this parasite is indi- cated by the fact that in at least a portion of the experiment just men- tioned, a portion selected at random, the percentage of parasitism was as high as 90 per cent. We have evidence to show, on the other hand, that this percentage of mortality of the host was by no means general but was considerably lower on the average for this season of the year.

Thus, apparently this parasite had concentrated its attack at certain spots and while common over this locality was not exceedingly abun- dant over the whole, as the percentage of mortality given in the instance just mentioned would seem to indicate.

It was the most abundant parasite present in our experiments and also the one which attacked the greatest numbers of different muscid hosts, the remaining chalcidoid parasites of importance mainly con- fining themselves to the house fly.

K. Artificial Propagation. An unsuccessful attempt was made during the last week of September, 1908, to test the effect of the artificial propagation of this parasite on a badly infested garbage heap at the city dumping-grounds, Champaign, Illinois. The attempt was made too late in the season, however, and in addition, bad weather immediately following their liberation undoubtedly prevented activity on their part.

On the afternoon of September 23, 1000 specimens of mixed sexes were scattered over the garbage heap, which at that time was a veritable breeding experiment on a large scale. Soon after their liberation, many of the parasites were noticed crawling over host puparia which had been formed about a half-inch below the surface of the soil along the edges of the garbage heap. Specimens other than those liberated were not noticed at the time, special search being made for them previous to liberation.

On the date the experiment was inaugurated the percentage of parasitism by this species was very low as we know from the results obtained from a collection at random of 186 puparia; for by November 6, 1908, 48 adult flies had emerged (of which 37 were Musca domestica), 6 Spalangia and 2 Muscidifurax raptor Girault and Sanders MS. An examination made of the remaining 130 hosts, which were hibernat-

22 Psyche [February

ing in confinement as puparia, revealed the fact that the majority had died and that no further parasitism had occurred. After inaugura- tion of the experiment, weekly collections of the host puparia were made from the heap of garbage and continued until the first week of November. ‘The lot collected on September 30 had one puparium infested with brevicornis but from these collected thereafter no results were obtained, the collections unfortunately being placed in the warm insectary and subsequently neglected. Nor were any adults of the parasite seen during the visits to the heap in the late fall and early winter. From a lot of hosts collected on November 14, however, the garbage then being covered with snow, sometime during late Novem- ber single females of brevicornis issued from a puparium of Chrysomyia macellaria and from one of Phormia regina; these were evidently greatly accelerated in development by the warmth of the insectary and would otherwise have hibernated within the puparia of the hosts. The remaining lots were examined early in the spring of 1909, but everything was dead and no indications of parasitism were found.

L. Hibernation. This parasite hibernates as a full-grown larva in the puparia of its various hosts, pupating early in the spring and emerging shortly afterwards, the earliest record being April 28, 1909 — in numbers the following day. The following data have been gathered concerning this phase in its life-cycle.

Case I. On April 28, 1909, a single broken puparium of Chrysomyia macellaria was found in a vial in the cold insectary which had evidently been laid aside late in the previous October and subsequently over- looked. ‘The vial had no data connected with it, so that the origin of the single host could not be traced. With the broken puparium were found a living male adult, partly excluded from the pupal in- tegument and four healthy pupae of the parasite, two of which were uniformly deep black, showing the nearness of the final ecdysis; the other two were creamy white in color. The five meconia appeared to be freshly deposited. On the following day, by 9: 30 A. M., a female had emerged and shortly afterwards (9: 52) was observed mating with the male; at 10: 30 A. M., another female emerged. ‘The two remain- ing pupae died.

Case II. A puparium of Phormia regina (Meigen) taken from refuse matter was inclosed in a vial on October 1, after having been carefully broken open in order to ascertain the presence of parasites; six apparently full-grown larvae of the parasite were found within.

1910] Girault and Sanders — Chalcidoid Parasites 23

On Oct. 28, 1908, it was noted that the larvae remained unchanged; no further-‘note was made until April 28, 1909, when four fully colored pupae and one white one, were found, as well as five meconia, the shriveled remains of a larva of the parasite and the remains of the host pupa. At 10 A. M., April 29, 1 male and 2 females were found re- cently emerged; by the following day, at the same hour, another female had emerged. ‘The remaining pupa died. All were in natural temperatures.

Case III. Ina vial containing 20 puparia and 20 dead larvae of Phormia regina — including a single puparium of Chrysomyia macel- laria — which were obtained from refuse matter late in October, 1908, and thus confined, there were found on April 28, 1909, 11 of the puparia infested with the parasite as follows. All were in natural temperatures.

No. { Host. Larvae. White pupae. Black pupae. Adults. Total. ‘ ile Phormia |2 dead+1. 3. 3¢ 9. ee (broken). ile ile a7 | 2 4. 6. cal 9. 19,19 aby. De 8. 8. 6. 1 Dp 6. vee 6. 6 8. (ee 7 9. The, 10. 10. 1 dead. (a). 8. alta 11. | Chrysom- Sy Mois 6. yia.

In addition, lying loose in the vial were found 6 dark pupae and 1 recently formed, as well as one adult regina. Thus the parasite was found in three stages — nearly all of the larvae had pupated and the adults were just beginning to emerge. On the following day, emer- gence became general throughout the whole lot and was completed on May 3d, some of the younger white pupae dying. Of the total number of parasites in this case there were more females than males.

The sixty-one larvae recorded in table I, of which 38 were alive and healthy, were evidently hibernating, as the puparia had been in con- finement for over a month, and those parasites which matured had long since emerged. A few Phormia puparia, infested and isolated on Sept. 15, 1908, contained living, full-grown larvae on Nov. 7, 1908.

24 Psyche [February

M. Courting and Mating. Courting in this insect is not a complex habit. It follows almost immediately after emergence, at least in confinement. Where a number of both sexes are gathered together, all recently emerged, the males and females are constantly in motion, the former active, seeking the females, the antennae of both sexes also constantly in motion, held inclined upward in the natural position, giving quick, jerky, wavy movements. When one individual meets another, the antennae simply touch whichever portion of the body presents itself first and the two turn aside and pass on; or if they happen to be individuals of opposite sex and (apparently) the occasion is suita- ble — which is most often the case immediately following emergence — the male hastily climbs upon the back of the female, runs forward, and grasps her head with the fore feet, usually at the lateral aspect of the eyes or sometimes at the cheeks; the intermediate feet grasp some portion of the thoracic pleura, usually at the mesothorax and the hind feet take hold along the sides of the abdomen or the edges of the flat wings. ‘The legs are not stretched out or used for embracing the body of the female but the hold is taken by the feet alone, and the position of the male is not strained but rather that of the natural position of rest. His body is parallel with and above the body of the female and projects beyond (cephalad) it, so that the head is between the upturned antennae of the female and stretched over hers, his abdomen reaching to a point above the third abdominal segment or to a point opposite to the distal end of the marginal vein of the fore wings upon which it actually rests. Having quickly attained this position, the male senses the antennae of the female with his own and imme- diately begins suit in earnest by rubbing his head up and down against the inner (mesal) surfaces of the flagella of the female,— which are held upward in a V-shaped position,— at the same time holding the scapes erect and apart and the flagella back, pointing laterad at right- angles to the scape and at every downward movement bringing the scapes together; this movement of the head is accompanied by a corresponding “‘petting” movement of the female flagella against the cheeks of the male. The up- and downward movements of the head are regular and continued for from 5 to 10 seconds, each com- pleted movement occupying slightly less than a second of time; and they are alternated with a period during which the head of the male is motionless and his antennae sensing those of his mate, either by touch- ing both of their tips to the tips of her antennae, or else by stroking

1910] Girault and Sanders — Chalcidoid Parasites 95

them up and down, the mandibles, maxillae and labium with both pairs of palpi are themselves in almost constant motion, but so far as observed, they play no part as organs of sensation, with the possible exception of the maxillary palpi. Sometimes, the male rubs but one of the flagella of the female, turning the head to one side. No other movements than these are observable, but there is some variation in the occurrence of either of the two movements described, and also in the number of times they are repeated before sexual union is per- mitted by the female. ‘The male may be received coldly; he may make the movements without attempting union, or after alternating them three or four times, he may attempt union without success and then run forward to repeat the actions, and this may continue as long as the female permits, either resulting successfully or unsuccessfully. In the presence of other females, if received coldly, the male soon tires, leaves and seeks another mate. In order to attempt union, the male has to reverse his position, and run back to the tip of the abdomen of ‘the female where he usually reaches over the tips of the wings and senses with the antennae, quickly’ turning and reaching around again with the tip of his abdomen, to gain entrance into the vaginal orifice. Or, on the other hand, he may simply back quickly to the caudal end of the female and attempt union. In one case, previously cited. coition lasted for fourteen seconds; in another, for ten seconds. Mating is promiscuous for both sexes.

The following example may be cited. From a puparium of a host a male emerged during the afternoon of April 28, 1909; by 9:30 A. M. the following day a female had emerged, and shortly afterwards the pair were in ardent courtship; at 9:45 A. M., sexual union occurred, lasting for ten seconds. The male then ran forward again over the back of his mate and rubbed his head up and down her flagella, one of the movements of courtship; he then left. After 30 seconds the male again quickly mounted his mate and repeated the two alternate movements, described in foregoing, continuously for 45 seconds and left for the same length of time. After a minute of attentions he made an unsuccessful attempt to unite with the female, and then left her for some time (12 minutes). Courting was recommenced after this interval of time, continuing for five minutes but with no attempt to unite. Subsequent matings followed during the next 24 hours, though 13 minutes after the last visit of the male, the female had crawled to some host puparia which engaged her attention, and both were less taken with each other.

26 Psyche [February

N. Effective Parasitism.

What may be included under this term is an interesting phenomenon in those relations which a parasite sustains to its host. Under natural conditions it may never occur, and here it was observed accidentally. Whether or not a parasite can overcome the effects of development in a host at the time just preceding an ecdysis, when development is liable to be very rapid, is not a very important question, excepting when it is concerned with a host stage of very short duration such as is not present here. Nasonia, so far as we know, confines its attacks exclusively to the puparia of its various hosts; this stage is usually of short duration, but not exceptionally short as is the egg stage, so that the period of rapid development immediately preceding the final ecdysis, being short, would not materially prolong the period open to parasitism — that is, the pupal stage —if it in turn were likewise open. ‘The following cases are, therefore, of interest mostly from the scientific standpoint. The host was Cynomyia cadaverina in the stage just preceding the final eclosion, though this fact was unknown when the hosts were exposed to the parasites in confinement in order to insure a second generation. ‘The parasites were those from hibernated larvae, or parents of the first generation. ‘The host puparia were formed on April 23, and were thus six or more days old.

Case I. 'Vhree virgin females of the parasite emerging at 1:30 P. M., April 29, 1909, were at once confined separately in vials, each with four of the host puparia. Oviposition was not observed. The hosts were then six days old; by 9 A. M., May 1, eight of the host puparia had excluded adults which were at once released; another adult excluded at 11:20 A. M., May Ist, and two more at 8:30 A. M., May 2d; the single remaining puparium was apparently successfully para- sitized by one of the females but upon examination on May 15, 1909, no traces of parasites could be found.

Case II. A pair of adults of the parasite which had mated for the first time at 9:45 A. M., April 29, were confined in a vial with eight of the host puparia; the female noticed the hosts at once but left them and was engaged with the male for a short while. During the after- noon, however, she commenced to deposit eggs; at 10:08 P. M., April 30, a host fly emerged and again at 10:25 P. M., the same day, when the mother parasite was engaged in depositing into another host. At 9 A. M., and 7 and 9 P. M., May 1, three host flies emerged, and again on May 2, at 11 A. M., and 5 P. M. ‘The remaining host was

1910] Girault and Sanders — Chalcidoid Parasites Dag

successfully parasitized, it having been partly opened at 3 P. M., May 13 and found to contain larval parasites. In this case the para- site was successful up to within about 24 hours of the final ecdysis, the host pupa being perfect and with all the colors of the mature adult.

Case III. At 11:20 A. M., April 29, nine males and twenty females of the parasite, which had been freely mating, were confined together under a bell-jar with ten of the host puparia; oviposition was observed at noon and was continued with persistence until noon, May 3, when the observations had to be discontinued. During this time none of the hosts emerged, though in a control lot, emergence became general early on May 1, beginning during the morning of April 30. Hence in this case, the parasites being in greater numbers, not a single host escaped.

Summarizing, parasitism by Nasonia is “ effective’

,

or successful in many cases almost up to within the few hours immediately preced- ing the final ecdysis, depending on circumstances; a single female parasite, for example, would be able to kill a single host puparium up to within about 15 hours of eclosion, but where a number were present, many would escape before she would be able to deposit into them. And the converse is true. ‘The host when thus attacked is a perfect pupa and fully colored.

O. Length of Life in Confinement; Adults.

The adults of this parasite lived for about five days on the average in confinement, the males dying somewhat earlier. They were unfed in all cases.

P. Change in Coloration of the Pupa. When first formed the pupae are yellowish white, the eyes garnet, with some duskiness at the caudal edges of the abdominal segments soon afterwards; the mandibles, legs, antennae and wing-pads gradually become dusky and about 48 hours previous to eclosion, the head, thorax and abdomen, in succes- sion, begin to show dark color, the head and thorax together becoming a deep black before the abdomen shows very much color, and then after about 6 hours, the latter turns gradually but rapidly black. About 20 hours before eclosion, the color is jet black, which just preceding emergence changes nearly to the colors of the mature adult. At eclosion, the adults are fully colored.

28 Psyche [February

LITERATURE REFERRED TO.

1878. Thomson, C.G. Hymenoptera Scandinaviae, Lundae, V, pl., fig. 18.

1896. Ashmead, William H., Descriptions of new Parasitic Hymenoptera. Trans. American Ent. Soc., XXIII, p. 221.

1904. Ashmead, William H., Classification of the Chalcid flies or the Super- family Chalcidoidea. Mem. Carnegie Mus., Pittsburgh, I. (Publi- cations of the Carnegie Museum, Serial No. 21.) pp. xi, 317-318.

1906. Nason, William A., Parasitic Hymenoptera of Algonquin, Illinois.— IV. Entomological News, Philadelphia, May, XVII, p. 221.

THe Harris MemoriaL TABLET.

On Friday, December 31, the final day of the recent entomological meetings in Boston, delegates from the various Societies represented in those meetings went out to Milton village, and with brief ceremony unveiled a simple marble tablet placed on the old ‘Suffolk Resolves mansion” to commemorate the residence there of Thaddeus Wil- liam Harris.

The inscription, composed by Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higgin- son, who in his student days was a pupil of Harris, reads as follows:

IN THIS HOUSE FROM 1824 TO 1831 DWELT THADDEUS WILLIAM HARRIS M.D. BOTANIST, ENTOMOLOGIST; AND FINALLY LIBRARIAN OF HARVARD COLLEGE

IN EACH CAPACITY HE WON FOR HIMSELF FAME AND GRATITUDE

HE HAD THE MODESTY AND UNSELFISHNESS OF TRUE SCIENCE WITH WHAT MAY RIGHTLY BE CALLED ITS CHIVALRY OF SPIRIT

Besides the entomologists, there were present representatives of the Milton Historical Society and the Science Club of Milton Academy. W. L. W. Frexp.

1 See Psycue, Vol. xiv. p. 67, August, 1907.

1910] Reiff — Hemileuca lucina Hy. Edw. 29

NOTES ON HEMILEUCA LUCINA HY. EDW.!

By WrituiaM REIFF.

On the 19th of last June, while in the company of Dr. Arthur L. Reagh on a collecting trip to the neighborhood of Raymond, N. H., we came upon a swampy meadow where there was an abundance of Meadow-sweet (Spiraea salicifolia L.). Immediately my attention was attracted to these plants which harbored a large number of un- known caterpillars. Interested in the find, we looked further and found the same species on nearly every bush of the Spiraea. The caterpillars were partly in the second and partly in the third stage, feeding close together in large numbers and dropping to the ground upon being disturbed. They were so thickly distributed on the plants, that often entire twigs were covered with the larvae, giving the impression of strong swellings upon the twigs. According to our estimates, we must have seen more than 20,000 caterpillars in the locality, but owing to lack of proper receptacles, we could unfortunately collect only a small part for breeding.

Although the caterpillars resembled those of Hemileuca mara Drury very closely, we could not satisfy ourselves that they belonged to this species, for it seemed strange that all the maia females should have laid their eggs on meadow-sweet when there was close by an abundance of oak which is the favorite food of mata. We also searched the nearby oaks for Hemileuca caterpillars without result, but Dr. Reagh found some maza on oaks several miles further on which proved their presence in the locality. Our caterpillars could therefore hardly be maza, for this species would have no necessity of laying its eggs on plants other than oaks. As already mentioned, our caterpillars were very similar to those of maza, and like them were black in the youngest stage, but distinguishable by a strong brilliancy, best compared to black stove-polish. The appearance of the older caterpillars was exactly like that of maza, except that all had a sharply defined white stripe above the feet, which is absent or faint in maia. In spite of plentiful and regular feeding the size of the growing caterpillars re- mained always less than that of maia. Pupation occurred on the

1 Contributions from the Entomological Laboratory of the Bussey Institution, Harvard University. No. 13.

30 Psyche [February

surface of the ground under dry leaves, without the preparation of any sort of a cocoon. ‘The cremaster of the pupa is composed of about twenty-five strong brown spines with curved apices (see figure). In other respects, the form and color of the pupa are the same as those of maia; the size of lucina, however, always remains less. The first moths emerged from their pupae on the 2nd of September, and proved to be two males of Hemileuca lucina Hy. Edw. The first females emerged on the 4th of September, and the period of emergence extended almost through the entire month, the last adults appearing on September 28. In all sixty-three moths were obtained, in the pro- portion of 2:1.3 or about twice as many males as females. No parasites were ob- tained although six pupae died.

Henry Edwards states in his description of the form /Jucina (Entomologica Ameri- cana, Vol. II, No. 1, p. 14, April 1886) that the white band which encloses the discal spot is of equal width across the entire wing.

Fig. 1. Cremaster of This is not the case, however, as this char- Hemileuca lucina Hy. 5 A Edw. acter is the one which shows the greatest

: range of variation. I have before me a large number of specimens in which the discal spot is bordered with white only near the fore and hind margins, the white being so much reduced in size that it is di- vided into two parts by the spot. The most extreme form, of which I have one male and one female specimen, has the white band wedge- shaped and pointed toward the discal spot, above which it shows only as a slight light shadow. Since such extremes of variation in the direction of aberrations undoubtedly deserve names, I propose the name ab. obsoleta for this form of H. lucina with the following diagnosis:

Ab. obsoleta m.: alis ant. fascia candida plus minusve obsoleta. Types 1 6’, 1 9, in the collection of the Bussey Institution.

The white band varies in another direction also, and both on the fore as well as on the hind wings. ‘The white band may become cream yellow for its entire extent, the black ground color becoming at the same time changed to a gray, perhaps through some albinistic

1910] Reiff — Hemileuca lucina Hy. Edw. 31

tendency. ‘The most typical specimens of this aberration are females, as all the males of this form which I have seen show transitions to the type. I propose the name ab. lutea for this yellow form with the following diagnosis:

Ab. lutea m.: alis ant. et post. grisescentibus, fascia lutea nec candida. Types, two 3’ (transitions), two 2 9, in the collection of the Bussey Institution.

There is also a noteworthy male specimen, which has extraordi- narily strongly developed veins, which are of a blackish green-brown color. ‘The veins are irregularly marked with small greenish-brown specks along their entire extent. I am inclined to believe that the pupa from which this specimen developed was supplied with too great a quantity of lymph which enlarged the veins abnormally at the time of emergence, and later penetrated in the form of minute drops through the vein to the surface of the wing.

I treated a small percentage of the fresh pupae (10 specimens) with cold, exposing them to a temperature of —3° C. for seven consecutive days. From these seven moths emerged, three of the pupae dying. Of the emerging moths (6 oc", 1 Q ) the wings of two males did not expand, but the others developed to the normal size. One male was a typical ab. obsoleta, the female was the typical ab. lutea. The color pattern of the other three males were normal, except that all had the black ground color somewhat lighter than specimens coming from unexposed pupae.

As to the systematic position of H. lucina, I cannot but believe that it is a distinct species, and not a subspecies of H. maia. ‘The points which would support this position are as follows:

1. There are differences in the caterpillars and pupae of H. maia

and HH. lucina.

2. No transitions between H. maia and H. lucina have been made

known.

3. The food plant of H. mata (Oak) and of H. lucina (Meadow-

sweet) are fundamentally different.

4. The habits of the young caterpillars are different. Those of lucina are gregarious, forming large clumps on the twigs of the food plant, while those of maza sit next to one another, in rows across the leaves.

Maia pupates under normal conditions in the ground, while lucina pupates between dried leaves.

OU

aD Psyche [February

6. I am unable to account for the occurrence at the same place of H. maia as typical form with a strongly marked local form. If mara and lucina are really so closely related, we should expect crosses to take place in nature, especially as when maia males first emerge, only females of /uwcina are present, since the flying period of the two species overlaps only in the latter part of September. So far, however, no specimen has been found, which could be a cross between the two, that is to say, one which shows characters of both, for the individuals of both forms are always easily separated from one another. Henry Edwards has already mentioned in his description of fF. lucina (1. ¢.) as a very noteworthy fact that all the specimens of mata which had come under his observation were readily known as such in spite of their considerable variability, while he was always able quickly to distinguish them from /ucina.

The species and aberrations of Hemileuca occurring in the New England States would therefore be the following: Hemileuca maia, Drury. Hemileuca lucina Hy. Edwards. ab. obsoleta Reiff. ab. lutea Reiff.

1910} Brues Se Phoridae from Natal 33

A PECULIAR TYPE OF-PHORIDAE FROM NATAL! By CuHarues T. BRuEs.

Untit within the last decade, the Phoridae ofthe Ethiopian region were practically unknown, but during this short period considerable interest in the group has developed among a number of entomologists, and many African forms have been described. Most of these belong to extraordinary apterous types, although several of the less spe- cialized genera have been found in widely scattered parts of the conti- nent. ‘These few discoveries have shown the extreme interest attaching to the Phorid fauna of this region, and I have endeavored to include them in the present short summary, together with the description of an interesting new genus from Natal recently sent to me by Mr. Ernest E. Austen of the British Museum.

Twelve genera are now known to be represented in the Ethiopian region, several of them very closely allied, and probably not actually generically distinct, but all are included in the following table.

Key to the Ethiopian Genera of Phoridae.

fer Wings cally developed? . ee 0 Ne, 2.5 sac oe ws wetness eine eens eee 2 Wings much reduced in size and venation, or entirely absent......... 5

2. Third vein in‘wing fureate near the tip ....).05.5. 5250.63. Aphiochaeta. Third vein simple, not furcate. . Reval drama nurs Sc Sen mcr useL as:

3. Head of normal form, with algae mone Res warren PR nee bran Mark hc 4 Head produced and squarely truncate above the antennae, forming a frowtal sehield 7. 4./.\2 ocd dees Salles sa emuate datas a wn Coryptilomyia.

4. Anterior frontal setae proclinate, hind tibiae with distinct spurs Puliciphora, male. Anterior frontal setae absent, hind tibial spurs minute; wings more

ary Ghani Usual: 20. 2A e sees eas ss eos Se Chonocephalus, male.

5. Abdomen of normal form, species often cockroach-like, apical segments SeenierIMinal in Position. <.i5. Ss NA. BW yee ee eae ee a er eee ae 7 Abdomen greatly swollen, the last segments very small and directed fonvandsaunderune. basallonesascr aamricic ici arene eta ten stare ae 6

bw nitennal arista; pubescent... cs s..5fh eae cee en oeeee Termitoxenia. Antennal ‘aristas loosely plumoses. 2-250 sie sels sere Termitomyia.

7. Wings of considerable size, though much atrophied; no ocelli; proboscis lamer eemiculate ja eek tin oes omelet nese tere aoe tess Psyllomyia. Wings very small or entirely absent; proboscis short or wanting.. ..... 8

1 Contributions from the Entomological Laboratory of the Bussey Institution, Har- vard University. No. 15.

34 Psyche [February

8. Abdomen with distinct segments, indicated by 4-6 dorsal plates or —

evident constrictions...... Ri .10 Abdomen with all the eae Fiséd ie, a panel Se or ring ney 9

9. Abdomen with two segments, the first short, the second long. Thau matoxena. Abdomen im unsepmentbed ser sat devotee oes ae 10. Ocelli absent. . bd? ayes chastened oe ae ie Teron ae ee el Ocelli present.......... er er ee -Puliciphora. 11. Abdomen entir oy Ga ee be aes A eRe gS, See “Wandolleckia. Abdomen with chitinous plates. ....................-% Bae ly 12. Body flattened, oval, cockroach-like................. _Aenigmatistes. Body more convex, with the usual tripartite form..................18 13. Dorsal abdominal plates wide, crossing the entire width of the abdomen. Chonocephalus. Dorsal plates much reduced in width...............€ryptopteromyia.

Coryptilomyia gen. nov.

Female. Wings fully developed; costa long, weakly ciliate; third vein simple, bare, neither furcate nor swollen at the apex; first vein long; fourth vein curved parallel to the costa, ending at the wing-tip after a course much nearer the costa than usual; 5th to 7th veins distinct, complete. Head with the vertex prolonged in front, then sharply declivous on the front which bears a raised margin above, giving the front of the head a truncate, shield-shaped appearance. Front without bristles except for an occipital row of four and a similar series of much more delicate ones just anterior to these. Antennae subovate, with dorsal arista. Palpi short, scarcely bristly; proboscis very short, almost rudimentary. Body very robust, the mesonotum broad; scutel- lum strongly transverse, nearly four times as broad as long. One pair of dorsocentral macrochaetae and six scutellar bristles in addition to one close to each lateral angle on the mesonotum. Legs rather slender, tibiae without macrochaetae, hind ones delicately setulose. ~

Coryptilomyia armigera sp. nov.

Female. Length 3 mm. Yellowish brown or tinged with castaneous; pleurae and legs fuscous or piceous; abdomen almost entirely piceous, some- times yellowish medially at the base, the segments with narrow whitish mar- gins. Antennae and palpi bright orange yellow. Head seen from the side less than twice as high as thick, sharp above then concave and sloping down to the upper edge of the frontal shield from which it falls off perpendicularly to the antennal cavities. Eyes large, bare, narrowly oval. Antennae rather large, ovate, with a nearly bare arista as long as the head height. Palpi short and stout, with very delicate bristles below. Ocelli large, ranged in a curved row and well separated. Viewed from the front, the head is about twice as broad as high, the margin of the frontal shield above almost semi-circular in outline, the margin below truneate medially and scalloped out on each side to

1910] Brues — Phoridae from Natal 35

conform with the large antennal cavities. Post-ocular cilia very minute. Mesonotum large and broad, considerably wider than the head; at its humeral - angles the propleurae extend far inward, so as to be visible from above as large triangular sclerites, each with the prothoracic spiracle near its center. Lateral margins of mesonotum with a fringe of stiff hairs. Mesopleura below the root of the wing with three macrochaetae. Abdomen of the usual form, with none of the segments elongated except the sixth. Legs long and quite. slender, the anterior tibize entirely bare, each with a microscopic apical spur; middle ones with a fringe of very fine setulae; hind ones with a row of rather strong

Coryptilomyia armigera sp. nov. Female.

A. Wing; B. Side view of head; C. Front view of head.

setulae along the dorsal edge, and a second one along the outer side; all four posterior tibiae with distinct spurs. Wings of ample size, hyaline with fus- cous veins; the costal vein reaching to the middle, its cilia very short; tip of first vein twice as far from the humeral cross-vein as from the tip of the third; fourth vein running nearly parallel to the wing margin, forming a very narrow cell and ending barely before the wing tip; fifth sinuous, curving forward on its apical half; sixth nearly straight; seventh curved, close to the wing margin. Halteres dark brown.

Two specimens from Durban, Natal, South Africa, 1909. (B. Marley.) ‘Type in the British Museum of Natural History.

Phora cochlearipalpus Speiser. Berliner entom. Zeitschr., 52, p. 146. (1908.) Amani, German East Africa.

36 Psyche [February

Aphiochaeta braunsi Brues.

Entomological News, 1907, p. 391. Cape Colony. Aphiochaeta xanthina Speiser.

Berliner entom. Zeitschr., 52, p. 148. (1908.) Kamerun. Psyllomyia testacea Loew.

Wiener entom. Monatsschr., 1, p. 54. (1857.) Cape Colony. Puliciphora africana Brues.

Ann. Mus. Nat. Hungarici, 5, p. 410. (1907.) German East Africa. Chonocephalus kiboshoensis Brues.

Ann. Mus. Nat. Hungarici, 5, p. 410. (1907.) German East Africa.

Wandolleckia cooki Brues. Trans. American Entom. Soc., 29, p. 392. (1904.) Liberia. Wandolleckia indomita Brues. Ann. Mus. Nat. Hungarici, 5, p. 412. (1907.) German East Africa. Cryptopteromyia jeanssoni Trigardh. Zool. Jahrb. Atbh. f. Syst., 28, p. 229. (1909.) Natal. Aenigmatistes africanus Shelford. Journ. Linn. Soc. London, Zool., 30, p. 151. (1908.) Victoria Nyanza. Thaumatoxena wasmanni Breddin & Borner. SB. Gesellsch. naturf. Freunde Berlin, 1904, p. 87. Natal. Termitodeipnus andreinii Silvestri. Redia, 3, p. 356. (1906.) Eritrea. Termitoxenia havilandi Wasmann. Zeitschr. wiss. Zool., 67, p. 601. (1901.) Natal. Termitoxenia jaegerskioeldi Wasmann. Results Swedish Exped. Egypt & White Nile, 13, p. 16. (1904.) Uganda. Termitomyia braunsi Wasmann. Zeitschr, wiss. Zool., 67, p. 611. (1901.) Orange Free State. Termitomyia mirabilis Wasmann. Zeitschr. wiss. Zool., 67, p. 610. (1901.) Natal. Phora camariana Coquerel. Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 6, p. 189. (1848.) Madagascar. This is not recognizable from the description and may quite probably not belong to this genus.

1910] Recent Literature 37

RECENT LITERATURE.

InprAN Insect Lire. By H. Maxwell-Lefroy, Entomologist, Im- perial Department of Agriculture for India, Assisted by F. M. Howlett. Thacker, Spink & Co., Calcutta & Simla. 1909.

Although this book was primarily intended for the struggling student of entomology in India, it contains much of interest and value to workers throughout the World and American entomologists will find it worthy of a careful reading. Nearly 800 pages, 84 plates principally in color, and 536 figures compose the volume of goodly royal octavo size which is very well printed.

The subject matter treats specifically of the insects of the “ Plains” or tropical India, an area embracing all the southern part of India except on mountains rising above 2000 feet, which contour line also limits it on the north in the foot-hills of the Himalayas from subtropical India which is not dealt with in the present work. It appears that insects are much less numerous in tropical than in subtropical India, due to the absence of the moist forested slopes and varied types of vegetation which occur on the hills of the latter.

Throughout the volume special stress is laid upon economically important insects many of which are close counterparts of related species known to western entomologists and numerous species are discussed which will quite probably enter our own country in the future. Among these are particularly various forms destructive to rice, cotton, corn, cane, tea, ete. A very commendable feature is the illustration of the complete life history of many species.

Interspersed among the systematic enumeration of families with their more prominent Indian representatives, are short discussions of topics of more general biological interest, making on the whole a very readable book in spite of its large size and necessarily taxonomic character. The author is certainly to be admired by his more fortu- nate American co-workers for having presented in very well arranged form a summary of the entomology of a country like India where the entomologist must still be a pioneer in his chosen field.

OF hel oF

38 Psyche [February

FIFTH MEETING OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA.

Tue Fifth Meeting of the Entomological Society of America was held at the Harvard Medical School, Boston, Dec. 30th and 31st, 1909. The President, Dr. Henry Skinner, presided throughout the sessions. The President announced the deaths of William H. Edwards, an Honorary Fellow, Prof. Mark Vernon Slingerland, a Fellow, B. H. Guilbeau, W. Brodie and H. M.S.Seib, Members. Suitable resolutions on the deaths of Mr. Edwards and Professor Slingerland were adopted. The Report of the Executive Committee showed among other things that 16 new members had been received during the year and 22 mem- berships had terminated, not including those who had died. Also that a memorial drawn up by Mr. N. C. Wood regarding the tariff on insects and signed by the President and Secretary had been pro- ductive of no action by Congress.

The question of appointing delegates to the approaching Interna- tional Congress of Entomology was referred to the Executive Com- mittee.

The following officers were elected:

President, Dr. JoHN B. Situ.

First Vice-Pres., Dr. S. A. ForBES. Second Vice-Pres., Pror. V. L. KELLoGG. Secretary- Treasurer, Mr. C. R. Crossy.

ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

Prof. J. H. Comstock Prof. J. M. AtpricH Prof. W. M. WHEELER Rev. Prof. C. J.S. BETHUNE Mr. E. A. ScHwarz Prof. LAWRENCE BRUNER.

MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE ON NOMENCLATURE.

Prof. T. D. A. CocKERELL (to succeed himself).

The Report of the Committee on Nomenclature concerning the nomenclature of Gall Insects read at the Baltimore meeting, and printed in the Annals for 1909, was adopted as printed, with the provision that the Society express itself as standing with the majority of the Committee in Section V.

1910] Fifth Meeting of Entomological Society of America 39

Mr. Brues suggested that Professor Felt submit a list of names of Gall Insects that he thought could be accepted as standard.

Moved and carried that the request of Dr. Stiles published in Science, for the preparation of a list of one hundred important names to be adopted by the Congress of Zoology as standard, be referred to the Executive Committee.

The following amendment to the Constitution was adopted:

Article V., Sec. 3. Election of officers. All officers shall be elected by ballot at the annual meeting for the term of one year and shall be eligible for re-election. Their term of office shall commence with the first of June following their election.

The Secretary was instructed to take a mail vote of all members and fellows of the Society as to whether the present arrangement of paying separate dues and subscriptions to the Annals should be continued, or a single membership fee of two dollars be charged, and members receive without further expense the publications of the Society.

Professor Sanderson suggested the adoption of a uniform style of button for both the entomological societies meeting in affiliation with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Referred to the officers.

The following papers were read during the sessions:

R. MatrHeson. Remarks on the External Anatomy of the Haliplidae.

W. M. WuHeeter. On the Effects of Parasitic and Other Kinds of Castration in Insects.

A. H. Morean. Some Correlations of May-fly Structure and Habits.

C. R. Crospy. Some Observations by the Late Professor Slingerland and the Speaker on the Life History of Heterocordylus malinus (Read by title.)

C. J. Triccerson. The Life-cycle of the Oak Hedge-hog Gall-fly (Acraspis ermnacea).

F. L. Wasupurn. <A Jumping Seed-gall on the Burr Oak.

A. D. MacGmuivray. The Female Reproductive Organs of Cory- dalis cornuta.

W.L.W. Fietp. The Offspring of a Captured Female of Basilarchia proser pina.

H. H. Lyman. An Improved Drawer for Insect Cabinets and a New Substance for Lining them.

C. T. BruEs. Some Notes on the Geological History of the Parasitic Hymenoptera.

s

Psyche [February

J.C. Brapiey. The Plaiting of the Wings of Hymenoptera.

T. J. HEApLEE. An Apparatus for the Determination of Optimums of ‘Temperature and Moisture for Insects.

A.D. MacGituivray. ‘The Radial Sector in Phlebatrophia mathesoni.

W. T. M. Forses. A Structural Study of some Caterpillars.

M. J. ELrop. The Blackfoot Glacier as an Entomological Burying Place. (Read by title only.)

J. J. Davis. Chaitophorus populifoliae Fitch versus Chaitophorus populifoliae Oestland. (Read by title only.)

L. Haseman. ‘The Life History of a Species of Psychodidae. (Read by title only.)

A. G.- Hammar. Notes on the Life history of Fidiobia flavipes Ashmead, an Egg Parasite of the Grape Root Worm (Fidia viticida Walsh).

A very interesting and extensive exhibition was held in conjunction with and under the auspices of the Cambridge Entomological Club in rooms adjoining the meeting hall.

The Annual Public Address was given by Dr. John B. Smith on the evening of December 30 in the hall of the Boston Society of Natural History, title: ‘Insects and Entomologists: Their relations to the Community at Large.”

On Tuesday evening the visiting entomologists were the guests of the Cambridge Entomological Club at a most enjoyable smoker held in Copley Hall.

J. CHESTER BRADLEY, Secretary- Treasurer.

Locality Pin Labels 20c. per 1000. Any Number of Lines

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SOCIETAS ENTOMOLOGICA

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Published semi-monthly. Original articles in German, English, and French on all classes of Insects, Reviews, literature, bibliogr. notices. Subscribers wishing to buy, sell or exchange Insects are granted 125 lines gratis per annum for advertising. Lines in excess 5 Pf. (14 cents). To nonsubscribers 20 Pf. or 5 cents. Yearly subscription 8 Mark or $2. Sample copies sent on request. Back volumes at reduced prices.

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Vol. XVII APRIL, 1910 NUMBER 2

Prodryas persephone Scudder.

CONTENTS

ne Genus tachvdromia. A: 0. Melandert). Mii iii 0) Ser Ah 41 The Introduction of a European Scolytid (the smaller Elm Bark- beetle, Scolytus multistriatus Marsh) into Massachusetts. J. W. (Choa: \ aaa ence ir Hh Wer oe ss 478 ee era ote ok ance On the Resistance of Gypsy Moth Eggs (Liparis dispar L.) to Cold and Other Conditions. Wiailliam Reiff ele oh ors PERE ied a Small artificial Ant-nests of novel Patterns. W.M.Wheeler 2 . . os}

A Note on the species of Fucellia of eastern North America. C. W.

PQETISOTIR 5) ess. uh Asa A CA en ame eee ee 76 A Hopperdozer for Rough Ground. A.P.Morse ....... 79 Recent Literature ie Sn

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Entered as second-class matter Dec. 21, 1906, at the Post Office at Boston, Mass., under the Act of Congress of March 8, 1879.

a PSYCHE _

VOL. XVII. APRIL, 1910. No. 2.

‘a THE GENUS TACHYDROMIA.! By A. L. MELANDER, PULLMAN, WASH.

Concerning the application of the generic names Coryneta, Tachy- dromia, Platypalpus, Tachypeza and Tachista of the family Empididae there is much confusion. In his early paper, the Nouvelle classifica- tion des mouches 4 deux ailes, bearing the date 1800, Meigen gives his forty-fourth genus the name Coryneta, describing it as follows. “‘An- tennes 4 deux articulations: la premiére petite, hérissée de poils; la seconde conique, terminée par un poil barbu. 'Trompe perpendicu- laire. Cuisses des jambes du milieu enflées. Le tibia armé a l’ex- trémité d’un piquant. Les ailes croisées.”

No species of the genus are mentioned by name, but Meigen states that he has recognized three species. In 1803 in his revision of this paper in Illiger’s Magazine, Meigen gave the name Tachydromia to the fifty-second genus, mentioning however this time two species, cursitans Fabricius and cimicoides Fabricius. His diagnosis of Tachydromia is as follows. ‘Die Fihlerhérner vorgestrekkt, zwei- gliederig: das erste Glied becherformig; das zweite kegel-formig in eine Borste auslaufend. Der Riissel senk-recht. Schenkel der Mittelfiisse dikk, stachlig. Die Fliigel flach parallel.”

It will be noted that the two descriptions read much alike, which is why Bezzi (in lit.) and Hendel ? have concluded that both refer to the same genus, and that therefore the older name Coryneta should be given preference. ‘The Nouvelle Classification has been an extremely rare paper. But three copies are known to exist, one at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, a second owned by Professor Hey- den, and another belonging to the late Osten Sacken, and now in the possession of Dr. Hendel. Because of the obscureness of this early paper of Meigen it has been neglected by all writers. Its names are not given in the nomenclators, and even Meigen himself ignored its

1 Contribution from the Zoological Laboratory of the State College of Washington. ? Verhandl. k. k. zool.-bot. Gesellsch., Wien. 1908. pp. 43-69.

41

49 Psyche {April

existence in his later works, as if ashamed of the curious meaningless names of his first publication. ‘The diagnoses are brief, general and ambiguous, and, since no species are mentioned the identity of the genera would have remained mostly unknown, were it not that some of the early descriptions bear a similarity to the corresponding ones of the later paper. In nearly all cases however the generic names of 1800 are entirely different from those Meigen later used. ‘The genera of Meigen’s second contribution are well known, as for most of them typical species were cited at the beginning, and their names have been in constant usage for our commonest flies for more than a century. Even by this method of comparison and elimination many of the 1800 genera will never be understood.

This early publication of Meigen remained entirely ignored until Dr. F. Hendel republished it entirely in the Verhandlungen of the Wiener Gesellschaft. If we were to accept his guesses as to the identity of these early genera we would overthrow such well-known names as Ceratopogon, Odontomyia, Eristalis, etc., as well as the long established type-genera of over a dozen families of diptera. But much of his evidence is insecure. ‘The paper is worthless if not interpreted by Meigen’s later works, the date of publication cannot be verified, there is even doubt if the paper was distributed on the date it bears, and nowhere are any species cited, so the genera are uot true binomial conceptions. This last condition alone should not be followed too closely, for many of Meigen’s genera of 1803 and 1804 were likewise published without mention of species.

Naturally to exhume these forgotten names has stirred up much discussion, and in the short interim since Hendel’s republishing, there have been a score of opinions given out by various biologists. “These opinions are sometimes conflicting but in the main zoologists strongly decry using the law of priority to bolster up such speciesless genera as Meigen’s earliest. I shall give a list of the articles that have come to my notice bearing directly or indirectly on the principle of whether or not to adopt the newly disinterred genera. In this long parley the concrete example of Meigen’s paper has been lost sight of by many of the contributors, and merely the principle has been under discussion, but nevertheless the entire argument outlined below was caused by the appearance of Hendel’s reprint. A short digest of the articles will help to correlate the ideas advanced.

Professor Aldrich wrote in hopes of squelching Hendel’s paper, to

1910] Melander — The Genus Tachydromia 43

deter others from using the ancient names. Yet Kertész’ last volume of the Catalogus Dipterorum hujusque descriptorum, volume v., 1909, adopts the family name Omphralidae for the Scenopinidae; his Catalogue of palaearctic diptera uses five of the early names in volume il; while Czerny in a paper on Spanish Diptera! has discarded the family names Scatophagidae and ‘Trypetidae, as he uses for them Meigen’s earlier type genera Scopeuma and Euribia, forming thereby the family names Scopeumatidae and Euribiidae. However, Czerny does not use Meigen’s early Cypsela to replace Borborus, as was ad- vocated in Hendel’s reprint.

Volume i of the palaearctic catalogue has dispensed with the following well known genera on the plea of priority: Hphippiuwm, Oxycera, Odontomyia, Xylophaqus, Ilaematopota, Subula and Leptis. Surely the dipterist has a bewildering memory-lesson before him.

It is strongly to be urged in this period of nomenclatural unrest that writers be not too hasty in adopting the suggestions of Dr. Hendel. The trend of public opinion is that genera without species shall have no place in our system of classification. In view of the projected action of the Committee of the International Congress of Zoologists (see number 23 below), it would be decidedly rash to rush into publications the once-discarded names of 1800. It would be better to hold in abeyance any personal desires fer Meigen’s first names until the Committee can rectify the Code on this question. Such conservatism may prevent a premature overthrow of the names of our commonest genera, and might spare our overburdened literature from most con- fusing rearrangements of synonyms.

1. Nature, August 27, 1908, pp. 394-395. A composite letter by British zoologists deploring the fact that a strict adherence to rules sometimes brings unfortunate consequences.

Li)

N. Banks, Science, xxviii. Advises others who have rare papers to republish them.

3. 8S. W. Williston, Manual, 3rd. edit. p. 390, 1908. “Hendel would have deserved the thanks of a long suffering public had he withheld these copies instead of republishing.”

+. M. Bezzi, Wiener entom. Zeit. xxvii. 252, Sept. 1908.

Comments on the adoption of the names of 1800 that come in vol. iil.

of Kertesz’ Catalogue of palearctic diptera, a course in which, naturally,

he approves.

1 Verh. k. k. zool.-bot. Gesellsch., Wien, vol. 59, 1909.

44

on

“I

10.

Me

13.

14.

Psyche {April

J. M. Aldrich, Canad. Ent. xl. 370-373. Oct. 1908.

Compares resurrecting the 1800 paper to finding some old grant to Indian lands. Every possible objection should be made before accep- ing them; a flawless case must be made out and the identification of the older genera is full of flaws. ‘‘Let justice be done” exclaims Hendel. To whom? Certainly not to Meigen by accepting this paper.

J. M. Aldrich, Canad. Ent. xl. 432, Nov. 1908.

Quotes from Bezzi’s paper (number 4, above) in the Wiener entomo- logische Zeitung. Hendel (number 9, below) says that the quotatien is mis-applied.

D. W. Coquillett, Canad. Ent. xl. 457, Dec. 1908.

Pleads for the adoption of the early names, citing rules from the code to cover his argument. Does not believe in obstructing the progress of nomenclature by discrediting Hendel’s find.

P. H. Verrall, British Flies, v. 772, 1909.

Meigen’s 1800 genera are not legally established. Does not coneur with Coquillett’s ‘‘aggravated” pleading (no. 7).

F. Hendel, Wiener entom. Zeit. xxviii. 33-36; Feb. 1909.

Discusses the comments in numbers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Stability of nomenclature can be had only by a strict adherence to the law of priority. Since Meigen described only genera, but gave the number of species that he knew, and in the preface designated his work as a prodromus of a later work designed to contain only the genera, he can not be said to have carelessly neglected the principles of binary nomen- clature. Hendel states that 39 of the Brachycera genera can be imme- diately recognized from the descriptions alone. The future alone can tell whether the majority of dipterists will decide for continuity or for priority.

T. D. A. Cockerell, Science, xxix. 339, Feb. 26, 1909.

Calls for a postal vote of opinions about genera without species. ‘A genus without species has no type, no content, and apparently has no place in our systems of classification.”’

J. M. Aldrich, Canad. Ent. xli. 103, March, 1909. In a review of Verrall’s British Flies, Aldrich quotes the discovery of certain Chicago historians that the annulment of one of the marriages of King Henry VIII. was invalid, and that, consequently, King Edward VII. is not King of England. This discovery is on a par with the reasoning that Meigen’s earliest genera should claim priority.

T. D. A. Cockerell, Science, xxix. 813, May 21, 1909. The result of the postal vote (number 10) shows the majority of voters not in favor of resurrecting the names of speciesless genera.

A. A. Giraulc, Science, xxix. 814, May 21, 1909. A genus described without a species is non-existent. Its name has no status until some definite type species has been designated.

J. A. Allen, Science, xxix. 935, June 11, 1909. “Prior to 1810 hundreds of genera now in current use were proposed solely on the basis of a diagnosis; although they were accepted and

1910] Melander — The Genus Tachydromia 45

have been in use from the date of their proposal, many of them were without designated types for half a century.’”’ “Apparently each case should be dealt with solely on its own merits.”

15. F.N. Balch, Science, xxix. 998, June 25, 1909. In a paper, “A Lawyer on the Nomenclature Question’? Mr. Balch advocates an International Court with absolute power to settle every- thing nomenclatorial. The priority rule was not intended to be the superstition and incubus it has become. ‘‘ Questions of nomenclature are of utterly insignificant importance so only that they be settled one way or the other, quickly, definitely, and permanently.”

16. F. A. Bather, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (8) iv. 37-42, July, 1909. In an article ‘Some Common Crinoid Names and the Fixation of Nomenclature,” Dr. Bather advocates the establishment of a court of nomenclature.

17. Wm. H. Dall, Science, xxx. 149, July 30, 1909. Most questions of nomenclature can be answered by a serious study of the Code. For the few other cases he advocates giving the Committee power of decision.

18. A. N. Caudell, Science, xxx. 210, August 13, 1909. “How can we get a type for a genus where there were no species origi- nally included?”

19. F. A. Bather, Science, xxx. 341, Sept. 10, 1909. Advocates a Court for the two eases, first, where the application of the Code is obscure, and second, where its application is clear, but the consequences at the same time would be exceedingly unfortunate.

20. J. A. Allen, Science, xxx. 365, Sept. 17, 1909. “The only point is whether they are good genera or bad genera — in other words whether they are identifiable or unidentifiable from the basis furnished by the original founder.”’

21. J. Dwight, Jr. Science, xxx. 526, Oct. 15, 1909. “Zoological nomenclature to-day seems to be little more than an intricate game of names, fascinating sport for its faithful devotees, but an intolerable nuisance for the uninitiated many.” “Priority is rather a bog from which the nomenclatorial muck-rakers exhume the fossil remains of a past age.”” ‘“‘It is not justice for the dead zoologist that we need so much as justice for the living, and even now the dead get no recognition if they violate the rules of a game unknown in their day.”

22. A.S. Hitchcock, Science, xxx. 597, Oct. 29, 1909. Believes it impractical for a committee to prepare a list of names that will be stable, because of the changing state of biological knowledge.

23. J. A. Allen, Science, xxx. 596, October 29, 1909. Proposes the following recommendation for the International Com- mittee. ‘‘A generic name proposed without mention of any described species is invalid unless it is accompanied by a diagnosis of such a character as to indicate that it is based on a previously known species, or group of species, that can be unequivocally identified as the basis of the diagnosis.”

46 Psyche {April

Therefore, instead of worrying over just which of the genera can be identified, it will be vastly better for the present to ignore entirely the Nouvelle Classification. It is absurd rigidly to apply modern rules of nomenclature to the works of the early writers, when as in this ‘instance no good can be subserved, and a most confusing and “com- plete revolution in dipterological nomenclature’ would result, a condition that Dr. Hendel seems eagerly to have hoped for. It is commendable to make use of the law of priority when stability and permanence will be guaranteed, but in the present case it 1s too risky to accept Dr. Hendel’s views and make the wholesale changes he has suggested. Dr. Stiles has remarked that “neither the commission nor the congress has any power to force zoologists and others to accept the International Rules.” I believe that my dipterist fellow workers should feel that one such occasion confronts them, if rules are to be construed, or misconstrued, to bolster up the once-discarded names.

With this digression we may disregard the name Coryneta, and take up the name Tachydromia. As just mentioned, Meigen assigned Musca cursitans Fabricius and cimicoides Fabricius to his genus. The first of these was an erroneous determination which was afterwards named major by Zetterstedt. Cimicoides Fabricius is a synonym of arrogans Linneus, but Meigen was confused in his identification here too, as a part of the specimens he thought were czmicoides he afterward described as connexa. Meigen had therefore three species before him, of which two were undescribed, and the third had previously been named arrogans by Linneus. Obviously, according to modern rulings, the type of Tachydromia must be selected from these three, and as arrogans was the only described species among Meigen’s material, that species would probably be construed as the type. But neither arrogans nor connexa has the middle femora enlarged, nor are their middle tibiae spurred. Therefore they disagree with the only salient point of the diagnosis. For that reason, according to our present ideas, neither would have been selected as the type, and the honor of serving as type of Tachydromia should have been bestowed on Meigen’s cursittans (major Zett.). The old genus has been dismembered, the separated genera have received their types, and our present ideals have not been fulfilled, because of the everlasting blundering between personal whims and priority laws.

Article 30 of the Code states: “If the original type of a genus was not indicated, the author who first subdivides the genus may apply the

1910} Melander — The Genus Tachydromia AT

name of the original genus to such restricted genus or subgenus as may be judged advisable, and such assignment is not subject to subsequent change.” Dr. Stiles! has given a personal ruling further that “If an author, in publishing a genus with more than one valid species, fails to designate or to indicate its type, any subsequent author may select the type, and such designation is not subject to change.” Although this is a personal opinion its soundness is apparent. With these cita- tions, we may take up the subsequent history of Meigen’s Tachy- dromia.

Meigen’s early conception of the genus was the same as our present idea of the subfamily Tachydromiinae, or even the combined sub- families 'Tachydromiinae and Hemerodromiinae, and in this he was followed by the earlier writers, such as Fallén. In 1822 in the third volume of the Systematische Beschreibungen Meigen separated from Tachydromia the genera Hemerodromia and Drapetis. The remaining Tachydromias he grouped into two divisions, A and B, with his. crmicoides in A. and his cursitans in B, but still retaining all in the genus Tachydromia. Macquart in 1827 bestowed the name Platy- palpus on division B which was the larger group, keeping the name Tachydromia for the first group, but Meigen not knowing this renamed the first division Tachypeza, to retain the original name for the larger division. ‘This change was published in 1830, and later he refused to adopt Macquart’s name because he thought his own ideas were better.

In a paper in the Zeitschrift fuer Entomologie, published in Breslau in 1863 Loew discussed the question at length and following Meigen discarded the name Platypalpus because it is a poorly formed com- pound of Greek and Latin. For the larger group, or those species related to cursitans, he retained the name Tachydromia. The re- mainder of the genus he subdivided into Tachypeza, Tachista, Dysa- letria, and Phoneutisca, bestowing the name Tachista on those species grouped about cimicoides. ‘The majority of the prominent European dipterists have adopted this view principally out of deference to Meigen and Loew.

The date of publication of the name Platypalpus is certain, and its designation is unquestionable. We have therefore no recourse but to accept it as a valid name. ‘To this genus belongs the cursitans of Meigen’s original Tachydromia. Eliminating this species, the cimi-

1 Bull. 24, Hygienic Laboratory, p. 27 (1905) Rule 10.

48 Psyche {April

coides of Meigen should be the type of the restricted Tachydromia. Coquillett however has designated conneaxa as the type, forgetting that part of Meigen’s cimicoides belonged to Linnaeus’ early species arro- gans. 'Vhis however will not invalidate the limitations of the restricted Tachydromia, as arrogans and connexa are very closely related spe- cies, certainly congeneric.

The status of the old genus Tachydromia is therefore as follows.

Front and middle femora thickened: Division B. Meigen. Platypalpus Macquart, Westwood, Blanchard, Walker, Schiner, Philippi, Coquillett, Melander. Tachydromia Meigen, Burmeister, Zetterstedt, Berendt, Scholtz, Bonsdorff, Loew, Bigot, Mik, Strobl, Becker, Kertész, Bezzi, Frey. Phoroxypha Rondani, Coquillett.

Front femora thickened: Division A. Meigen.

Amalcell) iMmperfectite remiss sip ieait eisai a's auetoe = Tachypeza Meigen, Loew. Anal cell completely wanting............ Tachydromia Meigen, Coquillett.

Tachista Loew, Becker. The type species of these genera are as follows:

Platypalpus. Type species cursitans Fabricius, indicated by Westwood in 1840. It is quite likely that Westwood had Meigen’s original cursitans in view, in which case the type should be major Zetterstedt.

Tachypeza. Type species nubila Meigen. Rondani in 1856 designated

tt nervosa Meigen as the type, and this is a synonym of nubila.

Tachydromia. Type species connera Meigen. As explained before Meigen indicated two species, cursitans and cimicoides. As the type species should be one of those originally listed by the describer elimination leaves cimi- coides as the type, since Meigen’s cursitans belongs to the subsequently erected genus Platypalpus. Meigen’s cimicoides included two species, arrogans Linnaeus and the later described connexa Meigen, the second of which Mr. Coquillett has designated as the type.

During the last half century a number of other genera have been pro- posed for new material rather than as constrictions of the older genus. The relationships of these genera can be seen from the following synopsis of the present subfamily Tachydromiinae. All the known genera and sub-genera are included.

1910] Melander — The Genus Tachydromia 49

Genera and Subgenera of the Tachydromive.

Thorax slender, humeri large, strongly constricted: palpi narrow: legs not bristly: front femora thickest. First basal cell much shorter than the second: black species. Analcell present: arista terminal......-.:.....-.. Tachypeza Meigen. Anal cell completely wanting. Arista terminal or sub-terminal: marginal cell long. Tachydromia Meigen. Arista sub-dorsal: second vein abruptly recurved. Phoneutisca Loew. First basal cell longer than second; outer angle only of anal cell present: AVG OWES DECILES areverepaens, ¢ahc} «laus ayeexene see ahelgeren cgay Pate erotoe oe Dysaletria Loew. Thorax broad: humeri rarely large: legs hairy and usually with bristles: palpi usually broad. First basal cell shorter than second: eyes close together, especially below the antennae. Arista terminal. Anal cell complete or incompletely formed. Front and middle femora thickened: middle femora with a double row of spines beneath: middle tibiae ending in a spur: eyes

Separacvedre palpi Orodds sca cmmme ae Platypalpus Macquart. Mast jomtrot tarsi moral... 0-5-6 ee oe Platypalpus s. str.

Last joint of anterior tarsi greatly lengthened.

Cleptodromia Corti. Femora not thickened: middle legs without spurs and with minute or no spines: eyes contiguous: palpi small: basal cells subequal. Sy mballophthalmus Becker.

Anal cell wholly wanting: posterior femora more or less thickened. Drapetis Meigen. Body robust, abdomen shorter than thorax: Wings broad, not

ciliate. Third antennal joint short-oval................ Drapetis s. str. Third antennal joint lanceolate.......... Elaphropeza Macquart. Body more slender: abdomen longer than thorax: wings cuneiform: costanlonovelliates ashe vs alae «1 oer Ctenodrapetis Bezzi. Arista dorsal: front femora thickened.................. Stilpon Loew.

First basal cell equal to or longer than second: more or less opaque pollinose species: eyes usually widely separated on the face. Arista dorsal. Wings less than one-third the abdomen....... Thinodromia Melander. Wings surpassing the abdomen, anal cell faint. . .Halsanalotes Becker. Arista terminal. Antennae three-jointed: legs thick and bristly: eyes very small. Coloboneura Melander. Antennae two-jointed: legs but little thickened and with few bristles, PACEs Marrow seats ee Sissi) so aid ager sia tote Chersodromia Walker.

50 | Psyche [April Tachydromia sens. str.

Minute, slender flies of shining jet-black color and almost devoid of hairs and bristles. Head globular, eyes large, with large facets, in both sexes broadly contiguous on the face; front narrow, its sides nearly parallel, and but slightly diverging toward the vertex; three ocelli present; occiput broad, produced sub-conically at the neck and provided with sparse short bristles. Antennae short, two-jointed, the outer joint short rounded oval, with the long slender nearly bare arista terminal or nearly so. Proboscis shorter than the head, rigid, vertical: palpi applied against the proboscis and tipped with several short bristles.

Thorax longer than broad, not greatly convex, not truncate in front but considerably narrowed from the wings forward; humeri remarka- bly enlarged and separated from the narrow central part of the meso- notum by more or less deep furrows; a prealar lateral bristle on meso- notum; scutellum normally with two pairs of short marginal bristles, the basal pair microscopic, usually no other thoracic bristles or hairs present. Hypopygium small, more or less globular, or triangular in outline, terminal. Legs slender, the front femora somewhat thickened, devoid of bristles, but with microscopic hairs, those of the under side of the front tibiae serrately arranged, no spurs or conspicuous spines present. Sometimes the male legs have small spines on the middle femora or tibiae beneath. Wings narrow, costa ending at the fourth vein and sometimes thickened beyond the insertion of the first vein, hind margin of the wing short ciliate; no trace of an anal cell present.

Our known American species of Tachydromia divide nicely into two groups. ‘The first of these includes slender species with elongate wings and legs. This group is typical of Tachydromia and is largely represented in the palaearctic fauna. The second group is more aberrant. Our species will probably be separated ultimately from Tachydromia as several genera, but for the present it would be quite unwise to do so. It is unfortunate that the small size and difficulty of capture of these species are responsible for their scarcity in collections. Undoubtedly we know but a fraction of the forms the world over, and until our collections are more complete we cannot hope to understand the relationships of these interesting little flies.

The typical Tachydromias are shining black, nearly bristleless flies and have a dark band, or two dark bands, across the wings. ‘The

1910] Melander — The Genus Tachydromia ol

arista is terminal and the palpi are long and narrow. ‘The front of the head is very narrow, its sides almost parallel. ‘The emargination of the eyes at the level of the antennae is less deep, and all the facets are of nearly uniform size. ‘The pectus is pruinose, the coating extend- ing backwards to form a conspicuous glistening white spot over the front coxae and under the humeri. ‘The hypopygium is also somewhat smaller than with the other members of the genus. The first basal cell is generally very long. It is to this group that arrogans and connexa belong.

The species of the second group differ in having a shorter and broader thorax, with the humeri not so pronounced. ‘They lack the pruinosity above the front coxae. ‘The arista is subterminal and the palpi are usually broader. "The front of the head is broader, with its sides diverging above. ‘The eyes are more deeply emarginate, and the lower facets are conspicuously larger than the upper. "The wings are shorter in proportion to the body, and are not fasciate; the two basal cells are more nearly equal in size, and the marginal cell is usually shorter.

Although the genus separates into two definite groups whose char- acters may seem to be of generic value, I hesitate about placing together the species of group two as a restricted genus, for they appear to repre- sent several phyletic lines. The basic points of difference between these species are the following:

1. simplicior. Wings as in Drapetis: palpi narrow: thorax glistening, devoid of bristles: humeri prominent.

2. maculipennis, calva. Palpi narrow: thorax narrow, glistening black, devoid of bristles, humeri prominent.

3. insularis. Thorax shorter, somewhat glaucous, humeri smaller: palpi long and narrow.

4. agens, universalis. Thorax somewhat glaucous, shorter, with bristles; humeri smaller: palpi broader.

The table following is given for the determination of the American species. Several other species have been referred to this genus by one writer or another. The accompanying notes will explain their status.

Tachydromia lata Coquillett * is omitted from the tables as it probably is a Drapetis. Since the description states that the mesonotum is broader than long, the legs are provided with bristles and the first

1 Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. V. p. 266 (1903).

52 Psyche [April

basal cell is much shorter than the second it is evident that the species is not a Tachydromia. Mr. Coquillett separates Tachista (or Tachy- dromia as here given) from Drapetis in his analytic key only by the comparative thickness of the front femora, an elusive characteristic.

Tachydromia nubifera Coquillett ' has been referred by its author? to the genus Coloboneura, a genus which has very bristly legs. I am unable to corroborate this from his description alone. ‘The shortened second basal cell of nubifera excludes the species from Tachydromia, but the subopaque pruinosity and colored wings are at variance with the typical species of Coloboneura.

Mr. Coquillett has assigned Drapetis flavida Williston to Tachista * While the male is unusually slender for a typical Drapetis this species lacks the constricted swollen humeri of the Tachydromia group and moreover the legs are pubescent and provided with bristles and both the marginal and the first basal cells are short as in Drapetis. The species can with all propriety be located in Bezzi’s recent subgenus Ctenodropetis. It may be here noted that the description of Tachy- dromia bacis Walker described from Jamaica tallies with this species. As Mr. Walker’s description is unusually complete, mentioning even the bristles of the legs, it is reasonably certain that both species are the same. I have specimens from Yucatan, Orizaba, Vera Cruz, Cuba and Hayti. Mr. Coquillett reports it from Porto Rico, and Dr. Williston’s specimens came from St. Vincent. It is evidently a com- mon species within its geographic range. ‘There is an ancient and brief description of Tachydromia abdominalis Wiedemann* from China that also applies to our specimens. Ctenodrapetis ciliatocosta Bezzi® from Australia is also quite similar, but is somewhat smaller. Possibly there is but one widely distributed form. I take it that abdominalis is a Ctenodrapetis rather than a Platypalpus as the abdomen is described as lusterless. In almost all the species of Platypalpus the abdomen is shining.

Mr. Coquillett ® thinks that Phoneutisca bimaculata Loew is a synonym of maculipennis Walker which was described from Hudson

1 Dipt. Commander Isl. p. 343 (1898).

2 Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash V. p. 265 (1903).

3 Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. XXII. p. 251 (1900). Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. V. p. 265, note. (1903.)

4 Auss. zweifl. Ins. II. 12 (1829).

5 Ann. Mus. Nat. Hung. II. p. 355 (1904).

6 Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. V. p. 266 (1903).

1910] Melander — The Genus Tachydromia 53

Bay Territory. I do not think this is so. Bimaculata is a much smaller species with white palpi, and is rare. The only specimen I have seen is the type from Alaska. I take it however that maculz- pennis is the same as our common pusilla Loew. I have examined over fifty specimens of this species from Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and South Dakota. Since it is so widely distrib- uted in the States it probably occurs in Canada also. The rest of Mr. Walker’s Tachydromias I can not decipher. They may belong to Tachypeza or to the present genus. Osten Sacken listed vicarius as a Platypalpus. ‘The two-line description reads that the legs are slender which raises more doubt as to what the species really is.

Table of the North American Species of Tachydromia.

1. A white glistening pruinose spot between the front coxae and the humeri, rarely absent: wings with two dark bands: the distance between the two cross veins more than twice the length of the hind cross vein: ALIS HNL OMIMMUN A oe. Teka veis) ophhcte te, cits tide, ota ce laps aon cede a tareerie canes o Reems tolialls oes

No glistening spot on the pleurae: wings with a single brownish subapical cloud or hyaline; cross veins separated scarcely more than the length Ol the shine) icross veim': anistay subterminal... .0 400 eee ee): © 6.

2. Palpi and halteres black: marginal cell obliquely truncate enecator Melander. Palpi and halteres paler: marginal cell rounded at theend.......... 3. 3. Dark cross bands united along the costa........ varipennis Coquillett. DankAcross) bandsvseparatedey .. editor wlccietale.s ocreclale avatevcretenete tans 4, 4. Wings blunt, fringed with comparatively long hairs: propleurae not POEUMM OSC Hate-c Hie B0/4 AEF Seats aes hve MAS ciliata sp. nov. Wings slender, the marginal hairs short: propleurae pruinose........ 5. oa) duegs nearly uniformly dusky). a... e-sateis cole schwarzii Coquillett.

Base of legs pale yellow, outer portions in part black. schwarzii var. diversipes. var. nov. 6. Palpi black: wings with a broad subapical cloud. maculipennis Walker.

alpimyellowisheswangsumcloudederts. 1:1. :crst-tele steieiecetloleye etets were liote Ue 7. Thorax shining, humeri prominent: palpi narrow.................. 8. Thorax and abdomen sub-glaucous, humeri smaller...............- 9. 8. Third and fourth veins divergent...... simplicior Wheeler & Melander. fhicd and fourth vemssubparallel:. 0.0.1. eiteait ie. calva sp. nov.

9. Palpi long and narrow: scutellum with four bristles: antennae reddish insularis sp. nov.

Palpi broader: seutellum with two bristles... 00.6066. sea eee 10. 10. Acrostichal and dorsocentral bristles present: legs slender piceous, antennaen bb lackesrrs mae atet ar econ erste ate elenafeslereaatae agens sp. nov.

Middle of dorsum without bristles: base of legs and of antennae yellow, fogt rarssilgolme WR Char ie cade < 2 66's os eclee 6s ohsie's universalis sp. nov.

54 Psyche [April

Tachydromia enecator Melander.

Trans. Am. Ent. Soc., xxviii, 226, 2 (1902).

Length 3} mm. Totally jet black, shining, except that the knees narrowly and the metatarsi are piceous, the palpi, antennae and halteres are dull black, and the hinder occiput, pectus, metanotum, a narrow vertical stripe on the metapleurae, front coxae, and underside of the front femora are provided with a light pruinose coating. Outer antennal joint elliptical, arista terminal. Humeral swellings of mesonotum large and well marked: no bristles on dise of mesonotum, scutellum with four minute bristles. The <@ abdomen depressed, less shining apically, the hypopygium small, terminal, somewhat triangular in outline, it and the last ventral segment provided with short blackish hairs. Wings with two dark cross bands, the second vein appendic- ulate in the known specimens.

But five specimens are known of this species. ‘The two cotypes, both females, are from Quebec and Wyoming. ‘They are now located in the Wheeler collection at the American Museum of Natural History, New York City. I have a male and two females, collected by my former student, E. L. Jenne, at Douglas, Alaska, August 2, 1901. This is our largest species.

Tachydromia schwarzii Coquillett.

Coquillett, Proc. U. S. N. Mus. xviii. 440 (1895). Melander, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xxviii. 225, fig. 52 (1902).

Length 2.5 mm. Shining black, the legs yellowish. Occiput and pro- pleurae pruinose. Antennae fuscous to black, the outer joint rounded, the terminal arista about four times the length of the antenna. Facets of the eyes nearly uniform, front narrow. Palpi glistening white to dirty white, elongate and slender. Mesonotal dise shining, bristleless, scutellum with four short bristles. Hypopygium moderate, rounded, its curved slender appendages sometimes exserted. Legs including the coxae dusky yellow, the hind legs darkest, the tibiae and tarsi more or less infuseated. Halteres pale yellow. Wings slender, rather pointed, crossed by two broad brownish fasciae, leaving the base, middle and tip hyaline; the marginal cilia normally short.

This is a common insect in the West. During the entire summer it hurries about in quick little zig-zag runs in search of its small victims, curiously probing among grass, stones, sidewalks, houses, in fact it can be found almost everywhere in this region. I have seen hundreds of living specimens, and have examined nearly a hundred mounted individuals from Moscow, Idaho, and Pullman and Wenatchee, Wash- ington. The types came from California and Utah. They are numbered 3246 and 3247 in the National Museum collection.

1910] Melander — The Genus Tachydromia 55

In structure, venation, and general appearance this species resem- bles annulimana Meigen, of the European fauna; which however has striped femora, incrassate front tibiae, an erect hypopygium, some dorsocentral bristles in front of the scutellum, and moreover lacks the white pruinose spots beneath the humeri.

Tachydromia schwarzii var. diversipes var. nov.

Melander, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xxviii. 225 (1902). TJ. schwarzii, var.

Male. Similar to schwarzii in all structural characters, but differing in coloration. The base of the legs is lighter, the outer portions blacker than in typical form, thus making a greater contrast in color. The coxae, trochanters, base of all the femora, the basal two-thirds of the front tibiae, and the tarsi except the tip almost white in color. The outer third of the front tibiae is abruptly black; the four posterior tibiae, except the knees, and the hind femora except the base, black. The palpi are blackish. The cross-bands of the wings are lead-gray, and are darker than is usually the case with schwarzit, where they generally have a brownish tinge.

Two males which I captured at Dry Creek, near Austin, Texas, April 20, 1901. ‘The specimens were running over rather large stones in this moist ravine at the base of Mount Barker.

Tachydromia ciliata sp. nov.

Wheeler and Melander, Biologia Cent. Am., Dipt. Suppl. 375 (1901) schwarzit.

Female. Length about 2mm. Quite similar to schwarzi in general appear- ance, but differing in the structure of the wings. Shining black, legs clear yellow except the infuscated outer two-thirds of the hind femora and tibiae. Antennae yellow; as they are defective nothing can be stated about the arista. Front narrow, facets of the eyes uniform. Palpi whitish. Occiput and thorax shining black, the propleurae not pruinose: humeri large and deeply constricted: the inner pair of scutellar bristles moderately long. First ventral segment white or whitish. Halteres yellow. Wings comparatively short and broad, blunt at the end, and margined with a conspicuous fringe of hairs which are prominent even on the costa; two brown cross-bands are present as in schwarzii, but because of the shortened wings the outer fascia appears less extensive; the third and fourth veins more distant from each other and continuing to the wing-tip without converging (in schwarzii they lie closer together and converge towards the tip).

I have two specimens before me from Guerrero, Mexico, one taken at Chilpancingo, at 4600 feet altitude, the other labeled Sierra de las

Aguas Escondidas, 9500 feet. There are some minor differences between the two specimens. ‘The former measures 1.75 mm. and has

56 Psyche [April

the outer cross-band nearly as in typical schwarzii. The latter individual measures fully two mm. ‘The base of its wings is less hyaline, but otherwise the wings are as described. The first ventral segment of the abdomen is only dusky, not white. The third specimen mentioned in the Biologia is in the Wheeler collection at the American Museum. ‘This species corresponds to eacisa Loew of the European fauna,

Tachydromia varipennis Coquillett.

Coquillett, Proce. Ent. Soe. Wash., v. 266 (1903). Slosson, Ent. News, xiv. 266 (1903) habits.

Length 2mm. Shining black, pro- and metapleurae pruinose, coxae, base of femora and proximal part of tarsifuscous. Outer antennal joint short ovate, the terminal arista three times the length of the antenna. Palpi whitish. Humeri constricted from the central part of the thorax by an evident groove; no bristles on dise of notum, scutellar bristles minute. Hypopygium minute, terminal, without conspicuous hairs. Halteres white. Wings infumated, the base, tip and a transverse streak in the middle, but not including the mar- ginal and submarginal cells hyaline.

I have four specimens from the type lot, received from Mrs. Annie Trumbull Slosson. ‘They were taken in the White Mountains at Franconia, New Hampshire. The type is in the National Museum, number 6774. It is this species that is mentioned in Aldrich’s Cata- logue, page 314 under schwarzii, as occurring in New Hampshire.

In her article, Hunting Empids, in the October issue of the Ento- mological News for 1903, Mrs. Slosson gives the following notes on the habits of this fly. ‘‘About the first of July I always find here a pretty little creature running rapidly over wet stones at the margin of streams. It is a tiny fly with gray wings variegated with black, and its habits are odd and interesting. ‘Though its wings are fully formed and quite ‘apable of flight, it very rarely uses them. When pursued by the collector it runs swiftly like an ant on and around the stone, and will continue this elusive performance for many minutes, though by spread- ing its pretty wings it could at once escape capture. Only in desperate extremity, as a very last resort, will it sometimes take flight and rest upon another near-by stone. For a long time I found them very difficult to catch. But at last I discovered that by seizing the stone on which one was running and dropping it quickly into my net I had the little fellow safe and sound.”

1910] Melander — The Genus Tachydromia 57

Tachydromia maculipennis Walker.

Walker, List Dipt. Ins. in Coll. Brit. Mus., il. 507 (1849).

Loew, Cent. v., 74 (1863) Tachypeza pusilla Q.

Melander, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xxviii. 228; and 229, f. 51 (pusilla); and 204, f.1. (Phoneutisca bimaculata, Dakota specimens) (1902).

Coquillett, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. v. 266 (1903) Phon. bimaculata.

Aldrich, Catalog N. Am. Dipt., 310 (1905), Phon. bimaculata.

Length 2mm. Shining black, antennae, palpi, proboscis and halteres also black, no pruinose spots on thorax. Outer joint of antennae short-conical, the arista two times the length of the antenna, almost terminal. Humeral swellings prominent, well constricted from the central portion of the thorax; no notal bristles; scutellum with four marginal bristles, the outer pair short. Hypopygium swollen, black hairy, the last ventral segment with a conspicuous fringe of black bristles. Legs largely blackish, the coxae, trochanters, and base of the femora paler; front tibiae and tarsi more or less yellowish; the last two tarsal joints black. Halteres whitish. Wings with a brownish cloud filling the submarginal and first posterior cells; the two cross veins approxi- mate.

The type of this species, now in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, was collected by LeBaron in Illinois. Ihave specimens before me from Chicago, Illinois, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Atherton, Missouri (C. F. Adams) and Brookings, South Dakota (J. M. Aldrich). Dr. Hough has taken the species at New Bedford, Massachusetts. Mr. C. W. Johnson records pusilla from New Jersey in Smith’s Catalog. The synonymy of this species is discussed in the introduction anted, page 52.

Tachydromia simplicior Wheeler and Melander.

Wh. and Mel., Biologia Cent. Am., Dipt. Suppl. 375 (1901) Phoneutisca. Melander, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xxviii. 205, f. 6. (1902) Phoneutisca.

Length 1.5mm. _ Body shining black, legs entirely yellow. Antennae short, the outer joint minute, smaller than the basal joint, the arista sub-dorsal. Palpi pure white, moderately broad. No bristles on mesonotal disc; scutel- lum with a pair of well separated marginal bristles; humeri well constricted and prominent; the sides of the thorax are very lightly pruinose, but there is no pruinose spot above the front coxae. Abdomen depressed, brownish hairy, the hypopygium small, terminal. Legs including the coxae yellow. the hind femora a little infuscated apically. Halteres yellow. Wings nearly hyaline, a very faint darker streak passes longitudinally through the middle of the wing; marginal cell short, submarginal cell full, third and fourth veins divergent.

58 Psyche {April

A single male collected by Mr. H. H. Smith at Vera Cruz, January, 1888, from the Wheeler collection of the American Museum of Natural History. This specimen very likely belongs with the type female, which was collected in Chilpancingo in Guerrero. ‘The two locations are on opposite sides of Mexico. ‘The specimen is glued on a card and is not in the best of condition for description. ‘The type has the third vein nearly straight. Here it is rounded in an even curve diverg- ing from the fourth. This specimen has less of the purplish and bronze tinge to the body.

The definition characters of Phoneutisca led us to place this species in that genus. An examination of the true Phoneutisca bimaculata in the Museum of Comparative Zoology showed it to be quite a differ- ent insect than was supposed. The abruptness of the marginal cell in Phoneutisca is very striking.

Tachydromia calva sp. nov.

Shining black above, paler beneath, outer half of femora blackish. An- tennae black, palpi slender, whitish, dorsum without evident bristles; wings lightly infumated, third and fourth veins sub-parallel.

Female. Front jet black, triangular; ocelli prominent, occiput with sparse short black hairs; eyes deeply and broadly emarginate at antennae, face obliterated by the contiguity of the eyes, facets nearly uniform. Antennae short black, last joint not as long as broad and smaller than basal joint, the arista subterminal, finely and closely pubescent, nearly five times the length of the antenna. Palpi narrowly elongate, whitish yellow: proboscis very small, black.

Thorax shining black, the humeri large, so that the thorax is nearly quadrate, a few microscopic dorsal bristles only, a single bristle in front of the wings, scutellum with a pair of short bristles, the scutellum very lightly dusted. Abdomen pitchy black, sub-shining. Coxae, trochanters, basal half of femora and the tibiae yellow, outer half of femora blackened, tarsi a little dusky; front femora somewhat thickened. Halteres yellow. Wings narrow, nearly hyaline, lightly infumated especially noticeable at tip of first vein, marginal cell long, third and fourth veins parallel.

Described from a single female, presumably collected by Mr. G. R. Pilate as it bears the label, Tifton, Georgia, Sept. 25, 1896. The specimen was presented to me by Dr. G. deN. Hough. It measures one millimeter in length.

Tachydromia insularis sp. nov.

Male. Length 1.1 mm. Head and thorax pruinose; legs testaceous; wings clear hyaline; antennae reddish at base; palpi elongate, reddish;

1910] Melander — The Genus Tachydromia 59

scutellum with four black bristles; acrostichal and dorsocentral bristles microscopic; hypopygium large, flexed to the right.

Front narrowly V-shaped, cinereous; ocelli large, ocellar bristles present, black; first antennal joint testaceous, the outer joint fuscous, pubescent, arista subterminal, pubescent, four times the length of the antenna. Eyes completely contiguous on the face, facets uniform. Palpi twice as long as broad, sericeous, testaceous. Proboscis slender, vertical, piceous, one-half the height of the head. Occiput and entire thorax rather lightly covered with cinereous pollen; humeri comparatively small and not so deeply constricted as in the other species; the usual black bristles present along the sides of the notum; scutellum with two long decussating and two short bristles; acro- stichal and dorsocentral rows of minute whitish bristles present, with about six bristles to each row, the last dorsocentral large; no pleural hairs. Ab- domen brown-black, sub-shining, last segments black hairy; hypopygium large, globular, flexed to the right. Coxae shining yellowish, legs yellowish, femora dusky on the outer half, legs provided with short white bristly hairs, middle tibiae with series of minute black setulae beneath, front femora much thicker than the others. Halteres dusky. Wings clear hyaline, veins strong, hind margin ciliate; first posterior cell ending at wing tip, and there somewhat contracted, marginal cell a little longer than the submarginal along the costa.

Described from a single specimen labeled, Grenada, W. I., received

from Prof. J. M. Aldrich.

Tachydromia agens sp. nov.

Male and female. Length 1.3 mm. Head and thorax pruinose, legs dark fuscous, wings clear hyaline; antennae blackish; palpi sub-quadrate, pale; acrostichal and dorsocentral bristles conspicuous, scutellum with four white bristles; hypopygium terminal.

Front broad above, narrow and sub-parallel below, cinereous; ocelli small, ocellar bristles small; occiput lightly pollinose, its cilia white and conspicuous; antennae small, black, the basal joint blackish, arista almost terminal, short, although four times the length of the antenna, microscopically pubescent. Eyes completely contiguous on the face, deeply but narrowly excised at the antennae, facets nearly uniform, those below larger. Palpi of male yellowish, one-half longer than broad, with three long terminal white hairs, in the female the palpi are dusky but with a white sheen. Proboscis black, no longer than the palpi, projecting somewhat forward.

Thorax cinereous pollinose, humeri round, not quite as broad as the inter- humeral space, the furrow not deep except behind; all the thoracic bristles white, the acrostichal and dorsocentral rows well developed, the lateral bristles comparatively short, about a dozen in front of the wings: scutellum with two long and two short white bristles; no pleural bristles. Abdomen sub-shining olivaceous black, with sparse stubby whitish hairs, the lateral margins of the intermediate segments with the round black pits characteristic of Coloboneura, Parathalassius, ete. Hypopygium closed, terminal, elongate. Coxae shining,

60 Psyche [April

posterior ones piceous, front coxae fuscous and with white hairs; legs dark fuscous, with whitish pubescence, middle tibiae setulose beneath, front femora somewhat the thickest, reddish beneath. Halteres yellowish; tegulae with a few white cilia. Wings clear hyaline, veins strong, hind margin short ciliate, marginal cell long, third and fourth veins parallel.

Type male collected on a windowpane July 3, 1906, in my house at Pullman, Washington. ‘Type female taken in a wheat field nine miles west of Baird, Washington, June 23, 1908. This species was noticed actively running about the ground and stalks in wheat fields in several places in Central Washington. I have also five mounted paratypes which I collected at Lynden, Baird, and Pullman, all in Washington State.

Tachydromia universalis sp. nov.

Black, sparsely and lightly dusted; wings nearly uniformly hyaline; arista subterminal, the basal antennal joint red; palpi broad, white; legs reddish, variegated with brown; halteres yellow. .

Male and female. Length 1.75 mm. Black, shining, lightly dusted with a gray pruinosity, which is more conspicuous on the pleurae, propleurae not glistening white. Antennae short, the two joints about equal in length, the basal joint red, the outer joint blackened, rounded oval, with a subterminal arista which is two and one-half times the length of the antenna. Front broad, its sides diverging above, the ocelli widely spaced. Upper facets minute, the lower ones larger. Palpi conspicuous, pendant, broad, white, with white hairs: proboscis black in the male, blackish in the females. Thorax comparatively broad, the humeri rather large but not long, the grooves rather distinet; acrostichals wanting, only a couple of weak dorsocentrals present near the scutellum; scutellum pruinose, and with two short bristles. Abdo- men depressed, shining jet black, but overlaid with a light coating of gray dust: hypopygium large, shining, provided with a stout curved end-process which projects to the right; sides of the abdominal segments with minute muscle-attachment pits, as in agens. Legs reddish yellow, the upper side of the hind femora, the ends of the tibiae and the last tarsal joint darker; front femora thickened, hind femora scarcely reaching the last third of the abdomen. Halteres yellow. Wings rather broad, hyaline, but with a faint smokiness following the veins; veins strong, dark, but becoming yellowish at the base of the wing; marginal cilia minute; hind cross vein making an acute angle at the lower corner of the second basal cell.

Described from five specimens collected in the following widely separated localities: Chester County, Pennsylvania, June, 1902 (J. C. Bradley), Algonquin, Illinois, July 17, 1896 (Dr. Wm. Nason), and

Austin, Texas.

1910} Melander — The Genus Tachydromia 61

This species is related to agens as is evident from the shortened broad thorax with the humeri less pronounced than in typical Tachy- dromias, the broad palpi, the widened front, subterminal arista, and pruinosity of the body. However it is readily distinguishable by the paler color of the legs, antennae, halteres and root of wing.

Catalogue of the Described Species of Tachydromia.'

1. aemula Loew, Zeitschr. Entom. Bresl. XVII. 22 (1863)........ Eur. C.

PA! MAGENS SDs TOW Jha ck oo << OMEN TR Ue eas ahs al alt iene PEN, A ios orc Wash.

3. aliterpicta Becker, Act. Soc. Fenn. XX VI. 32 (1900)......... Kur. S. C. alteropicta Becker, Berl. Ent. Ztschr. XX XIII. 348. (1899).

*4. annulimana Meigen, Syst. Bes. III. 69 (1822)................... Eur.

albitarsis Zetterstedt, Dipt. Se. 1. 313 (1842). arrogans Linnaeus, Zetterstedt, Ins. Lapp. 546. var. d. (1838). cimicoides Fabricius, Walker, Ins. Brit. I. 140 (1851). umbrarum Haliday, Ent. Mag. I. 161 (1833).

J. anrogans Linnaeus, Kauna Suec: 1857 (176l)e-2255-a..-254.-.-- Kur. bifasciata Rossi, Fauna Etr. Mant. II. 77 (1794). cimicoides Fabricius, Spee. Ins. II. 447 (1781).

6. brevipennis v. Roser, Wuerttemb. Corresp. 1. 53 (1840)....... Eur. C. ? microptera Loew, Ztschr. Ent. Bresl. X VIT. 26 (1863). nim) Calcancas Meigen Syst- Besa Wille O5n(US38)i.. -eieele soe eae oe Eur. C. longipennis Loew, Ztschr. Ent. Bresl. X VIT. 29 (1863). 85 icaloa sp) DOVE AUR eee REA Sr a ee eee ee 2 AA Georgia. 9. catalonica Strobl, Mem. R. Soc. Esp. III. 319 (1906).......... Eur. S. var. striatipennis, Strobl. |. e. 320. Pe emGILiELO TSP) TOVis 2301 to. ear edatt is aele acetone toteecie cover Meee e Rharcie. «ool eee Mex. Hl eonnera ,Meicen (Syst: Bes. TILy 70° S38). 20 2b iin ode ce aeeee Eur.

cimicoides Fabricius, Meigen, p. p. Klass. I. 239 (1804). — morio Zetterstedt, Ins. Lapp. 546 (1838). 12. dichroa Bezzi, Jenaische Denkschr. XIII. 183 (1908).......... Afr. S. *13. enecator Melander, Trans. Am. Ent. Soe. XXVIII. 226 (1902) Alask., Wyom., Quebec.

14. excisa Loew, Zeitschr. Ent. Bresl. XVII. 27 (1863)............ Kur. C. 15. «incompleta Becker, Act. Soc. Fenn. X XVI. 33 (1901).......... Siberia. Pun ID SOLI CHT DS SINS, UTC Noe cat sist ste AG. ep NATE SR eel ts. 2 he's ey el brats Grenada. *17. interrupta Loew, Zeits. Ent. Bresl. XVII. 19 (1863)........... Eur. S.

*18. maculipennis Walker, List. Dipt. Ins. III. 507 (1849) N. Am. pusilla Loew, Cent. V. 74 (1864). bimaculata Loew, Melander, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. XXVIII. 204.

19. minima Becker, Act. Soc. Fenn. XXVI. 32 (1901)............ Siberia. 20. monserratensis Strobl, Mem. Soc. Esp. III. 318 (1906)......... Eur. S. 21. ?morio (Zetterstedt) Walker, Ins. Brit. I. 141 (1851)......... England.

1 Those species figured on the plate are marked with an asterisk.

Psyche [April

ornatipes Becker, Wien. Ent. Ztg. IV. 69 (1890).............. Tyrol. punctifera Becker, Act. Soc. Fenn. X XVI. 32 (1901).......... Siberia. sabulosa Meigen, Syst. Bes. VI. 342 (1830)............... Kur. N. C.

fenestrata Zetterstedt, Dipt. Se. I. 318 (1842).

schwarzii Coquillett, Proc. U. S. N. M. XVIII. 440 (1895). N. Am. W.

VAridiversipes; WalMO Var + ok hsbiems oes seks Be aren Tex. simplicior Wheeler and Melander, Biologia C. Am. Dipt. I. 375 (1901). Mexico styriaca Strobl, Mitth. Ver. Steierm. X XIX. 124 (1893)..........4 Alps. var. semifasciata Strobl, 1. ¢. 125. terricola Zetterstedt, Kon. Vet. Ak. Handl. 81 (1819)........ Eur. N. C. tuberculata Loew, Zeitscbr. Ent. Bresl. X VII. 19 (1863)........ Eur. C. undulata Strobl, Mem. Soc. Esp. III. 317. (1906).......... Eur. 8S. E. UNVUETSAILS SP oNOVi.nd eae be Rueda. cee ae eee Gre eae U.S. varipennis Coquillett, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. V. 266 (1903)...... N. EE vitripennis Bezzi, Jenaische Denkschr. XIII. 182 (1908)........ Afr. S

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 3.

The figures are drawn to practically the same scale of magnification, the eamera lucida being used. The enlargement is about twenty diameters. As but four of the exotic species (connexa Meig., incompleta Beck., ornatipes Beck., and punctifera Beck.) have been figured, I have included drawings of

1. -Tachydromia enecator Mel. Dorsal aspect of head and thorax. 2 ce agens, n. sp. ce “ec cc ce “ec “cc 3 zs maculipennis Walker. Lateral aspect of hypopygium. 4 enecator Mel. Wing. 5. A maculipennis Walk. Wing. 6. re calcanea Meig. Determination by Strobl. Europe. adh ne connera Meig. Determination by Strobl. Europe. 8 = styriaca Strobl. Determination by Strobl. Europe. 9 2 interrupta Loew. Determination by Strobl. Europe. 10. es arrogans Linn. Determination by Kertesz. Europe. ib ig varipennis Coq. i: <s annulimana Meig. Determination by Bezzi. Europe 13. o ciliata n. sp. 14. 38 schwarzii Coq. ils Z simplicior Wh. and Mel. 16. ee universalis n. sp. Tis id insularis n. sp. 18. < calva n. sp.

19. x agens n. sp.

1910] Chapman — Scolytus multistriatus Marsh 63

THE INTRODUCTION OF A EUROPEAN SCOLYTID (THE SMALLER ELM BARK-BEETLE, SCOLYTUS MULTI- STRIATUS MARSH) INTO MASSACHUSETTS:!

By J. W. CHAPMAN.

The Scolytidae are most generally known as bark-borers and consequently many entomologists have given the name of bark-beetles to the entire group. ‘They area very important group of insects in as much as they are very nearly all tree-feeders. For convenience they might be put into two classes, those that attack our conifers and those that work almost exclusively on our deciduous trees of the forest and shade varieties.

We have found from experience in past years Just how important economically are the beetles of the class that infest our conifers, since they have caused a loss of several millions of dollars yearly to different parts of our country.’ It looks now, from the bark-borer which has recently attacked our elms, as though we were going to have an oppor- tunity to learn of the second class of beetles in the same manner. Europeans have had this problem confronting them for years and it has proved to be one of the most serious with which they have had to deal, because many of these beetles have become such exclusive feeders that they will attack only one kind of tree.

In Germany the most destructive species to elms is the large Elm bark-borer, Scolytus geoffroyi Goetze or the “Grosser Ulmen-Splint- kafer” of which Eichhoff gives a good account.’ He reports that closely associated with it and occurring on the same trees in a peculiarly neighborly or almost symbiotic fashion is the “ Kleiner dichtgestreifter Uimen-Splintkafer” (Scolytus multistriatus). Just what this rela- tionship signifies other than a social tendency of these insects one can hardly say. These two species confine their attacks chiefly to elm trees and considered together they are among the most dreaded pests in elm growing districts. In France the parks and boulevards of

1 Contributions from the Entomological Laboratory of the Bussey Institution, Harvard University. No. 18.

2 Hopkins, A. D., Bark beetles of the Genus Dendroctonus, Bull. U. 8. Bur. Entom., No. 83, pt. 1; The Genus Dendroctonus, Bull. U. 8. Entom. Tech. Ser., No.17, pt. 1, (1909).

3 Die Europiische Borkenkifer Julius Springer, Berlin, 1881.

64 Psyche {April

Paris have been severely damaged and whole tracts of the elms have been killed.? In England the elms of London Park and southern England have been severely injured.? We see from this that Scolytus multistréatus is very widely distributed in Europe, since, as Eichhoff states, it covers the entire central portion of that continent.

This beetle was first found in the United States and recognized as Scolytus multistriatus Marsh in October, 1909, while extensive col- lections of Leopard Moth larvae were being made from limbs of elms and ash in the College yard, at Harvard. These limbs had to be barked and split for the purpose of securing the larvae of the Leopard Moth, and it was during this process that the multistriatus larvae were found. At that time the grubs were about full grown. No live adult beetles were found, but the mother of each brood was found dead in her chamber. A number of these females were extracted in a suffi- ciently perfect condition to make the identification of the species possible. This identification was kindly made for me by Dr. A. D. Hopkins of the Federal Bureau of Entomology.

After the species was identified I was desirous of knowing to what extent the trees in the surrounding country were infested, and to ascertain if possible about how long the beetles have been in this country. Under ordinary conditions this would have been a difficult matter. But the city of Cambridge was at that time removing from the streets in different parts of the city a hundred or more elm trees which were either dead or in a dying condition. ‘These were all examined. he trunks and larger limbs of the majority of those that were taken out were yet alive. Different parts of the trees were care- fully inspected in order to ascertain where the beetles first made their attack. Observations clearly showed that it was invariably above the middle upper part of the trunk, and usually on the larger limbs. The beetles are quite aggressive and as many as two hundred mother beetles were found in a space less than two feet square on a living trunk. Larvae were also taken from the smaller green limbs of standing trees. Without exception every felled tree examined showed hundreds of beetle markings and larvae. A representative number of those standing were carefully examined and nearly every one showed “‘shot- holes” of the beetles. It is difficult to ascertain the extent of the in-

1 Barbey, A. Les Scolytides de l’Europe Centrale H. Kiindig, Geneva, 1901. 2 Gillanders, Forest Entomology, 1908.

1910] Chapman — Scolytus multistriatus Marsh 65

festation of a standing tree until the bark is removed and this was not feasible. One could only make an estimate from the ‘‘shot-holes”’ that appeared on the external surface.

While making these observations a native American Scolytid, Hylesinus opaculus Leconte, which lives only in dead wood, was also found in abundance. Apparently this species has come to assume somewhat the same relation to S. multistriatus in this country as S. multistriatus does to S. geoffroyi in Europe, the only difference proba- bly being that the American species hibernates in the adult beetle stage, while S. mudtistriatus hibernates in the larval stage.

About the middle of November a representative number of trees were examined in the College yard for bark-beetles. It was an exceedingly difficult task as the trees were large, and the “‘shot-holes”’ which the beetles make were difficult to locate. The trunks, large lunbs and upper branches of each tree selected were carefully gone over. “Shot-holes” of the beetles were found on all of the trees and many of the adult beetles of our American species were busy, making temporary hibernating burrows. ‘These could easily be located by the reddish boring dust which was freshly thrown out. Since these trees were selected in different parts of the yard with a view to making an estimate, I can say that it is quite likely that every tree in the yard harbors some beetles, but just how numerous they are cannot be stated.

I have not been able to follow the complete normal development of these beetles through and therefore do not know positively whether there is one or two broods annually. However, from the observations I have been able to make I feel quite secure in saying that there is only one brood. A number of small limbs which contained adult grubs were collected in October. These have been examined from time to time and up to date there has been no perceptible change in the larvae. The generations of these beetles vary considerably as is seen from the European reports. Eichhoff says that the sume species may or may not have two broods annually, depending entirely on its geographical location. Gillanders reports that some of these bark-beetles have two broods in southern and one in northern England. Each of these writers mentions the fact that S. multistriatus may have two broods annually though this really seems to be an unsettled question.

Scolytus multistriatus confines itself almost entirely to elm trees, and to such a degree that it is known generally as the “smaller elm bark-beetle.” Its habit of attacking injured or weakened trees gives

66 Psyche [April

it practically an unlimited field in which to work as most of our park and shade trees are in a more or less unhealthy state, due to the lack of a proper amount of water and to crowding as well as to many other unfavorable conditions.

The first of December, 1909, some limbs which were about three inches in diameter and showed evidence of containing larvae, were sawed into short pieces and placed in the hot house in large glass jars. To get advantage of a high temperature the jars were placed directly over the steam pipes and kept well covered. Several times a week the pieces of limbs were submerged in water for an instant in order to keep them sufficiently moist so that development might continue. On January 13, 1910, the first adult beetles made their appearance. Some of the limbs were barked and pupae were found in various stages of development. The adult beetles were put into small dishes containing small pieces of fresh elm limbs. ‘The females began almost immediately to make their burrows. When the galleries were about 10 mm. in length I noticed that the males were beginning to loiter about the mouths of the burrows, one male to each opening. Occa- sionally they would take a hand in removing the boring-dust from the entrance. Very often they would sally forth on a sort of exploration trip which would last only for a few minutes, then they would return to the same opening they had previously left. From two to five days after this relationship had begun copulation took place, and, as was supposed by Eichhoff and others, this occurred at the entrance to the burrow. The time required was from five to ten minutes in the cases observed. Activity was then resumed. The male seldom left the entrance afterwards but kept busying himself removing boring dust. The pairs that mated in this way were isolated with as little disturbance as possible and placed in other dishes in order that daily observations might be made on them. The females continued to excavate their chambers, which in this species are quite straight and always with the grain of the wood. ‘Ten days after copulation I opened the chamber of one of the pairs that had been isolated. On each side of the mother gallery and connecting with it were miniature chambers. In each was a small, shining white egg, securely packed into its place by bits of boring dust. ‘The two parent beetles were placed in another dish with some new elm. Ina day or two both were found dead. I then opened the chamber of a second pair of beetles. ‘This one contained eighteen eggs and it was somewhat longer than the first. I removed the parents

1910] Chapman — Scolytus multistriatus Marsh 67

to another dish as had been done with the previous pairs. They immediately began work again as if they had never been disturbed.

The manner of excavating the egg galleries and the direction in which they are always made leave a characteristic marking by which the species can always be recognized. ‘This peculiarity is more strik- ingly brought out when compared with the egg galleries of the other species ({Tylesinus opaculus) Leconte shown on plate IV, figure 11. In this American species the mother gallery is two-armed and is always made across the grain of the wood. The adult multistriatus beetles are small, 2 to 3 mm. long. ‘Thorax black, shining, somewhat longer than broad; elytra pitchy red; antennae and legs light-brown; elytra with close finely punctured striae; abdomen thickly covered with hairs, and viewed sidewise there is a strong horizontal projection on the second segment of the abdomen, which is peculiar to this species. (See plate IV, figs. 7 and 8.) The male is somewhat smaller than the female, with the front flat and thickly covered with hairs. The female has a convex front covered with few hairs, and on the third and fourth segments of the abdomen are prominent toothed projections. ‘The larvae are scolytoid in character (see plate IV, fig. 6). As soon as they hatch the larvae eat their way into the surrounding wood at approxi- mately right angles to the mother gallery (see plate V, fig. 10). When they become full-grown they pupate at the end of their burrow. ‘This takes place according to the European accounts about the first week in May, or a little later. ‘The adult beetles make their appearance in June and July. ‘They come forth at this time in such numbers, says Eichhoff, that large, apparently healthy elms are attacked and com- pletely destroyed in one season.

Since this species is so destructive and our experience with it is so limited, the following remarks, taken from European literature, ought to interest all those who desire to aid in the preservation of our shade elms.

In order to prevent an attack of the bark-beetle it is necessary to remove all centers of infestation from which they might spread to sound trees. Just how feasible this may prove to be depends, of course, on the local circumstances, but whatever care is exercised in other ways, it is very unlikely that much good will be done in lessening attack, so long as the mexcusable practice prevails of leaving trunks of infested elms standing, with the bark still on them, when this con- tains thousands of grubs which will shortly change to perfect beetles

68 Psyche [April

ready to fly to the nearest growing elms. Scores of just such trunks us these may be seen on the streets and vacant lots of Cambridge and one can without difficulty strip off yards of the bark from them with the hands alone. If this bark is allowed to remain swarming with larvae it is an abiding and serious source of infestation and injury to growing trees. If property owners would acquaint themselves with this fact, and of the mischief thus caused both to their own trees and to those of the neighborhood, they would undoubtedly take immediate steps to have the bark removed. All dead trees and old trunks with loose bark should have it removed and burned by the first of May, 1910, at the very latest. This will prevent thousands of these beetles from flying to other healthy trees, and thus be the means of protecting them from the attacks of the beetle.

Observations are to be continued throughout the spring and sum- mer, und a number of experiments will be conducted at the same time. These with further interesting data on the species will be re- served for a later paper.

I wish to express my gratitude to Dr. W. M. Wheeler for the many helpful suggestions which he has given, and to Mr. C. T. Brues for his kind assistance in preparing the plates.

EXPLANATION OF PLATES.

Plate IV. Fig. 1. Pupa—S. multistriatus Marsh.— Ventral view. Fig. 2. Same — Dorsal view. Fig. 3. Same — Lateral view. Fig. 4. Larva — S. multistriatus.— Ventral view. Fig. 5. Same — Dorsal view. Fig. 6. Same — Lateral view. Fig. 7. 8S. multistriatus — Male. Fig. 8. S. multistriatus — Female. Fig. 9. Egg outline, S. multistriatus. Fig. 10. Mother and larval galleries of S. multistriatus. Fig. 11. Mother and larval galleries of Hylesinus opaculus Lec. Fig. 12. Hylesinus opaculus Lee. Dorsal view. Fig. 13. Same — Lateral view.

Plate V.

Fig. 1. Markings of S. multistriatus in bark of elm. Fig. 2. Showing “shot-holes” or exit holes of same.

1910) Reiff — Liparis dispar L. 69

ON THE RESISTANCE OF GYPSY MOTH EGGS (LIPARIS DISPAR L.) TO COLD AND OTHER CONDITIONS.

By Wiuuram Reirr, Harvarp UNIvVERsItyY.!

In the “‘Illustrierte Wochenschrift fiir Entomologie,’” Neudamm 1897, N. Kulagin has published a paper entitled ‘‘Zur Biologie von Ocneria dispar in Russland,” in which the author says that a lowering of the temperature to —40° R. does not have any injurious effect on normally laid eggs of this moth. Eggs which are deprived of their protecting wool, however, will be killed by —15° R. (=-182 C.) Con- cerning the method of procedure in these experiments, Prof. P. Bach- metjew obtained more exact information from N. Kulagin by letters, which he includes in the first volume of his well-known “ Experi- mentelle Entomologische Studien,” Leipzig, 1901, p. 70. He says in this place that Kulagin depilated the eggs and left them for one month in a glass dish upon an open balcony. During this time the thermome- ter not infrequently reached -15° R. In the spring these eggs did not develop, although there were caterpillars hatching from other eggs kept upon the same balcony, but which were attached to a piece of wood with their hair. The question was left open as to the result of leaving eggs covered with hair during the winter in a dish of glass.

I was induced by these investigations to undertake in October, 1908, the following experiment: From dispar egg clusters obtained at Forest Hills, Mass., there were selected five clusters so divided that each egg cluster was separated into three nearly equal parts. One part of each five clusters was attached with good glue to a barky piece of wood and the second thirds of each were lightly pasted to the bottom of five open glass dishes, while the eggs of the last five thirds were entirely depilated and put into five other glass dishes. All three series remained constantly at the outside temperature, but protected from snow and direct contact with water. Two other egg clusters were divided in two nearly equal parts and one part of each cluster was put into a rather small wooden box, from which the cover had been removed. The eggs of the two remaining parts were depilated entirely and then placed separately in two other wooden boxes without covers.

1 Contributions from the Entomological Laboratory of the Bussey Institution, Harvard University. No. 17.

70 Psyche [April

All four boxes were sunk into the ground about three centimeters deep in an entirely open and unprotected place where they were al- lowed to remain. Snow and water were allowed free admittance to the eggs, but care was taken to allow the water to run off to a slight extent by means of a few very small holes which were cut in the bottom of the boxes.

A self-registering thermometer used recorded —21.5° C. as the lowest temperature of the winter 1908-09.

During the latter part of May, 1909, the caterpillars from the eggs of all the series began to hatch simultaneously. An examination made of all eggs which failed to hatch showed that all parts of the individual egg clusters presented about the same very small proportion of empty, dead or dried eggs, in each case a percentage of 5-S%.

The first result obtained which deserves notice, is the fact that the series of eggs which were deprived of their protecting hairs and passed the whole winter in glass dishes, withstood the cold just as successfully as those which had overwintered on a piece of wood covered with hairs in the normal way. If in Kulagin’s experiment, the depilated eggs died which were exposed to the winter temperature for only one month in a glass dish probably the stated maximum temperature of -15° R. was more frequently reached, as Kulagin says himself, and perhaps also the temperature remained more constant. A continuous low temperature, however, did not occur in this locality during the winter of 1908-09, during which the temperature often fell very low but always rose again. It appears from this that the dispar eggs, from which the woolly covering has been removed, can withstand quite severe cold without injury, provided that this temperature does not endure too long. Or perhaps may it be that the woolly covering of the eggs laid by the female dispar, which withstand the very cold winter of Russia is stronger and thicker than we find here? If this be the case, the depilated eggs of Russian masses should exhibit a slighter resistance, for the eggs on account of the thick covering should be less accustomed to cold.

How very resistant the dispar eggs may be to the various influencing factors of the winter, is shown by the last two series of experiments, in which even depilated eggs withstood snow and water as well as low temperature without damage. ‘lo consider the practical application of these experiments, it appears that dispar eggs which have been removed from their normal location through some accident and have

1910] Reiff — Liparis dispar L. 7a

fallen singly to the ground, can easily withstand the winter even without their protective covering. Simply tearing off the eggs from their attachment, which is occasionally done in private yards and similar places, has absolutely no effect in killing the eggs.

In connection with these experiments something may be said con- cerning the sporadic diffusion of the Gypsy moth in the New England States. As is well known, Liparis dis par frequently makes its appear- ance in places far removed from any sort of traffic, for example in the middle of a wooded area, in which any introduction by railroads, vehicles or other means of transportation is entirely excluded. There has hitherto been no explanation of the way in which the gypsy moth reached these isolated places. I will pass over the supposition, which one hears here and there, but which cannot be taken seriously, that birds drop caterpillars, which they have previously picked up, and thus aid in the spread and dissemination of the gypsy moth. In the first place, a caterpillar which had been dropped from the bill of a bird, would be in so very few cases so slightly injured that it could develop into a moth, and in the second place, at least one male and one female caterpillar would have to be dropped in precisely the same place to provide for the possible establishment of a dispar colony. Also the explanation of dissemination by the dropping of a fertilized gravid dispar female in the same manner is not at all plausible. The dispar females almost always deposit their eggs immediately after fertilization has taken place, so that the chance of birds capturing a fertilized female with eggs is very improbable. Furthermore a dropped dispar female, injured by a bird’s bill would hardly be able still to lay its eggs.

Lately there has appeared in the fifth edition of the “‘ Naturgeschichte der deutschen Végel” by C. G. Friderich, Stuttgart, Verlag fiir Natur- kunde Sproesser & Nigele, 1905, a highly interesting paper by Alexander Bau ‘“‘Ueber Nutzen und Schaden der Vogel und iiber Vogelschutz.” A short report of this article is given in No. 35, Vol. XVIII of the ‘ Entomologische Zeitschrift,” Guben (Germany) 1905. As a result of very exact investigations, which the author undertook and for which he was particularly well fitted through his extensive experience as entomologist as well as ornithologist and forester, Alex- ander Bau reached the conclusion that the assumed economic benefit of insectivorous birds should be constantly questioned. The part of his paper of perhaps the greatest interest deals with examinations of the

2 Psyche [April

stomachs of the birds and experiments made as a direct result of these. Thus Bau has found in the stomachs of jays (Eichelhiher) egg-masses of Malacosoma neustria (German ‘Vent caterpillar), eggs of Orgyia antiqua (German 'Tussock moth), eggs of Psilura monacha (the ‘‘Nun”’ of the Germans), together with eggs of other Bombycid moths. He has proved by various experiments that all these eggs pass out undigested, protected by means of their extremely hard chitinous shells and remain in a living state. Therefore the author naturally concludes that birds even help to propagate injurious insects. In this way Bau’s experiments furnish an explanation for the sporadic dis- tribution of the gypsy moth, which is, as is known, a close relative of the European Psilura monacha. Dispar eggs have exceedingly strong chitinous shells also, which are undoubtedly resistant in the same manner against the decomposing action of the digestive juices of the birds’ stomachs.

THE GREEN Bua anp its NaTurAL Enemies, A Stupy IN INSECT Parasitism. By S. J. Hunter. Bull. Univ. Kansas, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 163, figs. 48, Pls. 9, October, 1909.

This extensive paper deals with the relations existing between Toxoptera graminum, the Green Bug and its parasite, Lysiphlebus tritici, and deals in great part with the successful artificial dissemina- tion of the parasite in Kansas. It contains however, much good biological matter concerning both species, particularly the parasite which was extensively studied experimentally with regard to its variation, reproduction, habits at different temperatures, etc. Much is added to our knowledge of the bionomics of Lysiphlebus, and one remarkable conclusion reached is worthy of special mention. It was found that parthenogenetic Lysiphlebus produce almost entirely males, but that a very small proportion of females regularly appear among such offspring. Unfortunately the report contains a considerable amount of controversial matter and numbers of detailed tables are printed at great length where it would seem that short summaries

might have served the purpose much better. Cw, B.

1910] Wheeler — Artificial Ant-Nests 73

SMALL ARTIFICIAL ANT-NESTS OF NOVEL PATTERNS.

By WittraM Morton WHEELER,

Harvard University.

The study of the behavior of ants, which is attracting an ever in- creasing number of investigators, has led to the invention of several different patterns of artificial nests. ‘Those used by the older writers, such as Swammerdam ', Pierre Huber? and Lubbock? contained earth, and some of the more modern nests recommended by Wasmann?# and others also contain this substance. A new departure was initiated by Janet® in his plaster of Paris nests and by Miss Adele M. Fielde in the glass nests which she has devised®, since both of these investiga- tors dispense with earth as an untidy, and superfluous accessory. Veihmeyer’ has suggested some improvements in the construction of the Janet nest, and Miss Buckingham ® and I*® have endeavored to introduce certain modifications in the structure of the Fielde nest; Miss Buckingham substituting aluminum for the glass base, thus greatly diminishing its weight, while I have substituted plaster of Paris, thus combining the principles of the Janet and Fielde nests and facilitating construction. Emery” has very recently published an account of a mod- ification of the Janet nest, which, owing to its cheapness and durability, and the ease of its construction, merits the attention of all those who are studying living ants in the laboratory. I subjoin a translation of his directions for making this piece of apparatus.

1 Biblia Nature, Leyden 1737.

2 Recherches sur les mceurs des Fourmis indigénes. Paris et Genéve, 1810.

3 Ants, Bees and Wasps. Rev. Ed. Internat. Sci. Ser. N.Y. Appleton & Co., 1894.

4 Die psychischen Fahigkeiten der Ameisen. Zoologica XI, 26, 1899, 132 pp. 3 pls. Rev. Ed. 1909, 188 pp. 5 pls.

5 Appareil pour l’Elevage et l’Observation des Fourmis. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, XVIII, 1893, pp. 168-171; Appareils pour l’Observation des Fourmis et des Animaux myrmécophiles. Mém. Soc. Zool. France X, 1897, 22 pp., 3 figs., 1 pl.

6 Portable Ant-Nests. Biol. Bull. II, 1894, pp. 81-85, 3 figs; Portable Ant Nests, ibid., VII, 1904, pp. 215-220, 1 pl. 2 figs.

7 Beobachtungsnester fiir Ameisen, ‘‘ Aus der Heimat,’’ 1905, Heft 1, 11 pp., 6 figs.

8 A Light-weight, Portable Outfit for the Study and Transportation of Ants. Amer. Natur., Oct. 1909, pp. 611-614.

9 On the Founding of Colonies by Queen Ants, with Special Reference to the Parasitic and Slave-making Species. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., XXII, 1906, pp. 33-105, 7 pls., 1 fig.

10 Kleine Kiinstliche Ameisennester, Zeitschr. f. wiss. Insektenbiol. V, 1909, p. 403.

74 Psyche [April

“This summer I have used a style of artificial nest which is excel- lently adapted for experiments on a small or very small scale, e. g. for making observations on single fertilized queens while they are founding their colonies. ‘These nests have, moreover, the advantage of being extremely cheap and easy of construction.

“T make these nests from hollow tiles, such as are used in building light walls. These tiles, which are perforated with holes, are sawed, at right angles to the holes, into plates of the required thickness. Since the saw is soon blunted by this operation, I use an old one that is more or less worn.

“Then I have each plate ground down till it is smooth on both sides. On one of these sides, which is to become the floor of the nest, I fill in the openings with plaster of Paris, and the other side is covered with a glass plate of suitable dimensions. ‘The cavities can then either be left as so many separate chambers or connected with one another by means of grooves, or even have one of their walls per- forated with a glass tube to serve as a communication with some other piece of apparatus. One of the chambers can be used as a water reservoir (as in the Janet nests) and remain isolated while the others are made to communicate with one another by means of grooves.

‘““A convenient method of supplying these nests with the requisite amount of moisture is to place them on a layer of damp moss.

“Plates of hollow tiling may also be conveniently employed as por- ous and quickly drying bases for ordinary Janet nests, as their lower surfaces are thereby prevented from becoming mouldy.”

A small artificial nest of still a different pattern is employed by Dr. F. Santschi of Kairouan, Tunis, in his studies on colonies of diminutive ants which have to be kept in very tight receptacles. He described its construction to me in the course of a conversation, which I had with him in Lausanne during the past summer, as follows:

The base of the nest consists of a rectangular glass plate, such as is most conveniently obtained by cleaning an unsuccessfully exposed photographic plate of ordinary dimensions, say 3 X 4 or 4 5 inches. Wet plaster of Paris is poured onto this plate in the form of the heavy lines in the accompanying diagrams, which represent nests with two and three chambers respectively, connected by galleries. Of course, any other design which suggests itself as suitable, may be used instead, if desired. Before the plaster has set, a second glass plate of the same size and shape as the base and previously covered with a film

1910} Wheeler — Artificial Ant-Nests 15

of sweet oil is pressed down onto the plaster till it forms walls only a few millimeters in height. After the plaster has set, the roof-pane is removed, cleaned and cut into two or more pieces with a diamond along lines (dotted in the figures) which bisect the short galleries, and then replaced as covers of the chambers. ‘The ants can be introduced into the nest by sliding the covers apart a short distance over one of the galleries. The plaster is sufficiently porous to provide for ventilation and a thin slice of wet sponge or a tuft of wet moss or cotton, placed in one of the chambers, will furnish the requisite amount of moisture. Nests of this description are very useful as they can be placed on the

Fig. 1. Diagrams of nests devised by Santschi.

stage of the compound microscope, or preferably of the Zeiss binocular and their inhabitants studied under a low objective. Santschi recom- mends his nests for the study of such small ants as the various species of Leptothorax, Myrmica, Tapinoma, Bothriomyrmex, Myrmecina, Stenamma, Goniomma, Oxyopomyrmex, etc., and their parasites and myrmecophiles, but they would be equally useful for very small col- onies of larger ants and for studies on the foundation of colonies by single queens, not to mention all observations in which a few workers are to be kept in isolation for some purpose. ‘These nests can be so easily and rapidly made that they will prove to be very useful for travelers.

76 Psyche [April

~ A NOTE ON THE SPECIES OF FUCELLIA OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.

By CuHarures W. JOHNSON.

I have been greatly interested in the paper by Prof. P. Stein, “Zur Kenntnis der Gattung Fucellia Rob. Desv.,” (Wiener Entom. Zeit., XXIX, p. 11, 1910). A study of all the material at hand (over 60 specimens), shows that all are referable to Pucellia marina Macq. and not to F. fucorum Fall. In referring to the distribution of the latter in Europe, Prof. Stein says:— “The true F. fucoruwm, as Lund- beck comprehends in his “ Diptera groenlandica,” is found very rarely on our German coasts and belongs more to the far North. I did not find it in any collection of my dipterological friends, for all that were sent to me under the name fucorum belonged to maritima Hal. I my- self caught only a single male in Thiessow on the Island of Ruegen, together with maritima Hal. But as I took with it comparatively few specimens, that I at that time held for the same species, it is possible that after all fucorum is also more abundant on Ruegen. On our Baltic coasts I have never yet observed it. When Landbeck declares that the species is spread over the greater part of Europe as far as Trieste, this rests on the assumption that the fucorwm quoted by the author is Fallen’s species, which is, in fact, not the case. Aside from a type of Lundbeck’s, specimens are before me that were caught in Alaska (St. Paul Isl.), Friday Harbor (Washington, U. S.), and in Behring Str. (Miednaja).”

Among some diptera obtained by several collectors in Labrador and Newfoundland I find only F. marina. Still there is little doubt but that F. fucorum is to be found on those shores, but very doubtful if it will be found as far South as New England. The following table comprises the four species from Eastern North America :—

MALES.

1. Posterior femora on the underside at the base with a thick tuft of short bristles, apex of the wing not clouded... ............5.+..04 ose eee 2 Posterior femora without the thickened tuft of bristles at the base, but on the underside along the whole length with rather strong bristles of nearly equal length, apex of the wing clouded.........pictipennis Beck.

1910} Johnson — F’ucellia FOE 2. Middle tibiae without bristles on the inside, tibiae and palpi for the greater part reddish yellow, rarely darkened........... marina Macq. Middle tibiae on the inside with one or two distinct bristles, palpi and legs entirely black. et ae ich 3. Posterior femora wales on the anide ide eeu a ene eei briatle tuft, halteres blood red. Renee oe .ariciiformis Holmer.

Posterior femora in eidaition to ‘the brictle ‘fant: on the underside with a knob-like swelling turned toward the body and set with short bristles, halteres-vellomiera: oo. 5.8: - abe so ake aan ete org tucoram Mall.

FEMALES.

1. Tibia for the most part yellow, tarsi and femora for the most part black, middle femora on the underside only with very fine, short hairs. marina Macq. Tibiae for the most part black. beet aso Posterior lower sternopleural matics moles wanting or eulea taceonted by a quite fine short hair, apex of the wing distinctly clouded. pictipennis Beck. Posterior lower sternopleural bristles distinct even if short, apex of wing

bo

not clouded. eee: ie ere tate 3. Middle ford iahly on aM npareweie: Behind: wiih a fen Noagee bristle- likeshairs halteres yellows ¢i\. 2. sect weet aeueiercas oie fucorum Fall. Middle femora not merely on the underside behind, but also on the under- side in front with several comparatively strong bristle-like hairs, halteres BNO OCA oc sco cde eer ate Fae Go aie etal ss ox ARON OTRMIS A olmpr,

A study of all the original descriptions of the species suggested as synonyms by Prof. Stein, seems to point conclusively to the fact that the synonymy will have to stand as follows:—

Fucellia marina Macquart.

Scatophaga marina Macq., Ann. Soe. Ent., France, VIIT, 242, pl. 11, fig. 3 Oct., 1838.

Scatophaga (Halithea) maritima Haliday, Ann. Nat. Hist., I, 186, Nov., 1838.

Fucellia arenaria Desv., Ann. Soc. Ent., France, X, 272, 1841.

Fucellia intermedia Lundbeck, Dipt. Groenl.,— Videns. Meddel. Nat. Foren., Kjoebenhaven, 1901, p. 291, fig. 1 b.

Fucellia maritima Stein, Wiener Ent. Zeit., X XIX, 18, 1910.

In referring to the synonymy in his introduction, Stein shows that the type of Fucellia is F’. arenaria, the only species mentioned by Desvoidy under his generic diagnosis, and suggests that Desvoidy’s statement that the female has the tuft of bristles on the posterior femora was undoubtedly a slip of the pen. Prof. Stein further states

Flys Psyche {April (as Mik has also done), that there are a number of species of Fucellia in which the posterior femora are simple in both sexes, and which yet belong to Fucellia beyond a doubt.

The specimens before me show the following distribution:—Great Caribou Isl., Labrador, July 14th (G. M. Allen); Caribou Isl., Lab., (Packard); Funk Isl., Newfoundland, July (Owen Bryant); Eastport, Me., July 15 (Johnson); Dover, N. H., April 11 (Brid- well); Hampton, H. N. (Shaw); Beverly, Mass., April 24 (A. P. Morse); Framingham, Mass., June 6 (Frost); Cohasset, Sept. 8 (Bryant); Fall River, Mass., April 20 (N. S. Easton); Kingston, R. I., March 27 (Barlow); New Haven, Conn., Nov. 9 (Viereck); Clemonton, N. J., April 15, and Philadelphia, Pa., March 12 (John- son); Bermuda, March 6 (F. M. Jones); St. Augustine and De Funiak Springs, Fla., March Ist (Johnson); Charlotte Harbor, Fla. (Mrs. Slosson).

From the Pacific Coast Prof. Stein has described five new species:

~Fucelha bicruciata, Behring Strait; IF. costalis, Monterey, Cal.; F. ~ antennata, Alaska; F. separata, Monterey, Cal. and Seattle, Wash., and I. rufitibia, Pacific Grove, Cal.

THe Martine Hasirs or Empipipar. Hamm, A. H. Observa- tions on Empis livida L. Ent. Month. Mag., XIX, pp. 181-184; Observations on Empis opaca F., Ibid.,, XX, pp. 132-134; Further Observations on the Empinae, Ibid.,.XX, pp. 157-162.

It appears to be the regular occurrence among many species of Empis, and also in at least some species belonging to Pachymeria and Rhamphomyia, for the males to capture small Diptera and other insects which they paralyze with their beaks, and then offer to the females to feed upon during copulation. ‘The male does not appear to partake of this food itself and simply offers it to the female which devours it while pairing. Several other species of Empis were found to copulate without prey, and females of these were found feeding at

other times, although those which copulate with prey were not found ,

CO. aa

to feed at other times.

1910] Morse — Hopperdozer for Rough Grownd 79

A HOPPERDOZER FOR ROUGH GROUND. By ALBERT P. Morsrt, WELLESLEY, Mass.

During the last few years a large part of New England has been subjected to a series of extremely dry summer seasons. This climatic condition is favorable to the development of locusts or “ grasshoppers” in itself, and at the same time diminishes the ravages of fungous diseases which tend to hold them in check, and stunts the vegetation on which they feed. As a natural consequence several species have multiphed to such an injurious extent, at least locally in parts of Ver- mont, New Hampshire, and Maine, that it is wise to consider means of artificial control.

Of the various methods of fighting grasshoppers which become locally injurious, two are of especial importance:

viz., Ist, plowing of the breeding-grounds before they hatch (or immediately there- after), thereby burying and destroying them; and 2nd, destruction of the young before they have done much injury or are able to travel far.

Where the breeding-grounds are not now known, or an extended watch cannot be kept at hatching-time and immediate action taken, the first method cannot be considered available for the coming season. Or again, the breeding-grounds may be of such a character that plow- ing of them is impracticable, either by reason of their stoniness, steepness, location, or the injury which would result from washing by rains.

The second method of control — destruction of the young — may be effected under some circumstances by poisoning the vegetation in and near the hatching grounds, with arsenicals, or by the use of poisoned baits such as bran-mash or dried horse-droppings, both of which are attractive to the young “hoppers. The use of arsenicals in pastures, however, is impracticable, and it is probable that by far the larger part of the New England breeding-grounds are used for that purpose. Another very effective method of destroying the young is by the use of “hopperdozers,” long, flat, shallow pans containing kerosene or kerosene and water, which are drawn by horses over the infested fields and into which the young locusts leap and are destroyed. These, however, can be used effectively only on relatively level ground and have the disadvantage of imparting to the forage a flavor decidedly repugnant to stock. A hopperdozer to be of use in New England

SO Psyche [Apri

should be free from this defect and should be of such construction as to allow it to be used on very uneven ground.

Freedom from repugnant odor can be secured by substituting for the coal-oil pan a piece of sheet-iron or other flat surface smeared with a suitable adhesive substance of which we have at hand an excellent one in what is known as “Tree Tanglefoot,” largely used to prevent caterpillars of the gypsy-moth and canker-worms from ascending trees. A young grasshopper falling upon a surface coated with this preparation is there to stay.

The second need — adaptability to an uneven surface — may be secured by constructing the machine in sections, say two-and-a-half

“Keom above

wwe i 4 a= ry

Perspective

2

Side elevation Rear elevation

Fig. 1. For destroying grass-insects on rough ground where the use of kerosene is objectionable and the ordinary form of machine cannot be used. Designed by A. P. Morse.

or three feet long, hinged so as to be freely movable on each other, thus allowing a much closer approximation to the surface of uneven ground than is possible with a rigid pan or plate ten or twelve feet in length. ‘The following sketches illustrate such a device, made of No. 24 galvanized sheet iron in four sections, with iron or steel runners,

1910] Book Remew

10.6) —

so constructed as to allow considerable movement in a vertical plane, and even a folding-over of the end-sections on the middle ones for convenience in transportation. Such a machine can be readily made by a handy blacksmith, or a substitute therefor may be built of boards by any farmer, the principle remaining the same. ‘The front and rear edges of the iron plates should be stiffened with iron rods, and the front edge should be about two inches from the ground. ‘The runners should be of such form as to pass over minor obstructions on the ground and to permit movement backwards, for convenience.

Such a machine, properly coated with “Tree ‘Tanglefoot’ and drawn by a horse over pasture and mowing-lands during the early stages of development of the “hoppers would capture them in large quantities, and in addition destroy myriads of leaf-hoppers (Jassidae), spittle-insects (Cercopidae), plant-bugs (Capsidae), and other grass- and grain-inhabiting insects.

A MownoerarHic REVISION OF THE TwistED WINGED INSECTS CoMPRISING THE ORDER STREPSIPTERA Kirgy. By W. Dwight Pierce, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 66, pp. 232, pls. 15; figs. 4. (Dec. 1909.)

This extensive contribution represents the first attempt made to gather together and correlate the considerable amount of scattered information at present available concerning this most aberrant and interesting group of insects, and in addition it contains a large amount of new matter, relating principally to the North American members of the order.

The Strepsiptera are regarded as an order, a view which will prob- ably receive the endorsement of other workers, although there are some such striking similarities between them and Rhipiphorid Coleop- tera that it is difficult to regard them with Pierce as more closely related to the Hymenoptera and Diptera. One point upon which much stress is laid, the presence of the group in Baltic amber of Tertiary age, ‘annot carry conviction, for we know that in other specialized orders many amber species are almost indistinguishable from living ones.

Following his preliminary classification of the Strepsiptera pub- lished in 1908! the author divides the order into four superfamilies

1A Preliminary Review of the Classification of the Order Strepsiptera, Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, Vol. IX, pp. 75-85.

82 Psyche [April

to make its classification accord with that which has been proposed for some of the other orders of insects, but owing to the cormpact nature of the group he has been compelled to select slight, single characters, and each superfamily differs from the one preceding it by the loss of one tarsal joint in the male. Similarly the eight families are segre- gated by the number of joints and forin of the flabella of the antennae. Due to the extremely degenerate form of the females, still less evident characters are available for their classification. It seems unfortunate that such a very ambitious and cumbrous grouping should have been adopted for it can hardly fail to confuse the student who is not a specialist in the order, and to make it appear out of its proper pro- portion in the taxonomy of insects in general.

103 species are listed and described, belonging to 37 genera, 24 of which are monotypical, while 45 or nearly half the species belong to two genera. 69 of the species, all but 7 of which are from North America, are described as new. Many of the species known from only females or single specimens appear to be very closely related, and Pierce assumes that each parasite species can be defined by its host species. ‘Time only can tell whether such a supposition is correct, but the more definite knowledge which we have concerning other parasitic insects shows that such generalizations should not be made too hastily, especially when they relate to the genera of hosts and parasites. A case of such association is the genus Homilops where species known only by females are segregated with one kn»wn only by the male on account of their hosts being congeneric.

In addition to many figures, there are full descriptions of all new species, and collected literature relating to all exotic ones, as well as a very complete compendium of the known facts regarding the develop- ment, anatomy, and ethology of the group. This will form a splendid basis for future work, which it is to be hoped will be undertaken by many entomologists.

A very extensive bibliography of fifteen pages completes the paper. Some of the references will appear superfluous to working naturalists, however, such as yearly citations of the Zoological Record, and the Zoologischer Anzeiger, and the inclusion of the Century Dictionary.

C. Ty Brows

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AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGICAL COMPANY Price List of Lepidoptera No. 6, ready for distribution Dec. 1, 1904 Classification of Lep. of Boreal Am. according to Smith List, 1903

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A JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY

ESTABLISHED IN 1874

VOL. XVII

JUNE, 1910 NUMBER 38

Prodryas persephone Scudder.

CONTENTS

Colonies of Ants (Lasius neoniger Emery) Infested with Laboulbenia

formicarum Thaxter. W. M. Wheeler : : : : Abed tsp) On the Repugnatorial Secretions of Carabus vinetus. C. A. Frost ES The Offspring of a Suntnm Female of Basilarchia aaa W. L.

Werkheldt : 5) fell! Argynnis cybele Fabr. var. baal ‘Streck., Melanic. H. H. Newcomb 90 Some Bees of the Genus Nomada from Washington State. 7. D. A.

Cockerell . ; : : SoH At Some Neuroptera from Australia. Nathan Banks ‘ é : a 99 Wet Weather Collecting. C. A. on ; 105 A New Species of Telenomus Parasitic on the Eggs of Tussock Moths.

C. T. Brues : 106 The Chalcidoid Parasites of the Common House or Typhoid Fly and

Its Allies. A. A. Girault and G. FE. Sanders. : 108

Proceedings of the Caeuniee aa a Club. 3 z ys Reviews : : :

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.

C. T. Brurs, Harvard University.

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C. W. JoHNSON, V. L. KEextoee,

Boston Society of Natural History. Stanford University. A. L. MELANDER, A. P. Morse,

Washington State College. Wellesley College. J. H. Emerton, J. G. NEEDHAM,

Boston, Mass. Cornell University.

W. M. WHEELER, Harvard University.

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Entered as second-class matter, Dec. 21, 1906, at the Post Office at Boston, Mass., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.

go Binks

VOL. XVII. JUNE, 1910. Now Sis

COLONIES OF ANTS (LASIUS NEONIGER EMERY) IN- FESTED WITH LABOULBENIA FORMI- CARUM THAXTER.

By WiLtit1Am Morton WHEELER. Harvard University.

It appears, from the exhaustive researches of Prof. Roland Thaxter, the leading authority on the Laboulbeniacee, that only two species of these extraordinary ectoparasitic fungi are known to occur on ants. One of these species is Rickia wasmanni Cavara, found by Wasmann on Myrmica levinodis Nyl. at Linz on the Rhine; the other is Laboulbenia formicarum which Thaxter has taken at Cambridge, Mass. on Lasius niger L. var. americanus Emery and Formica subpolita Mayr var. neogagates Emery. Both species are described and beautifully figured in the second part of Thaxter’s “Contribution toward a Monograph of the Laboulbeni- acee,” Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci., Vol. XIII, No. VI, 1908, pp. 248 and 359, Pl. XXXIV., Figs. 1-13 and Pl. LVIII, Figs. 14, 15.

For some time I have been looking for Laboulbeniaceew on the ants which I have collected myself or received from correspond- ents, but it was not till very recently that I happened on any speci- mens of these fungi. April 20-24, while collecting insects on the seashore at Ellisville, Mass., a small settlement about twelve miles south of Plymouth and six miles north of Bournedale, I came upon two localities about a mile apart, in which nearly all the colonies of Lasius niger, var. neoniger were infested with what Professor Thaxter has kindly identified for me as the second of the two species of Laboulbeniacee mentioned above, namely Laboulbenia formi- carum. I first found a number of infested neoniger colonies a mile south of Ellisville in a small triangular area about a dozen yards in diameter and adjoining the beach. The soil of this area consists of a mixture of sand and humus and must be well within the reach of

84 Psyche [June

the salt spray during stormy weather. A few days later I discov- ered a much larger area, comprising a narrow strip about a quarter of a mile in length and forming the border of a salt meadow between Salt Pond and the beach at Ellisville. Here there are dozens of infested colonies which have a very definite and interest- ing distribution. On the beach itself, which consists of a deep layer of pure sand, there are colonies of Formica fusca var. argentata Wheeler, Wyrmica scabrinodis Nyl. var. sabuleti Meinert, Tapinoma sessile Say and Lasius neoniger. The last is far and away the most abundant and its workers are of large size. None of the ants in this locality, including the neoniger, was found to be infested with Laboulbeniacee. On the border of the salt meadow, however, immediately adjoining the beach, where the soil is moist, consist- ing of a mixture of rather sour, decomposing humus mixed with sand, and probably not infrequently wetted by the spray and oc- casionally even submerged at very high water, the only ant is L. neoniger, but its colonies are less populous than those on the beach, the workers are distinctly smaller and are practically all infested with the Laboulbenia. Passing over from this zone of infestation to the pasture land adjoining the salt meadow, the variety neoniger is replaced by L. niger L. var americanus Emery which is the form of the species commonly occurring in higher and dryer pastures and fields. None of the workers of this form, which lacks on the scapes and legs the erect hairs so conspicuous in the var. neoniger, was found to be infested with the fungus. It would seem, therefore, that while neoniger, unlike any of the other ants, is able to exist in a depauperate condition in the damp, sour soil at the edges of salt meadows, it does so only at the risk of becoming infested with Laboulbenia formicarum. Indeed, the infestation of the ants in this strip of littoral at Ellisville is often so excessive that they resemble hedgehogs, fairly bristling with tufts of the fungus.

According to Thaxter, both Rickia wasmanni and Laboulbenia formicarum grow on all parts of their hosts, but this statement requires some qualification, at least in the case of the latter species. An examination of several hundred specimens of L. neoniger shows that the Laboulbenia grows most abundantly on the abdomen, mid- dle and hind femora and tibie and posterior portions of the head. The thorax and coxe, as a rule, are entirely free from the fungus;

1910] Wheeler — Ants Infested with Laboulbenia 85

the clypeus and gula are generally free, and this seems to be in- variably the case with the mandibles, antennal funiculi, palpi, labium, maxilla and eyes. In a very few specimens I have seen one or two of the little plants on the antennal scapes, but, as a rule, these organs are perfectly clean.

Heavily infested workers were seen toiling at their excavations, constructing the craters of the nest and running about as nimbly as uninfested individuals, but the colonies, judging from their rather limited personnel and the reduced number and small size of the craters seemed to be decidedly less prosperous than those of the larger, uninfested form of the same variety on the sandy beach. I excavated a considerable number of the nests of the infested colo- nies but in only one instance did I find larve, and I failed to find any queens, but as larve were not seen in the uninfested colonies and as the old queens of all of our species of Lasius are very rarely seen in the nests, these negative observations have little significance.

It is strange that this should be the first time in my rather ex- tensive experience in collecting ants, that I have happened on a locality in which the colonies of a species are infested with Laboul- beniacee, and it is even more surprising that previous observers have found only two ant-infesting species of these fungi, which are represented by so many much larger and more remarkable forms on other insects. At first sight ants would seem to be particularly favorable hosts for such parasites since these insects are in the habit of huddling together in masses in warm subterranean gal- leries, where the fungi might be supposed to develop luxuriantly and transmit their spores from ant to ant with great facility. Further consideration of the matter, however, leads to the con- clusion that other habits of the ants must, in all probability, tend to suppress or render impossible the development of the fungi, except under unusual conditions such as those in which I found the colo- nies of L. neoniger living at Ellisville. All ants devote a great deal of time and attention to cleaning their own integument and that of their nestmates. They are, indeed, forever combing and scraping the surfaces of their bodies with their tongues and strigils, so that fungi must find it difficult to gain a precarious foothold in their nests, to say nothing of an opportunity to proliferate. And even on

86 Psyche [June

the rare occasions, when this happens, important organs like the mandibles, antenne, labium, maxille, palpi and eyes are kept scrupulously free from the parasitic growth. Although, as pre- viously stated, many of the L. neoniger bristled with the Laboul- benia, there were scattered over their chitinous integument numer- ous minute black dots representing the points of attachment of fungi that had been completely torn away, either by attrition against the walls of the nest galleries, or more probably, by the strigils and tongues of the ants themselves. The observations at Ellisville indicate that the parasitic fungus can luxuriate only on the members of ant-colonies which have become enfeebled or depauperate through nesting in soil which is too moist, saline or foul, or of an abnormally high temperature when exposed to the sun.

ON THE REPUGNATORIAL SECRETION OF CARABUS VINCTUS.

A rather unexpected occurrence happened at the capture of my first specimen of this species, which I had discovered under some old boards near the Shawshine River in Andover, Mass. I picked it up between the thumb and finger for a closer examination and, when perhaps a foot from my face, heard a slight snapping noise which was followed by the sensation that might be produced by the application of red hot needles to one’s face. This intense burning lasted until I bathed my face in alcohol. Since then I have taken two specimens in Framingham and, in each case, noticed the same snapping noise, but as I took good care not to get the insect very near my face, I did not experience the previous unpleasant results.

The elytral edges are strongly reflexed in this beetle and at the apices a slight hollow is formed which would hold a small quantity of the fluid secreted; and when the elytra receive the pressure of the thumb and finger they snap past each other and the resultant spring throws the fluid off in a fine spray.

C. A. Frost.

1910] Field — Basilarchia Proserpina 87

THE OFFSPRING OF A CAPTURED FEMALE BASILARCHIA PROSERPINA.

By Wit. L. W. FIELD,

Milton, Mass.

A female Basilarchia proserpina, taken at Springfield, Vt., August 14, 1908, refused to oviposit on the leaves of any available species of birch, poplar, or willow, but when furnished with wild cherry’ leaves deposited thirty-one eggs, from sixteen of which offspring were reared to maturity. Of these offspring, nine (five males and four females) closely resembled the mother, and seven (four males and three females) were of the white-banded arthemis type, called by Edwards (1879) form lamina.

The accompanying plate shows the mother — much the worse for wear after her long captivity — and four of her offspring, a pair of each type. The entire series is now in the Museum of Comparative Zodlogy at Harvard University.

These observations, considered in the light of the Mendelian principles of heredity, give fresh support to the view of Scudder (1889) and others, who have believed proserpina to be a hybrid between arthemis and astyanaz. The observed facts accord with those noted by Edwards, who in 1877 reared three arthemis and one proserpina from eggs deposited by a proserpina captured in the Catskill region; and in addition they bring out some new points:

First, the