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Pr 5 Or THE CANADIANS.” | ey ee
HNTOMOLOGIS
EE VOLUME V. Oho
Edited by the Heb. C. J. S. Methune, J. A,,
Head Master of Trinity College School, Port Hope, Ont.
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WM. SAUNDERS, London, Ont. ; | E. B. REED, Barrister-at-Law, London, Ont
and J. M. DENTON, London, Ont.
LONDON : ", RICHMOND ST
PRINTED BY THE FREE PRESS STEAM PRINTING COMPANY,
1873
Large
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LIST OF CONTRIBUTERS-TO: THIS VOLUME.
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Che Canadian Entomologist.
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VOL. V. LONDON, ONT., JANUARY, 1873. No. 1
—18'73.—
It has been our custom at the commencement of a new volume to offer our hearty greetings to our friends and correspondents, to all who read the CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST,—to all, indeed, who take a kindly interest in the success of our journal and the welfare of our Society. This year we do so most cordially, with not a little pardonable pride, when we remember that it is for the 7/¢2 time. Four years and a half have elapsed since we ventured to put forth our diminutive first number that consisted merely of eight pages; with our last December number we completed our fourth volume and eight-hundredth page of Entomological matter !
A complaint has once or twice reached us lately to the effect that our publication was gradually becoming too technical, and consequently of decreasing interest to a large number of our readers, who, from various causes, are unable to become deep students of the science, but who take great delight in learning all they can respecting the economy and classifi- cation of the insects of the country. We must confess that the complaint is not unfounded, and that we have almost unconsciously drifted some- what away from the design of the periodical. It has always been our intention and desire to meet the requirements, if possible, of two classes of readers—those, on the one hand, who are leaders in the pursuit of Entomology, and who, therefore wish to have presented to them in convenient form all discoveries of new species and other valuable scientific information that may from time to time be acquired by their fellows,—and those, on the other hand, who collect and study insects to some extent, but are not yet far advanced in the pursuit ; or who merely regard insects as destructive or beneficial and therefore wish to know something about them ; or, again, who take pleasure in learning all they can about these creatures without either collecting or specially studying them. To meet the particular requirements of all these various descriptions of readers would, of course, be a perfect impossibility in a periodical of such limited size as ours; at the same time we think that
2 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
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something may be done for all who care for insects, without filling out pages too much with technicalities, and without losing sight of all additions to our knowledge by becoming simply “ popular.” To steer a suitable course between the Scylia of abstruse science on the one side, and the Charybdis of mere ‘‘ popularity” on the other, is no easy task, and we fear has not yet been achieved by us. - We hope, however, in the forthcoming volume to do a little better in this respect, and we look forward to a continuance of friendly aid from our correspondents in various quarters to enable us to overcome the difficulty. As a first step towards improvement we propose to present to our readers a series of illustrated papers on the common Butterflies of Narth America—with special reference to those found in Canada. We hope that we shall thus — be enabled in time to furnish beginners in Entomology with a hand book that will enable them easily to identify any common butterfly and to ascertain where and when it may be found, what its larva feeds upon, and such other useful information as may be gathered into a short space. Owing to the difficulty there is in obtaining really satisfactory wood cuts of insects, and the time that is required for their production, we shall not be able to take up the different species of Butterflies in any systematic order, but only as we are able to obtain the necessary materials. We shall be very thankful, indeed, for assistance from our readers in this department ; almost every one can help us with lists of species observed in his own neighborhood, or with notes on their time of appearance and disappear- ance, number of broods, larval habits, etc., ete.
The “Hints to Fruit Growers” that have been afforded by one of our Editorial Staff—Mr. Saunders—will be continued with greater frequency: during the coming year; we are glad to learn from various sources that those already published have proved of much value to our horticultural readers.
As a further improvement, we should be pleased to receive corres- pondence from our readers upon general Entomological subjects of the day ; for instance, at the present moment, upon the vexed, and we may surely say vexatious, question of nomenclature.
It will be a relief, no doubt, to the majority of our readers to learn that the reprint of Kirby’s Zzsects of the Northern Parts of British America 1s now fast approaching completion, and will cease ere long to distress them with its constant recurrence. The whole will, when finished, be made up into a separate volume and be sold at a moderate price. We have no doubt that it will prove of much value to those who are unable
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 3
to obtain the rare and expensive original. The space thus set free we propose to occupy with translations of Guenee’s Descriptions of Moths, and reprints of Drury and other old authors whose works can seldom be obtained by the student of the present day.
During the past year we have received valued contributions to our pages from a larger number of correspondents than ever before ; while we beg to offer them, for ourselves and our readers, our very hearty thanks for their favors, we venture to express the hope that they will not relax in their investigations and contributions, and that many others also will feel disposed to join their ranks. Without such assistance the CANADIAN
ENTOMoLoGist would be but a sorry production, and could not long | protract its existence.
‘Another species of support, our worthy Treasurer reminds us, 1s equally necessary for the maintenance and well-being of our publication— need we say that he refers to the -grosser element of dollars and cents? Our rules require the payment of all subscriptions in advance at the commencement of cach year; as the amount to each individual is but a single dollar, there ought to be no difficulty or delay on his part in forwarding it; the aggregate sum thus provided is, as all must be aware, a matter of great importance to us, especially as we do not receive the Legislative grant to the Society till about midsummer. The present number of the CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST will be sent to all subscribers on the list for 1872, who haye not signified their desire to withdraw from membership with the Society ; no further number, however, will be sent, unless the amount of subscription is meanwhile received. Pay your honest dues, friendly reader, and ‘then you will not fail to have in one
eect at least, what we heartily wish you in all respects, A Happy New YEAR!
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LONDON BRANCH.
At the recent annual meeting of the London branch of the Entomo- logical Society of Ontario, the following officers were elected :—J. WILLIAMS, President; M. L. Morcan, Vice-President; H. P. Bock, Secretary-Treasurer ; F. OsBorneE, Curator.
An interesting and satisfactory report was presented by the Sepriiaee Treasurer, showing an increase of membership, and also showing the funds of the branch to be in a prosperous condition.
4 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
a
ON SOME OF OUR COMMON INSECTS. PAPER NO. I. BY W. SAUNDERS, LONDON, ONTARIO.
This paper is the frst of a series in which it is proposed, by members of the editorial staff alternately, to describe some of our more common “insects, to illustrate them with suitable cuts, and to make the descriptions of so plain a character that the most unscientific reader may be able readily to comprehend their meaning. Since it is one of our aims in publishing the ENTOMOLOGIST to popularize our favorite science, we shall offer no apology for introducing into our journal these readable papers, in which much material may from time to time appear, which, to the scientific reader, may look stale and uninviting. Ina recent letter from a correspondent who takes some interest in ‘“ bugs,” but is not deeply versed in the technichalities of the science, he complains much of the depth of the learning which has been displayed in cur pages during the past, and says that although he has frequently taken a plunge into the depths of the articles, one after another, that he has rarely been able to touch bottom. It will be our aim, then, while still devoting the larger portion of our pages to scientific matter, to introduce something into each future number in which subscribers of similar scientific calibre to the gentleman already referred to, may be able, not only to touch bottom, but to wander through the shallows with ease, and we hope with some degree of pleasure. ;
The first insect of which we propose to treat is one of our commonest butterflies, known as the archipfpus butterfly (Danas archippus). This insect is said to hybernate during the winter; it is seen on the wing usually as early as the middle of May, butit is not very common until later inthe season. ‘These first few individuals lay their eggs on the leaves of the common milkweed ( Asc/epias cornuti) and other species of Asclepias, also on the bitter root (Apocynum androsemifolium), during the latter part of * May or the beginning of June. ‘The eggs, when fresh laid, are white, but in two or three days they become yellow and then dull gray just before the time of hatching. They are #sth of an inch long, conical in form,
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. ba:
flattened at the base. When viewed with a magnifying glass they appear Fig. 1, very beautiful. See figure 1, si Where @ represents the egg
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aia 5) Ago a
much enlarged, while at ¢ it is
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= See shown of natural size and in = 223 its usual position on the un- | CH) CB CR gy : ; L “3 i2oaq derside of the leaf. On this pps Saou siesesey egg there are about twenty- : SS OS. oo 1, I oy O39 ; +2 ° 2 5 t ss27 _—ifive raised longitudinal lines, Gh Gy > oe, S339 and about the same number
of cross lines between each, so that the whole appears covered with a regular and beautiful net work, as shown in the figure, which has been drawn from nature, as those also have which are to follow, by our esteemed friend, Prof. C. V. Riley, of St. Louis, Mo. 3
In about six or seven days the egg matures, producing a minute caterpillar one tenth of an inch long, with a large black head, and yellow- ish-white body, with a few black hairs on each segment, as shownat ¢ and /,
. fig. 1. This larva grows very rapidly, and soon finds that its skin will bear no further stretching, when it conveniently disrobes itself and appears in garb gay and new by crawling out of its skin through a rent down the back, which takes place just at the proper time, which process is repeated three times during its growth. At J, fig. 1, the head and anterior segments of the larva just before its last moult is figured for the purpose of showing how the long fleshy horns with which the mature caterpillar is furnished are conveniently coiled up when buried beneath the old skin.
The full grown larva, fig. 2, is about one and three quarter inches long.
Fig. 2. | Its head is yellowish with a triangular black stripe in front below, and another of a similar shape above.
The upper surface of the body is beau- tifully ornamented with transverse stripes of black, yellow and white, the white covering the greater part of each segment, and having a wide black
6 . THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
stripe down its centre, while the yellow occupies the spaces between. On . the third segment (reckoning the head as first) are two long black fleshy horns, and on the twelfth two others of a similar character, but shorter and not quite so stout.
The under side is black with a greenish flesh color between most of the segments.
The next change which comes over this caterpillar is that which trans- forms it to a pupa or*chrysalis, a most astonishing transformation, when the voracious larva becomes for a time torpid, senseless, and almost motionless while preparing for that change when it is to appear in brilliant plumage, and gracefully float and flutter through the air, enjoying the summer's sunshine and sipping the nectar of flowers. Fig. 3 shows the
Fie. 3. larva as it appears at different periods -during its transition to the state of chrysalis. Ata it hangs suspended from a silken web, in which its hind legs are en- tangled and which has been previously attached by the caterpillar to the underside of a leaf, or fence rail or some other secure place of retreat, and here while hanging for about a day the larva contracts its length, and increases its bulk, especially on the anterior segments. By and by a rent takes place in the skin down the back, and the chrysalis begins to appear, and after long and persevering efforts and much wriggling the skin is worked nearly up to the hinder extremity, as shown at 6. Nowa difficulty presents itself, and a feat is to be performed to imitate which would puzzle the most daring acrobat, for without hands or feet to hold on by it has to withdraw itself from the remnants of its larva skin, and hang itself up by a black protuberance covered with a bunch of hooks, with which the chrysalis is furnished. Perilous as this undertaking seems to be, it is very seldom indeed that a failure occurs in its accomplishment. A ready explanation of the means by which this is done is given at ¢, fig. 3. The joints of the abdomen being freely movable, are first stretched against a portion of the larva skin, when, by-a sudden jerk backwards, the skin is grasped and firmly held while the terminal segments are withdrawn, and
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 7
the process of suspension completed. Soon after this the chrysalis begins a series of wriggling and jerking movements to dislodge the empty larva skin, after the removal of which it remains motionless, unless disturbed, and becomes gradually harder and more contracted until it assumes the appearance represented by fig. 4.
The chrysalis is about an inch long, and of a beautiful bright green colour dotted with gold, and with a band of golden dots extending more than half way ‘round the body above the middle; this band is shaded with black. There is a patch of black also arouud the base of the black protuberance by which it is suspended, and several dots of the same on other portions of the surface.
The insect seldom remains in chrysalis more than ten or twelve days, and towards the latter end of this period, the hand- some green and gold colours begin to fade, the chrysalis growing gradually darker until the diminutive wings of the future butterfly show plainly through the semi-transparent enclosure. The escape of the imprisoned insect, now nearly ready for flight, is usually made quite early in the morning. We have several times watched for their deliverance, and have usually found it to take place soon after daybreak. A sudden crackling and slight tearing sound is heard, which arises from a splitting of the chrysalis case part way down the back, the fore legs, head and antennae are first withdrawn, and in a few moments the entire insect is liberated. At first the wings are very small, and the new born butterfly seeks at once some suitable spot where the wings may be held so as to hang down and thus facilitate the rapid growth which follows. This growth is truly amazing ; we have seen the wings double their size within three minutes, and seldom more than fifteen or twenty minutes pass before they have attained their full dimensions, and, ere the sun is high in the heavens, the soft, flabby wings have dried and the butterfly is ready for flight.
The archippus butterfly, fig. 5,1s so well known that it needs but little description, especially when so good a figure is given. The ground colour - of the wings, when fresh, is a beautifully bright orange red, the veins are heavy and black, and the margins are spotted with white, the latter being more or less covered or encroached upon by the general colour. Near the middle of the hind wings there appears in the figure on one of the veins
S THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
an enlarged black streak or blotch ; this, when closely examined, is found Fig. 5.
to be a small excrescence ; it is found only in the male, and by this peculiarity the sexes may be readily distinguished. | We have frequently seen this butterfly in great numbers on pine trees which have been infested by apfis, attracted there no doubt by the sweet exudations which flow from the bodies of the apfis, thus interfering with the rights and privileges which have always been accorded to the indus- trious ant. They also have the fashion of congregating at times, late in the season, in prodigious swarms consisting of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of individuals. In September, 1871, we met with a swarm of this character on’ the shore of Lake Erie. They hung in clusters everywhere on a group of trees which they completely covered ; as many as thirty-two individuals were counted on a space of the size of ones’ two hands, and their total numbers we thought might safely be estimated by millions.. No satisfactory reason has yet been assigned for such gatherings. SOME REMARKS ON CHANGES IN NAMES OF CERTAIN BUTTERFLIES.
BY W. H. EDWARDS, COALBURGH, W. VA.
PapiLio ASTERIAsS. Now sought to be changed to Polyxenes, although from the time of Fabricius to the publication of Kirby’s Catalogue (1871), no other name than asverias has been in use. The species has been repeatedly figured as asterias in these hundred years, and under this name is well known to everyone who takes the least interest in these things,
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. REA
What is gained by re-naming it, I am unable to see. The first mention of polyxenes was in Fab. Syst. Ent., page 444, No. 10, £775, the male being described. Fabricius in 1787, in Mant. Ins., gives the same species under the name of asé¢erias, referring to Drury, vol. i, plate u, for the type, and quoting his own /olyxenes as synonymous.
Papitio GLaucus. Under this name Linneus described the black female of ¢urnus, and it is only within the last ten years that it has been generally known that g/aucus was related to turnus. When glaucus is now spoken of, it at once brings to mind this striking variety, and /urnus var. glaucus is a sufficient designation and answers every proper requirement. It is eminently convenient that this variety should have its own designa- tion, and by it, it is treated of in Wallace, Walsh, Darwin, Harris, and other authors. I hope our lepidopterists will not be deluded into changing these names by any supposed obligatory rule, for the simple fact : is, there is no obligatory rule in the case.
Danais arRcHippus. Mr. Kirby (1871) gives the name of this butterfly as erifpus Cramer. Scudder (1872) gives it as plexippus Linn. Scudder in 1863 gave it as erifpus Doubleday (But. N. England.) Mr. Scudder also read a paper by the late Dr. Harris before the Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. (1859) showing that these and other names were remarkably confounded, for example: “The Jderenice of Cramer is the erippus of Fabricius, but not of Cramer, and it is the gz/ippus of Smith, but not of Cramer and Fabricius; the evippus of Cramer is the archippus of Fabri- cius and of Smith; it is also the same as the A/exifpus of Cramer, but not of Linnzeus and Fabricius: the mzs¢ppus of Fabricius is the archippus of Cramer, but not of Fabricius and Smith: the erzppus of Cramer is not the erippus of Fabricius, and the misippus of Fabricius is not the misippus of Linneus.” And he givesa table “by which it will be seen that the nomenclature of the three North American species has become confounded with five others.” In preparing the Synopsis of Butterflies of N. Am., I had at hand all the above quoted works, and could make little of this tangle ; and as our northern species of Danais has been generally known and written of and figured as archifpus, | deemed it advisable to adhere to that name as one resting place in a foggy sea. It is so figured in Abbot & Smith, Boisduval & Leconte, and so called in Harris’ Ins. Mass. 2nd Edition, which work I believe had the assistance of Mr. Scudder in preparing for the press.
10 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
LIMENITIS URSULA. Changed to astyanax by Butler, 1869, and followed by Kirby and Scudder. Fabricius’ Syst. Ent., 1775, named the species astyanax. In Ent. Syst., 1793, he re-named it wrsuda for the following reason: It then stood in the genus Pafc/io, in which also stood another astyanax. He therefore changed the name of the first to ursz/a, and by this latter the species has come down to this day. It is so figured by Abbott & Smith, and by Boisduval & Leconte. That Fabricius was right in so changing the name to avoid a duplicate.in the same genus, is undoubted, and although the species which still retains the name astyanax has since been found to be the female of something else, and hence loses its original name, there seems no good reason for disturbing wrsu/a. Fabri cius was right in making the change, and once right always right in such amatter. Of course I do not allow or believe that froserpina is a variety of wrsu/a, it is as near arthemtis as ursu/a in some respects.
ON THE LARVA OF PLUSIA BALLUCA. BY W. SAUNDERS, LONDON, ONT.
In the second volume (1863,) of the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, I published a paper on some of our Lepidopterous larvee, and among other descriptions there appeared one purporting to be that of Plusia balluca. By some unfortunate mishap a description of the larva of V. ixferrogationis was sent in place of the intended one of balluca, and the mistake was not discovered until after the number had
been issued, while all trace of the original description of the larva of - balluca was lost. I did not again meet with this larva until the summer of 1871, when a fresh description was taken on the 15th of June, as follows :—
Length, 1.20 in. ; body thickest on middle and posterior segments, taper- ng towards the tront ; the body is arched or looped along the middle seg- ments when in motion.
Head rather small, bilobed, of a shining green color, with a few whitish hairs.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST, 11
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Body, above, yellowish-green, streaked and spotted with white, inter- mixed all through with green, thus dividing the white into a series of streaks, dots and broken lines; there is also a line of greenish-white on each side, close to the undersurface. Each segment has a few tubercles of a green color, striped with white ; these are small on the second, third and fourth segments, but much larger from fifth to twelfth, inclusive, and entirely wanting on the terminal segment. On each of the hinder segments, with the exception of the last three, are ten or twelve of these tubercles, which almost cover the whole surface, and from each of the tubercles throughout there arises a single whitish hair.
The under surface is of a deeper green than the upper, with a few short whitish hairs, chiefly on 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, r1th and 12th segments. Feet green, prolegs, of which there are three pairs, green also.
This larva became a chrysalis on the 18th of June, and produced the moth on the 13th of July.
In the caterpillar state, the insect feeds on the hop, consuming the leaves, but we have never known it to occur in sufficient numbers to do much damage. The moth, (see fig. 6,) measures, when expanded, about 144” amehes.. An laree portion of the upper surface of the fore-wings is covered with brilliant, metallic green scales, which are darker on the lower portion of the middle and on the tips of the wings, and much paler towards the inner angle. The wings are covered by two oblique, irregular brown lines, and parts of the upper and outer portions are tinged with purplish. The hind wings are of a brownish dusky grey, without markings. The anterior portion of the body is pale brown, marked with buff and curiously crested above, the hinder portions of the body are paler. The under surface of both front and hind wings is dull, varying in shade from pale buff to brown, one of the brown lines on the upper surface of fore-wings being reproduced and extended across the hind wings.
Fig. 6.
This moth has been found in various parts of Canada, but in no instance have we heard of its being met with in any considerable numbers.
12 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
MICRO - LEPIDOPTERA.
BY V. T. CHAMBERS, COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.
Continued from Vol. 4, Page 226,
ERRATA ET CORRIGENDA.—Ante vol. 4, p. 148, for ermonella read Hermanella ; p. 149, for Alexandriacella read Alexandrieedla ; p. 173, line Ti, dor “there”. read“ then;”) ps 195; line's, for’ “ all the svemis ame united near the end of the cell,” which is an unaccountable blunder, read ‘all the veins given off from the cell arise near its end.”
ANESYCHIA. A. trifurcella, n. sp.
White; palpi annulate and tipped with dark brown or black; a longitudinal median blackish stripe on the thorax, and a spot of the same hue on each side of it; primaries white with a median wide blackish longitudinal streak beginning on the costa at the base, gradually widening to the apex, where two small white streaks or spots divide it into three short branches. Sometimes these white spots completely separate the outer branches from the median one. A row of small dark brown, dots around the apex ; a small spot near the dorsal margin about the basal fourth, and a larger one about the apical third of the wing. Antennae dark brown. Adar ex. t+ inch. Kentucky, in July.
HYPONOMEUTA. fH. orbimaculella, Ante p. 88. Vol. 4.
This was described by me, ante p. 42, as H. euonymella, and the name changed because of its resemblance to the name of a European species, HT. evonymella. J had not then seen the European species, nor any figure or description of it. Since then, however, I have seen the figure in Wood’s Jndex Entomologicus, and think it most probable that this species is identical withit. The arrangement of the spots is identical, but in the figure of evonymella the fore wing is shaded with a smoky or brownish hue, while in all my specimens it is pure snow white ; and the color of the hind wings in the figure is darker, and of a different shade from any of my specimens, in which the shade varies from snow white to lead color. I
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. ) 13
incline to think that the maturity of the imago at the time of its death has something to do with the color of the hind wings, specimens killed very soon after emergence having them more slaty or lead colored than older ones.
ARGIOPE, gen. nov.
A. dorsimaculella. LFleribera ? incertella ante p. 44. Vol. 4.
In my former notice of this species I placed it, provisionally and with great doubt, in Stephens’ genus Aeribeia. I find, however, that either fleribeia Stephens 1s very different from the Averibeca of more modern Eng- lish authors (which includes such small genera as Philocnistis, Lyonetia, &c.,) or I have mistaken the characters of Stephens’ genus from his brief diagnosis. I had supposed it (from the characters given by Stephens and its location among his genera) to be allied closely to Yponomeuta.. At any rate, as I cannot satisfactorily locate this species in any genus known to me, I think it best to erect a new one for it with the diagnosis given at
p. 43—Vol. 4.
It differs from Véonomeuta in the colors and patterns of coloration ; in having the terminal joint of the labial palpi a little larger in proportion to the others ; in having the head entirely smooth ; in having the primaries a /ittle falcate beneath the apex, though the neuration is not materially different ; in having the costal margin of the secondaries a little excised before the tip, which is pointed, and in having only a single branch (the superior furcate one) given off from the discal vein (while Vgonomeuta has an inferior simple branch also), and in having the median furcate from the end of the cell, whilst in YAonomeuta it is simple.
GRACILLARIA.
G. blandella? Clem. Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., 1863, p. 9.
Although Dr. Clemens’ description is not strictly accurate, or rather, is not altogether intelligible, where applied to the insects now before me; and I have not seen his specimens, yet notwithstanding the close resem- blance which sometimes exists between different species of this genus, I have very little doubt that my specimens belong to this species. Should it, however, prove otherwise, then I suggest for these specimens the name G. juglandivorella and annex the following description :
14 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
Face pale lemon yellow (or yellowish stramineous), palpi of the same hue, each joint of the maxillary palpi tipped with dark purple, the labial ' palpi thickly dusted with dark purple and with a wide dark purple annulus close to the tip. Vertex dark purple, with pale lemon yellow intermixed ; antennae pale lemon yellow, faintly annulate with purple at the base, towards the apex purple, faintly annulate with pale lemon yellow. Thorax dark purple, with a narrow pale lemon yellow median longitudinal stripe, and a wider and more distinct one on each side above the wings, and a dark purple spot before the wings. Primaries pale lemon yellow and dark purple ; the dorsal margin is dark purple from the base to near the ciliae, where the purple widens over the apical portion of the wing, except a small lemon yellow spot on the edge of the costal ciliae before the apex ; costal margin from the base to the basal fourth dark purple; from the basay fourth of the costa a rather wide fascia passes obliquely backwards from the costal purple to the dorsal purple, uniting them, and thus enclosing on the base of the disc an oblong pale lemon yellow spot. Immediately - behind the oblique purple fascia, the dorsal purple is excavated, and the wing is palelemon yellow to the costa and as far back as the ciliae, with a little purple dusting or row of small purple spots along the extreme costa before the ciliae. Sometimes there is a faint golden or stramineous patch in the purple at the extreme apex, and sometimes the apex is a little dusted with golden or stramineous, Ciliae golden or stramineous, with three wide dark purple hinder marginal lines, one at the base, one in the middle, and one at the tip. (Perhaps they might be better described as dark purple, with two shining stramineous hinder marginal lines, one before their middle and one before their tip.) Posterior wings and ciliae dark purplish fuscous. Anterior and middle legs yellowish mixed with purple behind, dark purple in front except the tarsi, which are silvery white with each joint tipped with purple. Posterior legs yellowish except the apical half of the outer surface of the femora, the tips of the tibiae behind, and the tip of each tarsal joint. Thorax and upper surface of the abdomen dark purple; venter pale Jemon yellow. In some lights what I have called dark purple appears violaceous or iridescent, and the stramineous portions appear golden or sulphur yellow. A/. ex. 34 in. © Kentucky.
Dr. Clemens received his. specimen from Virginia. I have bred it from the leaves of the Black Walnut ( Fuglans nigra). It mines the upper surface, and, when first taken, was supposed to be the mine of a Philocnistis, containing a pupa. It was something more than an inch long, a little crooked, very narrow, and resembled a small snail’s track.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 1
Not far from one end the mine was widened a little and the cuticle puckered, forming a small nidus like that of a PAi/ocnistis pupa. Within this nidus a small larva was visible. It was white, with the head pointed before, but widened behind, and with the thoracic segments much swollen and tapering rapidly from thence to.the tail. (There is a good deal of resemblance between the very young larvae of Gracilaria Philocnistis and Lithocolletis of the cylindrical group.) In a day or two it changed its form, becoming cylindrical and pale yellowish white, and it left the mine and went to the wzder side of the leaf, where it turned down the edge over it, and, after eating out the parenchyma, turned it down in another place, repeating this operation two or three times until it finally became a pupa under the edge last turned down. Sometimes (at least in the breeding jar) it leaves the leaf and pupates under a sheet or coverlet of white silk like G. salicifoliella and many other species. Which mode it follows in a state of nature I am unable to say, having never found it in the pupa state. G. juglandiella mihi mines the wnder surface of the leaves, but the mine is larger and more blotch like, and when it leaves the mine it goes to the wer side of the leaf which it curls upwards over itself and there passes the pupa state. I do not mean to say that this habit of going to the side of the leaf opposite the mine is universal in either species, but only so faras I have observed it in some ten specimens of each. G blandella is a very handsome species. |
A BALLOON SPIDER. BY: WILLIAM COUPER, MONTREAL.
“The American Naturalist” for May, 1871, contains an interesting article on ‘“ Flying Spiders,” by J. H. Emerton. The species noticed by him are, no doubt, allied to the gossamer of Europe, and the phenomenon occurs early in autumn on the Islands of the St. Lawrence.
During the month of July, 1871, while trout-fishing on a large lake near the Upper Assumption, about one hundred miles north of Montreal, my attention was drawn to an inflated transparent substance of an oblong cocoon shape, passing about fifty yards over my head. To this miniature balloon, a thread was attached, and, on tracing it downward, its architect was seen struggling on the surface of the lake. Taking up the
16 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
paddle and forcing the canoe in order to secure this curious spider, imagine my disappointment, just as I was within a yard of it, to see it swallowed by a trout. The day was fine, with just sufficient wind to waft a delicate body of this nature across the lake. My curiosity being aroused, I kept a good look out for another specimen, but no more were seen that day.
On another lake further north, and during similar weather, I was pleased to witness a number of these in their aeronautic excursions, and on a rock in the centre of the lake was fortunate in capturing a specimen of the spider. In size it is as large as the house spider. The body and legs are densely covered with stiff hair; its mandibles are long and sharp. It was extremely active, and lived about three weeks in a box after its capture. I am ata loss to account for the mode in which this spider pro- duces the structure with the extraordinary length of attached thread, which it manages to send off in the air. The woods near the lakes are principally pines, which are moss-covered and rugged, and yet, these curious balloons are evidently constructed on trees on the margin of the lakes.
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SOME GENERA OF CANADIAN INSECTS.
BY FRANCIS WALKER, LONDON, ENGLAND.
The following communication includes two genera of Chadidie, Perilampus, and Callimome. FPerilampus is known in America from Canada to Mexico. P. hyalinus Say, inhabits Canada; P. cyaneus Brulle, and P. Entellus Walk. are synonyms of it. Say has described two other species, P. platigaster and P. triangularis,; the latter is distinguished from all other species by the dark tips of the wings. P. Alexinus Walk. differs from P. flatigaster by not having a brassy tinge, by the luteous tips of the femora, and by the luteous tibize with a black band. The specimen of P. Lepreos is too much mutilated to ascertain if it agrees with P. platigaster. P. hyalinus, above mentioned, has some resemblance to the European P. violaceus, but has an elongated scutellum ; in this character it is far exceeded by the Mexican P. gloriosus, which far sur- passes all other known species in size and beauty. PP. gloriosus is also peculiar in the developement of the secondary veins of the forewings .
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. iv;
and is still more remarkable on account of the long cubitus, that vein being very short in all the other species. In Europe this genus is represented from Sweden to Italy by a few species which are generally of rare occurrence and have been observed to be parasitic on wood-feeding insects. There are two species in S. Africa, P. maurus and P. discolor ; the former is wholly black ; the latter is distinguished from all others by pectinated antenne, by a bifurcate scutellum, and by a concave abdominal dorsum. P. Hedychroides is a small Ceylonese species, and P. Saleius from Australia, is the smallest species of the genus yet known.
Philomides, Haliday, is‘ another genus of Perilampide, and is only represented by P. faphius Hal., a native of Cyprus. The genus Psilogaster Brulle, is placed by that author next to Pertlampus.
Callimome consists of much smaller insects than those of the genera of Chalaudiz, before mentioned, and some species are abundant in England. None have been reported in Canada, but the genus is doubt- less there, as it occurs both to the north and the south of that region. Two species have been found near Hudson’s Bay. One of them, C. cecidomye is most allied to the British C. euchlorus; it is parasitic on Cecidomyia spongivora, which forms galls on the willow. The other, C. splendidus, should be placed next C. purpurascius, with which it agrees in its stout structure. The species collected by E. Doubleday, in the United States, appear to be different from those described by Say, and a few more from the same region have been lately published by Osten Sacken. The British species are very numerous, and, as to the female, may be most obviously distinguished from each other by the comparative length of the oviduct. The chief district of the genus seems to be now N. Europe, the known species of Australia and S. America being small and scarce. Some are natives of E. Siberia or Amurland, and it is probable that the more Southern parts of Asia were the earlier habitation of the present European species. Their instinct induces them to act so that their young ones may live at the expense of gall-making insects, and there is much to observe in the mutual adaptation of the size of the gall and the length of the oviduct, and as to what species are exclusively reared in one kind of gall or are developed in several kinds, and whether differences of habitation have any effect on outward appearance. The many-chambered galls are more interesting than those witha single cell. Some ten or twelve species of Callimome resort to oak apples and effect lodgments for their eggs at depths proportioned to the length of their oviducts; the species which
18 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
has the longest oviduct obtains possession thereby of the grub in the central part of the gall for the maintenance of its young ones, and the latter have a longer life in the gall than the young of the short oviduct species. The different species thus dwell in different concentric circles of the gall, and observations may be made whether there is mutual agreement as to the boundary lines between their respective territories, or whether complications occur between them when they have removed the earlier inhabitants. Many other species of insects dwell in these galls, and there is also much yet to be ascertained in the domestic habits of each one, whether herbivorous or carnivorous.
MISCELLANEOUS.
GENERIC NOMENCLATURE.—Can not some method be devised to check the recently introduced habit of rehabilitating fossil genera ?
To borrow a geological simile, these had their little day of life in the Eozoic period of entomological science, proved themselves unfitted to survive in the struggle for existence, and then disappeared—it was to be hoped, forever. Is it not taking a very unfair advantage of the older authors to make them responsible for genera of which they had no conception, and which certainly would have been indignantly repudiated by them ? .
What a change, for example, from Pagiléo of Linnzeus, an overgrown genus, capable of containing whole shoals of its lesser successors to Papilio Linn., ¢este Scudder, applying solely to one insect, already well supplied.
If Mr. Scudder’s proposed revolution in our nomenclature should be adopted, I fear that also, on the other hand, the laboratories of the ‘‘ genus grinders” will resemble the mills of the gods in one respect, and in one only, namely, that of ‘‘ grinding exceeding small.” If every genus has a single type, then, as species differ structurally more or less, what can be more evident than that each species is in itself the type of some genus, and immortality as enduring as that of Eratostratus is within the grasp of the man who grinds out his genera with the greatest rapidity |—THEo. L,
MEAD. ATTRACTING LEPIDOPTERA.—At page 194, vol. 1, CANADIAN ENTO-
MOLOGIST, attention is drawn to a new French method of collecting Nocturnal Lepidoptera by means of bait. —
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. : 19
Having purchased chemicals, &c., for the purpose of thoroughly testing it at Anticosti and Labrador, last summer, I give my experience with the hope that it may be of service. Dried apples, such as recom- mended, were immersed in Nitric Ether, and hung on branches of trees on the second day after my arrival on Anticosti, and I visited the baits that night and each succeeding one during my stay on the Island. Moths were flying in the vicinity, and several passed within twelve inches of the bait, but only ove was noticed to rest on it during the season. The baits on Anticosti and Labrador were constantly visited by Diptera and ants, and these alone. My want of success discouraged me, and I resolved to add sugar to the bait, and it was only with this addition that moths were attracted. I think, therefore, that the old mode of sugaring is still the best for this country. My friend, Mr. Caulfield, tried it here last summer with a like result.
It occurs to me that a bait might be prepared to attract Diurnal Lepidoptera. I passed two months of the summer of 1871 on the Black River, about 140 miles north of Montreal. I resided ina shanty on the new Colonization Road, which follows the river through the mountains. Water in which salt pork had been par-boiled, was thrown out on the sandy loam opposite the door, and I noticed that hundreds of Papzlio turnus frequented this spot during favorable weather, thrusting their tongues into the moistened sand when the fluid absorbed, for which they seemed to have such an extraordinary liking, rendered them semi- intoxicated.
I have seen them flying from all quarters direct for the shanty. Many of them, I believe, came from a distance of two miles at least. The spot which these butterflies visited was certainly that on which the pork water was thrown, and the effluvia resulting from this was doubtless the great source of attraction. In A. R. Wallace’s “ Malay Archipelago,” page 124, he says that the rare Charaxes Kadenii, a Java swallow-tail butterfly, was caught as it was sitting with wings erect sucking up the liquid froma muddy spot by the roadside, and I have seen several of our Canadian butterflies sucking the moisture from mud on the margins of ponds made for the use of cattle.
I intend to try a few experiments in suitable places next summer on Anticosti, &c., with water in which salt pork has been par-boiled, with various other substances added,and the results will be noted for the benefit of those concerned. Cyanide of Potassium is a quick destroyer of insect life, and I recommend it for night collecting.
20 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
As it is almost impossible to keep butterflies perfect on pins while moving from place to place in wild regions, each specimen of Diurnal Lepidoptera of my next collection will be placed in a paper envelope, and my subscribers will, no doubt, receive the remainder of their specimens in good condition. Moths will be pinned, and collected chiefly by sugaring, as I believe it is the cheapest and most prolific method of procuring good specimens. I am anxious to obtain three additional subscribers for the Northern Diurnal Lepidoptera, to be
collected during the season of 1873.—-WILLIAM COUPER, ae Bonaventure Street, Montreal.
QuERIES.—John R. Smith, of South Pownal, Vermont, U. S., wishes to ascertain the best locality for P. Luna and Ceratocampa regalis ; also if there is any published price list of American insects.
Will any of our readers kindly give the desired information ?
A New Socrety.-—We are glad to learn that a new Entomological Society has been started in Brooklyn, N. Y. We cordially wish it every SUCCESS.
EXCHANGE.—Mr. W. Cole, of London, Eng., is desirous to enter into correspondence with Canadian Entomologists with a view of effecting exchange of specimens. For further information address W. CoLgE, care of C. Browne, Esq., 5, Old Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London, England.
ADVERTISEMENTS.
The undersigned would like to exchange desirable Lepidoptera from
North America, Brazil, India, Europe, &c., for species of Lycenide, new
to him (from any part of the world.) Californian and Arctic species especially wanted. Address H. R. Morrison, Old Cambridge, Mass., 1,3:
Joun AxkuHurst, Taxidermist, No. 19, Prospect Street, Brooklyn, N. Y., keeps constantly on hand for sale, Sheet Cork for insect boxes—size, 12x 3% x YY; $1.25 per dozen sheets. Felt or German Insect Paper— size, 18 x 22 x %; 50c. persheet. Insect pins, French make ; No. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,12, 14, 16, 18—$1.25 Dey 1000. Insects for sale or exchange. Dealer in Bird Skins.
N. B.—The above prices do not include the cost of transportation.
The Canadian Gntomolocist.
SOME REMARKS ON ENTOMOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. BY W. H. EDWARDS, COALBURGH, W. VA.
The papers on Nomenclature, lately published in the CanapiAn ENTOMOLOGIST, have much interested me, and doubtless many others, and as the subject is one that just now, for reasons well known, appeals especially to Lepidopterists, I beg to be allowed a little of your space to give my views thereupon, and to state what I believe is a practicable remedy for the evils complained of.
I am glad that this matter of Nomenclature was brought so prominently forward by the Entomologists present at the Meeting of the American Association for 1872, and that a Committee was appointed by the Entomological section to report a series of Rules for consideration at the next Meeting. }
I apprehend that hitherto very little attention has been paid to Nomen- clature in this country, at any rate in Entomology, and that when start- ling innovations are proposed, based upon assumed Codes or systems of Rules, very few know what such Codes or Rules are, or how far they are applicable or binding, or how they came to be enacted, with many other: points of like nature. | As applied, they seem incomprehensible to most persons, and even to the initiated have their difficulties. | In the words of Alex. Agassiz, “he laws requisite for the correct name of an animal or of a plant have become as difficult to establish as the most intricate legal question.” How such a discreditable state of things has come about, it is worth while to consider.
From an early period, Entomology, quite as much as its kindred Sciences, suffered from a disagreement as to names of species, one set prevailing in England, another in France, another in Germany, and so on. The first effort to secure uniformity seems to have been made in England by the Rev. Mr. Strickland, who, after consultation with other naturalists, drew up a Code of Nomenclature for Zoologists, that was
bo bo
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
adopted by the British Association, in 1842. (I have been unable to obtain a copy of this Code, and only know its Rules as I have found them recited in various authors. On applying to Mr. A. G. Butler, Brit. Mus., I received the following reply:—“ I can get no exact informa- tion as to when and where these Rules were published. At the time, they appeared in the report on the Meeting, and separate copies were struck off and distributed. | Most of our Entomologists have either made * copies of them or have seen them, and a few say they have printed copies. somewhere.”
This Code was not found to work altogether satisfactorily, and never did receive the general assent of Naturalists in their several departments. Prof. Verrill says, ‘‘ The success of these Rules was but partial, even in England, for a considerable number of English authors have either ignored them or adopted them in part, often violating the most obvious and im- portant Rules. In pee ene especially, the violations have been lamentably numerous.”
In 1865, a Revised Code was adopted by the British Association, which Code is printed at length in the Am. Journal of Arts and Science, July 1869, with valuable notes by Prof. Verrill. In this Revision some important changes were made, with a view to curing the defects of the original Code, and of gaining a more general acceptance. It is significant that Botany is recommended, by the Committee of Revision, zo de omitted from the operations of the Code. :
These two Codes may, so far as my purpose is concerned, be treated as one and the same, as the Rules that I consider obnoxious are found in both of them, and it is of their application to Entomology only that I have to speak, and more especially as affects the Lepidoptera.
The first Rule reads as follows :—-‘‘ The name originally given by the describer of a species should be permanently retained, to the exclusion of all subsequent synonyms.”
It is declared by those who are familiar with the facts, that the object of this Rule was not to drop out of sight all existing names in favor of a rejected or obsolete name, but to give the right to ¢hat one of the names in use that should be found to have priority of date.
For a period of years after 1842, it is asserted that such was the under- stood effect of the Rule, until a generation arose who knew nothing of, or overlooked the circumstances connected with its original proposal, and who took the letter of the Rule as their guide. And gradually there has
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 23
sprung up a class of authors who have devoted themselves with enthusiasm to exploring ancient works and forgotten publications of all sorts, in the hunt for the earliest recorded name to every species, by which to replace the name or names in use. The old authors had described but a few hundred species, and their descriptions were of the briefest. | How brief, an average example from Linnzeus will show :—‘ Papilio Troilus ; wings tailed, black ; fore-wings with pale marginal spots, hind wings beneath, with fulvous spots;” a description applicable, perhaps, to: fifty species of Papilio. (This description at once misled Drury into giving the name Troilus to his figure of Asterias, to which it applies equally well.)
As new species were discovered, each of the earlier described having a group of close allies, many of these descriptions were no longer capable of. identification, applying to numerous species as well as one. Then recourse was had to tradition, or to type specimens. ‘The former may, or may not be trustworthy, and the latter is utterly untrustworthy unless the type agrees with the description. Dr. Staudinger says:—“ It is unfortu- nately a fact that the acquirer of the Linnzan collection had the deplora- ble idea of sometimes replacing damaged specimens by fresh.”
Mr. McLachlan says :—‘“ It (this Linnzan collection,) was so mal- treated by additions, destructions and misplacements of labels, as to render it a matter of regret that it now exists at all. Any evidence it now furnishes is only trustworthy when confirmed by the descriptions.” Speaking of quite a modern collection, that of Mr. J. F. Stephens, Mr. Janson says :—“It not unfrequently happens that two, or in difficult genera, more species are mixed up under the same specific title.”
And it is my opinion, knowing well the carelessness of collectors in the matter of labelling, some even who have described many species using no labels at all, but trusting to memory for identification of all their speci- mens, that a type specimen, or what was offered as such, if it disagreed essentially with the description, should be wholly rejected.
Besides the brevity of the old descriptions, many are defective from other causes. Often the two sexes received different names; often varieties were described as species ; often damaged and broken specimens were described as if fresh, the defects being cured by imagination ; often figures were made by unskilled artists, who omitted the specific charac- teristics, or the figures were colored so poorly as to be incapable of identification, or were copies from copies, or copies from memory, (for a curious illustration of this last, see Westwood, Trans. Lond. Ent. Soc.
24 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
1872, on Donovan’s Papilios) ; and often descriptions were made from unreliable figures, instead of from the insect.
Now, with these and other disadvantages that might be mentioned, the authors who have undertaken to revise our Nomenclature have, each for himself, fixed on this or that description as applying to this or that insect, and there is frequent and serious disagreement between them. This will sufficiently appear by comparing the two Catalogues hereinafter mentioned, which, as to the names of British butterflies alone, that one might suppose had been 'settled long ago, differ as to the correct specific name to the extent of one-seventh of the whole number, as has been stated by Mr. W. A. Lewis, in his paper on Synonymic Lists. Lond. 1872.*
To complicate the case still further, there 1s a disagreement as to the date at which names shall be held to have first begun. Specific names did not originate with Linnzeus, but that naturalist was the author of the binomial system of Nomenclature, and enunciated it in 1751. This was after his earlier works had been published, and even he did not fully apply the system till several years later. He re-described the known species of insects, using sometimes the names of his predecessors, but often re- naming, and very frequently changed a name given by himself in his earlier editions.
The question of a starting point, therefore, has very much exercised authors exploring for ancient names. And it isa very important one, and one above all others on which agreement would seem to be necessary, for many insects in 1767 bore different names from those given to them in 1758, and the latter from those of prior date.
Rule 2nd of the Code says:—“Specific names published before 1766, cannot be used to the prejudice of names published since that date ;” and in the explanatory remarks, it is said :—‘‘ We ought not to attempt to carry back the principle of priority, deyond the date of the rath edition of the Systema Nature, 1766.” (Vol. I., issued 1766; vol. II., in which are the insects, 1767.) |
Mr. Kirby, in his Catalogue of Lepidoptera lately published (1870), follows the Rule, and would ignore all names prior to 1767. Dr. Staudinger, in his Catalogue of European Lepidoptera, also published
*Norr.—See also a very able pamphlet by Mr. Lewis, entitled ‘‘A Discussion of the Laws of Priority in Entomological Nomenclature,” Lond. 1872, which I advise all persons who care to make themselves better acquainted with the subject, to_ obtain. It may be had through the Naturalists’ Agency, Salem,
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. | 25
in 1871, adopts the zoth edition of the same work (1758), and says dis- tinctly :—‘‘ Every name given before 1758 loses its right.” _ Others go back to various earlier dates. If the earliest Linnean edition comes to be claimed as having a prior right over those that followed, as symptoms indicate, then there will be a sweeping away of landmarks, that will make the lesser floods hitherto experienced seem as nothing.
The result of all these efforts at stability, for that is the avowed object of the advocates of rigid priority of date, is extreme confusion,* instead of the agreement hoped for when the Code of the British Association was adopted, and students of one branch of Entomology at least are at a loss to know where the Nomenclature stands to-day, and are very certain that under the present order of things there will not be aname familiar to them that 20 or 50 years hence will not be supplanted under the claims of priority. |
The Code of the British Association not only has not been adopted in detail by the British naturalists, who might be supposed to have given their assent to it, but it has not been adopted in other countries.t It is not the law of France nor of Germany. In the latter country, in 1858, a Code of Nomenclature was adopted by the Dresden Congress, in which the Rule on the subject of priority more sensibly meets the requirements
* Prof. Verrill, in his comment on Rule 2, says:—‘‘ Disregard of this important and essential law (viz., fixing the 12th edition as the starting point,) has brought into Conchology, and some other branches of Zoology, an almost incredible amount of con- . fusion.”
+ ‘‘ Notwithstanding the Rules sanctioned by the authority of the Brit. Ass’n, it would not seem that any perceptible improvement has taken place.” —G. R. Crotch, Cist. Ent., 1872
Mr. Kirby has revised, &c., “‘ in accordance with a series of Rules selecied from those issued by the Brit. Ass’n for 1865.”— Wallace.
Dr. Thorell ‘‘refers to the old Brit. Ass’n Rules with general approval, but differs from them in some important points.”—J/bid.
Dr. Staudinger lays down eight rules that vary from those of the Brit. Ass’n or from Kirby and Thorell in several particulars. And Gemminger and Harold’s Cat. Coleopt. differs in the Rules applied. from all the others. See Wallace. As to French authors, the following extract of a letter to me from a distinguished English Entomologist will show how heterodox is their position :—‘‘The chief confusion in generic Nomenclature is owing to the French, who consistently ignore or alter every thing done in other countries, on purpose to force their own, names on the world in place of others.”
26 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
ofthe case. ‘“ The principle of preserving the oldest of the names given to the same insect ts not absolute; the choice between them, following the greater or less degree of convenience, remains free.”
Until quite lately, although there was a general feeling among Lepi- dopterists that the hunt for new names was getting to be a nuisance that demanded abatement, there seems to have been no active opposition te it, till the publication of the Catalogues of Staudinger and Kirby, and, in this country, of Scudder’s Revision. ‘The changes announced in these works amount to a revolution of much of the existing Nomenclature. In the Revision the names of American species have been changed — largely, and of genera almost altogether. For example: of the Butterflies — found in New England, out of 28 hitherto recognized genera (omitting the Hesperidz) Mr. Scudder has left but three untouched; of five others he has retained the name, but restricted the genus; but of nineteen he has changed the names altogether, displacing well-known names by others purporting to have been found in ancient authors, and mostly in Hubner. And from the twenty-eight genera have now proceeded fifty- - one. Whilst of the /esperide he has made forty-five genera for one hundred and thirty-eight species, besides giving a horrid array of barbaric
family and tribal names, remnants of systems ages ago deservedly exploded.
Mr. Kirby’s “ Revision has the effect of abolishing scores of old and familiar names (generic) and replacing them by others altogether new to the majority of Lepidopterists ” Wad//ace ;and Mr. Crotch, by following out his mode of determining typical species, “shows us that Mr. Kirby is wrong in the names-of twenty-seven genera,” defined before Hubner, and in a letter he says: “I stopped abruptly at 1816, as the question of Hubner’s. Verzeichness beat me,” to which bewilderment we should be grateful, for the assimilative powers of that author are fearful.
The trouble caused by the strict application of Rule 1 to specific names becomes intensified when applied to generic names. It mightbe supposed in the hunt for the former, that if the several authors now at variance could be got to interpret the ancient descriptions by the same illumination, and could agree upon a starting point, the ultimate name of each species would some day be reached. It might require a long period, but it would seem possible. Not so with genera. Even when the final stage of disinte- gration was reached, and each species stood in a genus by itself, there would be a never-ending contest as to whether such genus should bear
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 27
the stamp of Fabricius, or Latreille, or Hubner, and each successive _ “yesurrectionist,” as these exhumers of dry bones are irreverently called, would but glory in upsetting the platforms of his predecessors, and would prove to a nicety that they and their systems were all wrong. Now, it is a matter for admiration that, notwithstanding the imposing names attached to these generic creations, every one of them is the result of the labor of Brown, Smith or Jones, alive and industriously working, and that the ancient worthies, so honorably preferred, lived and died in happy ignor- ance of the progeny after ages would attribute to them.
Now, it is insisted by those who rigidly adhere to the application of _ the priority theory to generic names that the original name given to a genus must never be lost, no matter what changes are made with the genus, although to retain such name may be to attribute to its original author exactly what he did not mean, and perhaps never would have sanctioned.
Rule 4th says:—‘‘A generic name, when once established, should never be cancelled in any subsequent subdivision of the group, but re- tained, in a restricted sense, for one of the constituent portions.” And Rule 5th:—‘ The generic name should always be retained for that portion of the original genus which was considered typical by its author.”
That is to say, Papilio of Linnzeus embraced what is now divided into very many genera, and the name Papilio must somewhere be retained. What particular species Linnzus would have chosen for the type of the genus, had he foreseen its future disintegration, is not known, and in the absence of such knowledge, authors now would differ in selecting the typical species; and unless there is agreement on that, it is plain that nothing but discord can follow. Mr. Kirby says, following the Rules:— “In subdividing a genus, the original name should be restricted to the typical sections if this can be ascertained.” I have asked of an eminent Ornithologist what would be done in such case in his science, and he replied as follows:—“ It is our custom to take the frst name mentioned by an author as the type of his genus, unless another be especially claimed ; and, if this genus be subsequently subdivided, to insist that the original name must be retained for the first species of the original list, unless there are very grave reasons tothe contrary. I notice, in the roth edition of Linnzeus, the first Papilio is Priamus, from Amboyna. I should, there- fore, be inclined to maintain that the name Papilio should be retained for that first mentioned species, whatever else might befall the group. This being premised, the author engaged in overhauling a group has the right
28 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
————
to select any other species of the original section as the type of his new genus.” Mr. Crotch says (Cist. Ent., 1872) “‘ No genus can be considered defined until its type is indicated,” but when this is not done by the original author, ‘I am not inclined to cut the knot by taking ‘the first species, but to trace the genus historically until it has a type given to it ;” and “Cuvier (1799).gives precision to the old genera by characterizing ‘them and indicating their types.”
Let us apply these dcfa to Vanessa Antiopa as metamorphosed into Pa- pilio Antiopa by Mr. Scudder. | He says:—‘‘ The generic name Papilio: was applied by Linnaeus to all the butterflies at the foundation of the binomial system of Nomenclature. Fabricius, in his later works, restricted it to the Nymphales and Pafilionides. Schrank was the next author to restrict the name, limiting it, in 1801, to most of the Nymphales.”
By Rule 5, or by Mr. Kirby’s Rule, the original name having to be restricted to the typical section, Schrank should have left it with some part of the Papilionides of Fabricius, for I suppose no onean doubt that the swallow-tailed butterflies were the typical section of Linnzus (Equites), even though his typical species may be in question. Had he bound himself by the ornithological dictum, he would also have restricted. the name to the Papitionides, Priamus being the typical species.
By that of Mr. Crotch he would still have been restricted to the Papilienides; making P. Machaon the type, because Cuvier (in 1799) made this species the type of the genus Papilio (and so it is recognized to-day and I hope will be for all future time.)
But, says Mr. Scudder, ‘If the laws of priority have any force or meaning, I do not see how we can refuse to acknowledge the claims of Schrank. I select, accordingly, from among the species grouped under Papilio by Linnzeus, Fabricius and Schrank, one of ¢he best known European butterflies as most suitable for the type of the genus.” And by this curious process, one of the Jest known species being selected as the type, we get the astonishing creation Papilio Antiopa.—(Scud.) And this is. equivalent to enunciating another dictum, being the fourth on this head, by which the dest known species of a genus is to be the typical. | Moreover, such exceedingly minute definition is given to the new genus that it would appear to be impossible that a second species could ever be embraced within it.*
* J notice that Mr. Scudder speaks of the ‘‘ insufficiency of their generic descrip- tions” being ‘‘the reproach of Lepidopterists.” Mr. Wallace, on the other hand,
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 99:
Now, here are four modes of determining the typical species of a genus, propounded by as many authors, and there may be others for aught I know to the contrary, all with the view of simplifying these sciences, under the operation of Rule 1. Isit strange that “an incredible amount of confusion ” is the result ?
Linnzus placed under Papilio the princes of the order, and no matter what restrictions may have been made hitherto, these hundred years, Papilio has always had a magnificent following, increasing in splendor as the years wenton. And now we are told, in 1872, that, in order to save the claims of the hitherto unappreciated Schrank, who published his speculations in 1801, Papilio is to be ejected from his rich possessions, and made to share the rest of his unlucky days with the dingy Vanessan to whom hard fate and Mr. Scudder has driven him. No more the superb creature we have read of, with “ glistering burganet,” and “‘shinie wings as silver bright,”—“ refreshing his sprights,” in “ gay gardins,” ‘‘ pasturing on the pleasures,” &c.; but, like Clarion, “ reduced to lowest wretchedness,” his good times all over, he flits about in slums and nasty lanes—and there we leave him.
In the explanatory remarks to Rule 4, it is said:—‘“It is an act of justice to the original author that his generic name should never be lost sight of.” By Mr. Scudder’s new creation the name Papilio is so nearly lost sight of that it might as well disappear altogether. It is certainly no compliment to Linneeus to retain it.
And this brings up the whole question of the obligaticn of naturalists to adopt whatever system any one may propose. Clearly enough, the right of ignoring changes made in Nomenclature is recognized even by the most determined advocates of strict priority, when applied to their: contemporaries. A genus is set up, andno one follows it. It happens constantly, and it seems to me that in this matter one’s contemporaries are the proper judges of one’s work, and that no reversal of their judg- ment may rightfully be looked for from posterity, and therefore the writings
asserts that the definitions of a Westwood, or of a Doubleday, are ‘‘ careful and elaborate.” I was much struck on reading these words in Cope’s Origin of Genera, page 6:—‘‘ The reader will often find introduced into diagnoses of genera characters which indicate nothing of this sort ;” and these, ‘“‘adjacent genera of the same series differ from each other but by a single character.” From which it may be inferred that inordinate length of generic description is not commendable, and is not properly attainable.
30 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
of authors whose systems were rejected in their own day, and whose generic creations were ignored not only by contemporaries, but for gen- erations afterwards, cannot properly be appealed to. If there was injustice -done to them itis too late to remedy it, and justice at this late day means injustice to those in present possession, and whose title often has the strength of nearly acentury’s undisputed possession. We cannot judge -of the circumstances that influenced the contemporaries of such authors, and with the views prevailing at the time, their judgment was right. Therefore, when Schrank, and Hubner and others, are sought to be rein- ‘stated, and a host of generic names set aside, the later injustice is worse ‘than the first,—if there was any first, and of that we have no knowledge. Otherwise, fifty years hence a system or a genus proposed by an author of to-day, though rejected by every naturalist living, for defects that appeal ~ to the sense of each one of them, may be reinstated in spite of such con- temporary judgment.
It has become moreand more the practice, for twenty years past, to ignore all genera created since Hubner, and to replace subsec uent names by names taken from that author, who published a Catalogue of Lepidop- tera, in which nearly every species stands by itself, in a division that, whatever it may be called, is not generic. Of course it is easy to apply one of his names to every genus that can be now created. By his con- temporaries, and for a generation after his works were published, his fan- -ciful divisions and fanciful names were rejected, and it is only of late years that some authors have discovered that in his works 1s a mine of wealth.
But on this head it is sufficient to give the words of an Entomologist whose authority is second to none. I quote from the annual Address (1871) to the Lond. Ent. Soc., by Mr. Alfred R. Wallace, President of the Society, and I quote at some length, as it seems to me desirable that American Lepidopterists should be made aware that Hubner’s claims are not yet everywhere acknowledged :—‘“‘ By far the most important -and most numerous alterations are caused by adopting the names of an author who has long been purposely ignored as an authority for genera both by English and Continental Lepidopterists. I of course allude to Hubner. ” .
“Such old names as Chionobas, Agraulis, Eresia, Godartia, Adolias, Polyommatus, Leptalis, Terias, Callidryas, Thestias, Anthocaris, with many more, are changed for others to be found in no other work than Hubner’s obsolete and useless Catalogue. Yet this wholesale change
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 31
does not seem to be warranted by the Rules of the British Association. Rule 12th says:-—“‘ A name which has never been clearly defined in some published work, should be changed for the earliest name by which the object shall have been so defined.” And in the explanatory remarks it is said, “Definition properly implies a distinct exposition of essential characters, and in all cases we conceive this to be indispensable.”
Now this Rule merely embodied the feeling and practice of naturalists, and it had been acted on for thirty years, before it had been formally enunciated, in this very case of Hubner, whose work had been systemati- cally set aside as an authority by most European Entomologists, because it was felt that his so-called genera were mere guesses founded on facies .alone,—happy guesses, no doubt, sometimes—but as frequently wrong as right, and wholly without such definition as was held, even in his own ‘day, to be required to constitute a new genus. Boisduval expressly states this, and his non-recognition of Hubner’s genera has been followed in almost all the great systematic works which have since been published. If we take Hubner’s first four genera and the characters he gives them, ~we shall be able to judge of the reasons for this course. ‘They are as ‘follows:—
FT yMeNiMliS, ee be ee oe. . Upper wings Half banded: Si, PO Va IAS SCS rie He aaa Set So “* one-banded. Se TL PAS Re A aN AES Sona ie at aa . ‘« twice-banded Re eS cnet ee eR S85 aee a both wings banded.
Such a mode of defining genera, though it has the merit of being sim- ‘ple and symmetrical, is undoubtedly superficial, and it can only be by the ‘purest accident that a group so characterized can correspond in extent to any real genus. * * * In Mr. Kirby’s own work, we find Hubner’s con- -demnation in almost every page, in the utter want of agreement between his groups and modern genera. The modern restricted genus Helicon- dus, for instance, contains species belonging to seven Hubnerian genera ; Pieris comprises five, and Thecla twelve of these hap-hazard groups ; while, in other cases, the species comprising Hubner’s groups are divided among several unrelated modern genera. * * * * The names sought to be reinstated, rank as mere catalogue names for want of proper defini- tion, and should therefore never be quoted. * * * Even as a matter of justice it may be maintained that we should recognize the careful and elaborate definitions of a Doubleday or Westwood, rather than the childish guesses ofa Hubner. * * * The proper course to be taken is to rein-
32 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
state every name which of late years has been made to give place to one of Hubner’s, and further, to treat the Verzeichniss bekannter Schmetterlinge as a mere Catalogue, which can never be quoted as an authority for genera.”
Now with regard to the remedy for the evil complained of. There have been various suggestions of Rules by foreign authors, many of: which would meet the assent of most Entomologists, and it is easy to select from these authors both Rules and arguments for their adoption. I will call attention to so many of these suggested Rules as seem to me to meet the difficulty of the case, and to others, which might properly form part of a code, and will give short extracts illustrating them.
I mention them for the purpose of exciting discussion as to their fitness for the end in view, and that Lepidopterists may know what is the opinion of students in other branches of Entomology besides their own :—
1 There must be intelligible description and publication in case ofa - species, or arecognizable figure. In case of a genus there must be a. definition giving the essential characters.— From Dr. Thorell’s European Spiders, quoted in Wallace's Address, before cited.
2. In determining the priority of specific names, notice should be taken only of those works in which the Linnean binomial nomenclature is. exclusively and consistently employed.— Z/orel/.
Note—“ The binomial system of nomenclature was fully and distinctly propounded by Linneeus in the PAzlosophia Botanica, published in 1751, and there can beno reason whatever why authors who adopted and sys- tematically applied it should be set aside, because Linnzeus himself did’ not apply it to the whole animal and vegetable kingdoms till 1758.”— Thorell.
3. The same date should apply to generic as to specific names, both being characteristic of the binomial nomenclature, and it being impossible if we go back earlier, to determine what are to be considered as truly generic names.—/bid.
4. Between two specific names in use, the prior right shall belong to: the first named. Aut no name tn use shall give way to an obsolete or rejected name, even though the latter be of prior date—Weallace’s Ad- dress, p. 67.
Note.—‘ The idea of justice to the namer or describer of a species is. sometimes appealed to, but the law of priority is founded on no such
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 33
expressed idea, but rather on the universal practice of mankind, which always upholds stability of nomenclature, and requires cogent reasons of beauty or convenience to sanction itsalteration. * * * * * *
“The proper Rule to adopt (instead of Rule 1 of Brit. Ass’n.) would hhave been unchangeability of names in use, rather than priority of date, which latter rule ought only to have been brought in to decide on the claims of two or more ‘names in use, not to retain obsolete names never in use, or long ago rejected.—/did.
‘“What we want for the sake of knowledge is stability ah uniformity of nomenclature, not an upsetting of it by the substitution of old, forgotten and very doubtful names, published in works without, or with very little scientific merit.”—Dr. Schaum, on Nomenclature of British Carabide, Ent. Aznn., 1860.
“The rule of priority in Nomenclature, I hold to be a good rule within its proper limits; it is not an unmixed good; and priority, like every other hobb plies: may be ridden too hard. When the rule is strained beyond the reason for the rule, it becomes a nuisance,—nay more, it pro- duces intolerable evil; but when reasonably applied,’it produces more convenience than inconvenience. _[ accept it, therefore, as a rule for con- venience, and nothing more, a rule adopted for the benefit of science, not for the glorification of name givers.” ¥. IV. Dunning, Ent. Mo. Mag., wol. 8, 215.
‘- In systematic nomenclature the object is to register titles, not to gratify pride, and the names of authors are appended for convenience, not
fame; the question of justice or injustice has no place here.”—Scudder, Am. Fo. Arts and Sct., 1872.
“Both sides agree that the accord of Entomologists is the ultimate desideratum. I hold that the law of priority is not that the oldest name of an insect is invariably the right one, but that in cases of dispute, the prior name is to be preferred, and in such cases only ; and that any at- tempt to subvert accord cannot be done under the law of priority, but we must make a new law—the law of antiguity say. * * * * Insuch event, every insect capable of identification must henceforth carry the name under which it was first called—no matter by whom—no matter the language. The American fire-fly must bear its Indian appellation— the ‘ Palmer-worm ’ and the ‘Canker-worm’ must have their ‘ prior’ names restored ; we must carry the law back without limit—even to chaos itself.” —T. H. Briggs, Ent. Mo. Mag. vol. 8, p. 93.
34 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
“ Nobody but a fool or a madman would try to persuade the modern: New Yorkers to call their city New Amsterdam, or the English to have: their letters addressed to Londinium, because these were the old original. names. And yet, what men of the world would never dream of doing ~ certain scientific men are doing every day.” Walsh, Am. Ent., 1872.
5. The name placed after a genus shall be that of the author who established the genus in the sense in which it is actually used.—Dr. Sharp, in Nature, Feb., 1872.
Note.— Carabus of Linnzus included all the insects now comprised in the family Carabide, at present divided into several hundreds of gen-- era. ‘To write, therefore, Carabus, Linn., when we mean something else, may be usual, but is not desirable.”—_Dr. Shar, ibid.
I do not deny to any author the right to establish new genera. Quite: the contrary. But I would insist on these genera standing on their own merits, and claim for the Entomological world the right to accept them or- not, as they choose. If any one thinks it worth while to break up Papilio, for instance, let him do so at his pleasure, but do not let him apply to the severed parts names taken from Hubner or other ancient author, in order- to give these brand-new creations a smack of age, and so get the advan- tage of another author who may honestly put his name to his own work It is by this species of wrong that Nisoniades, Hubner has supplanted Thanaos, Boisduval; Oeneis, Hub. is trying to supplant Chionobas, Bois. ;, Polygonia, Hub. thrusts itself into the place of Grapta, Kirby, and so in cases innumerable.
Rules 4 and 5, if carried out, must pul an effectual stop to the perpetual shifting of names.
Other Rules, which might properly form part of a Code, are as. follows:— |
6. The same specific name may be employed in genera sufficiently remote from each other.— Staudinger, Cat.
7. If a species has received different names for its sexes, that first. given shall be retained.
8. The names of species should properly be Latin, or Latinized to. the extent that renders them capable of being used in scientific Latin. But names once given are not to be altered or set aside for any defect or errors.—Dr. ‘Sharp, before cited.
“Tt matters not in the least by what conventional sound we agree to designate an individual object, provided the sign to be employed be
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 35
stamped with such an authority as will suffice to make it pass current.” — Explan. Rem. to Rule r.
“The name originally given, even though it may be inferior in point of elegance or expressiveness to those subsequently proposed, ought, as a. general principle, to be permanently retained.” —/did.
9. The same generic name may be employed in Botany, but not in Zoology.
I have heard the objection to the application of the above Rules, that. Entomologists have no right to separate themselves from other naturalists, and make aspecial Code for their own sole guidance. To this I would reply, why not? _If itis found impossible to enact a series of Rules that will meet the requirements of the several branches of Natural Science, and the experience of thirty years shows that the thing is impracticable, why should not each branch adopt Rules to suit its own case? If Botany may be excluded from the operations of a Code, why not Entomology ? It is very certain that in other branches than Entomology there is wide- spread dissatisfaction, and I believe an effort for reform in any direction will be met by general approval. _At all events, as the dissatisfaction felt on this side the Atlantic has found expression, anda set of Rules is to be prepared as aforesaid, by a Committee of experienced Entomologists, it may be left to them to estimate the force of this and any other objection, and to report accordingly.
But Entomology is peculiar in one respect, and if there were no other reason, this alone would make it imperative that its votaries should resist strenuously unnecessary changes in Nomenclature, even if, by so doing, they should separate themselves from other naturalists. This is the only branch of Natural History that is becoming thoroughly popular through organized effort. Nottospeak of Europe, the Governments of the United States, and many of the individual States, and Canada, employ professional Entomologists, who make frequent Reports that are printed by authority, and widely disseminated with the view of rendering the people intelligently acquainted with their native insects. Several Magazines have been pub- lished, which are exclusively devoted to the same subject,and the numerous agricultural weeklies or monthlies set apart a portion of their space for En- tomology. Professedly, the object is to give information upon insects injuri- ous to vegetation, but that includes, in one relation or other, every insect. The expensive treatise of Dr. Harris was published by the State of Massachusetts, and is everywhere a received authority. Packard’s
36 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
Guide to the Study of Insects, has passed through three large editions, in as many years, and is rapidly becoming the text book used in our schools and colleges.
The result is that a vast degree of attention is concentrated upon En- tomology, a hundred fold, I venture to say, more than upon Botany or Geology,and a thousand-fold more than upon Ornithology or Mammalogy. In these branches, therefore, a disturbance of names would affect scarcely any but special students, and if they do not care to resist innovations, it isnot our concern. But, from the nature of the case, in Entomology, the advantage gained by disseminating information depends wholly upon the precision with which the objects treated of can be identified, and pre- cision can result only from the use of a common Nomenclature. If one> Treatise dilates upon the habits of an insect by one name, and the next. Report under another, and anybody may shift about the names, specific and generic, at will, nothing can result but incomprehensibility and disgust. What man reading the history of Papilio Asterias, figured with all its preparatory stages, and colored to the life, in Harris, and the larva of which species he recognises as one of the pests of his garden, will com- prehend what the Annual Report of his State Agricultural Society for 1873 shall say upon Amaryssus Polyxenes? or, his old acquaintance, familiar from boyhood, that he has been instructed to call Papilio Turnus, when he shall read about Euphceades Glaucus? Mr. Wallace well says, “TIntelligible language is wholly founded on stability of Nomenclature, and we should soon cease to be able to understand each other’s speech, if the practice of altering all names we thought we could improve upon became general.”
I hope, therefore, that the Entomological section of the American As- sociation, at its next Meeting, will adopt a new or amended Code, having in mind the exigencies of their own science only, and that full dis- cussion and interchange of opinion having meantime been had, such Code will express the views of the great majority of the Entomologists of this continent. Ifthe Rules are sensible, they will recommend themselves to the Entcmologists of other countries, and in time secure general. adoption.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 37
ON SOME OF OUR COMMON INSECTS.
IT, CABBAGE BUTTERFLIES.
BY THE EDITOR.
In pursuance of our plan of laying before our readers, from time to time, illustrated descriptions of the common insects of this country, we propose to begin in this number of our journal some account of the Butterflies belonging to the genus Pver7s—-familiarly known in their larval state as ‘‘ Cabbage-Worms.” As stated by our coadjutor, Mr. Saunders, in the first paper of this series (C. E., v., page 4), we do not profess to bring out any new facts or information of interest and value to the experienced Entomologist, but we wish to afford to our less scientific readers plain descriptions, with illustrations, of our more common insects, in order that any one beginning to collect and observe may be able to identify and learn something about what he meets with. Such being our object, we shall not hesitate to make use of all available information, whether derived from our own or extraneous sources, and shall not pretend to be especially original in our descriptions or remarks.
The genus /fver?s is represented in Canada by but three species ( Oleracea, Rape and Protodice), all of them white butterflies of moderate size, with more or less conspicuous black markings. The first-mentioned species, the Pot-herb Butterfly (P. O/eracea, Harris), is our native repre- sentative of the genus, being found all over the northern portion of this continent, from Nova Scotia and Maine in the East to the District of Algoma and even Manitoba in the North-West. It has been occasionally observed south of Lake Ontario, but very rarely as low down as Pennsyl- vania ; at Ottawa, Collingwood, and other northern localities in Ontario, it is generally quite abundant every year, but it is seldom observed in any great numbers at Toronto or other places in the same latitude. When prevalent, it is usually to be seen on the wing from May to September, - there being at least two broods in the year.
The O/eracea Butterfly (Fig. 7), may be at once distinguished from all other Canadian species by its almost pure white wings, destitute of spots or other markings on the upper surface ; towards the tip and also next the
38 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
body the forewings are slightly discoloured with dusky scales. On the Fig. 7. under surface the wings are sometimes of Bm 2 yellowish hue, with the veins broadly marked with black or dark green; some- ¥ times they are entirely white, with the veins merely faintly outlined in black ; between these two extremes many grada- tions of shade may be observed. The pure white specimens found in the: North West were supposed at one time to be a — : distinct species, and were described by Kirby aes "he: name - the “Chaste Butterfly” (P. Casta) ; there isno doubt now, however, that these are merely varieties of the same species. The legs and body of the insect are black ; its wings expand to a breadth of about two inches, but there is considerable variation in the size of individuals.
The butterfly, about the end of May or beginning of June, and again towards the close of summer, may be seen hovering over the food-plants of its larvee, preparing to deposit its eggs. These are pear-shaped, or oval, of a yellow-green colour, and measure about one-twentieth of an inch in length, and a third of this amount in diameter ; they are ribbed longitudinally with about fifteen sharp-edged lines. The parent deposits them singly, and rarely more than one on a leaf, on the underside of the leaves ot the cabbage, turnip, radish, mustard and other plants of the order Crucifere. They are hatched in about a week or ten days.
The young larva is pale green, cylindrical in shape, and covered with short, whitish hairs. In order to escape from the egg it makes an opening with its jaws and then eats the shell until the aperture is large enough to admit of its easy egress ; it subsequently devours the greater part of the shell that remains. At first the new-born caterpillar is less than one- twelfth of an inch in length, but it grows rapidly, until it attains its full size, about an inch and a quarter, in the brief space of a fortnight. The mature larva (Fig. 7, a) is pale green in colour, with numerous darker dots and a dark line along the back ; it closely resembles the ribs of the leaf upon which it feeds.
When mature, the caterpillar forsakes its food plant and crawls away to some secluded spot, such as the under side of a stone or board, or a crevice in a fence or wall ; there it spins a knot of silk to which it fastens its hindermost pair of feet ; then it proceeds to form a loop of silk which
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 39
it dexterously fashions into a girth around the middle, and thus supported © finally turns into a chrysalis. This is pale green or whitish, finely and
regularly speckled with black, and in shape much resembles that of P.
rape, of which an illustration will be hereafter given. In summer the
chrysalis state lasts only a week or ten days, but in the case of the
autumn brood the insect remains in this condition all winter and only
comes forth as a Butterfly in the April or May following.
REVIEWS.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENTOMOLOGY*FROM THE STATE OF NEw York. —Two works of value on the life history of various insects taken in the neighbouring State of New York, are before us; both of them emanate from official sources, and singularly enough, both appeared but a few months ago, though the Reports to which they belong have reference to the year 1869. The first to which we would draw attention is entitled “« ENTOMOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS,” by Mr. J. A. Lintner.* It contains a remarkably elaborate description of the metamorphoses and whole life history of the handsome but rare moth Hemileuca Maia, Drury, occupying nearly twenty pages, accompanied by a lithographed plate of egg, chry- salis and imago, and constituting an excellent monograph of the species. This is followed by interesting observations upon various stages in the life of the butterflies A/clitea Pheeton, Fab., M. Nyctets, Doubl.. and Prerzs Oleracea, Harris. The author then describes, with illustrations, three new species Of JVisoniades, named Sceelus, Lucilius and Ausonius; and a new Sphinx, £//ema pineum, which will probably be found in Canada, if it be not already in some of our collections under the name of 4. Harristi—a closely allied species. <A list of forty species of Sphingidz, another of over a hundred butterflies, and calendars of butterflies and moths, com- plete the author’s observations. To these he has appended a very useful list, with references to volume and page, of all the North American moths, some 600 in number, described in Guenee’s Sfecies General des Lepidop- teres. The volume is concluded by a translation from the German of a paper by Dr. Speyer on Cucullia intermedia, Spey., and C. lucifuga, W. V., to which Mr. Lintner has prefixed some notes on the larve. We have given a full account of the contents of this volume in order that the student may know where to look for very valuable contributions to our
* Entomological Contributions, by J. A. Lintner. From the twenty-third Annual
Report of the New York State Cabinet of Natural History. for the year 1869. 8vo., pp, 90.
40 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
knowledge of the species referred to. We trust that Mr. Lintner will not relax in his efforts, but will continue to afford us year by year a complete record of his most pains-taking and accurate observations.
The other work, to which we have alluded above, is Dr. Fircn’s THIRTEENTH REPORT as Entomologist of the State Agricultural Society of New York.t It opens with a long account of the synonymy and natural history of the Bean Aphis (4. rumicis,'Linn.,) followed by descriptive notices of the Black-lined Plant-bug (PAy/ocoris lineatus, Fab.,) the Lilac Measure-worm (Priocycla armataria, H. Sch.,) and a new species of the latter genus, P. Fohnsonaria, Fitch. The remainder of the Report is occupied by a very long and minute account of the two Cab- bage Butterflies (Pzeris oleracea and P. rape), covering some six and thirty pages. The diffuseness of these notices leads one to wish that the talented author would extend his observations to some other department of economic Entomology, and afford us, as he is so well able, concise and accurate accounts of species that are not yet familiarly known. While upon this subject we cannot forbear complaining of the excessive difficulty there appears to be in obtaining Dr. Fitch’s Reports; we have tried in vain to obtain his roth, rith and 12th, and only succeeded as a special favour in getting the one we have just noticed. We are sure that Entomologists would esteem it as a great boon were they permitted to purchase these Reports separate from the volumes of Agricultural Tran- sactions, at some reasonable price. The Naturalists Agency at Salem would, we should think, be an excellent and convenient depository for them.
The volume of ‘ Transactions’ contains also an admirable account of “The Grasses and their Culture,” by the Hon. J. Stanton Gould, illus- trated by upwards of 70 beautiful lithographed plates.
For SALE.—A fine collection of named Shells, mostly marine—com- prising about 1800 species, with numerous varieties and many rare shells. Also about 200 species of Corals and Radiates. The specimens are all in the finest order, having been selected with a view to their perfection and beauty. The collection embraces about 6000 specimens. For further information address D. W. Fercuson, Corner of Hester and Elizabeth Streets, New York. ;
+ Thirteenth Report on the Noxious, Beneficial and other Insects of the State of New York. By Asa Fitch, M. D. Transactions of the New York State Agri- cultural Society for the year 1869. Albany.
Che Canadtan Entomologist.
ON SOME OF OUR COMMON INSECTS.
—— ee
Ill. CABBAGE BUTTERFLIES.
BY THE EDITOR.
The next species of Pieris on our list—the Rape Butterfly (P. rape, Linn.,) though an European insect, is rapidly becoming one of our com- monest and most destructive species, especially in the Eastern portion of the Dominion. The history of its arrival near Quebec in some ocean steamship, its discovery by Mr. Couper in 1859, its capture in abundance at Quebec by Mr. Bowles, in 1863, and its subsequent rapid spread in all directions is probably well known to all our readers. It is needless, then, for us to dwell upon it here; we may merely state further that it had reached the city of New York in 1869, Halifax, N. S., in 1871, and last year it had come as far west as Belleville and Trenton, Ont. We fully expect to see it at Port Hope this year!
The Rape Butterfly, like the preceding species, is white, with a black dash at the tip of the forewings, a black spot on the front margin of the Pee hind wings, and in the male (Fig. 8)
one black spot in the middle of the forewings, but in the female (Fig. 9) two. The under surface of the forewings, in both sexes, is marked by ‘wo spots, corresponding to those on the upper surface in the female ; in other respects the wings are much alike on both sides, except that beneath there is a tint of yellow at base and tip. Occasionally ma/e specimens are found of a bright yellow colour, like our common Sulphur-yellow Butterfly: (Colias philodice) ; to
~~
AQ, THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
this variety, which does not occur at all in Europe, Mr. Scudder has given Fig. 9.
observed specimens having been found in the New England States. Dr. Fitch gives it as his opinion that this colour is produced by seclusion from light (13th Report, p. 559), but we should think it much more probably caused Aver’ by peculiarity of food. Mr. Caulfield, of Montreal, (C. E., iv., p. 203,) is stated indeed to have found the yellow
“colour displayed when the larvae had been fed upon mignonette. We
must await fuller observations, however, before we can feel justified in adopting any particular theory upon the subject.
The larva (Fig. to, a) of this Butterfly is, when full grown, of a pale green colour, finely dotted with black, with a yellowish dorsal stripe, and a series of small yellow spots forming a stripe along each side ; its length is about an inch and a quarter. It feeds, like P. o/eracea, upon various species of cruciferous plants, especially upon the cabbage, to which it is most destructive. In this case it bores down, when feeding, into the very heart of the plant and thus renders the vegetable quite unfit for food. It forms its chrysalis (Fig. 10, 2) in the same kinds of situations and in a similar manner to the preceding species. In this state it remains, in summer, for from a week to a fortnight, but in the autumn it continues as a pupa until the following spring. There are at least two, a ee perhaps three, broods in the year.
‘The ravages of this insect in Northern America are beginning to be somewhat checked by a parasite (Picromalus puparum, Linn.); it belongs to the ichneu- mon family, and is a four-winged fly, about one-eighth of an inch long, with a golden-hued body and a bright green head.
The remaining species of Péeris found in Canada— the Southern Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris protodice, Boisd.) —is quite a rarity with us, though oftentimes very
abundant in the western and more southern States. Last August we foun
it to be the commonest butterfly about Chicago and through the States of Illinois and Iowa. Like the other two species, it is white with black markings ; the accompanying illustrations so well represent the butterfly
the name of WVovangliae, trom the first ©
a
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. Ms ee 43
that we need not occupy our space with any special description. (Fig. Fig. 11. II, with the comparatively few lark spots, represents the male. Fig. 12, the female, with its much more numerous and conspicuous spots and markings.) .
The chrysalis (Fig. 13, 2) is over half an inch in length, of a light bluish-gray color, more or less pro- Rip, speckled with black, with the projecting portions tinted with pale yellow or flesh color, and marked with large black dots. The caterpillar (Fig. 13, @) varies in colour from uh fers deep to pale bluish and green; it has four longitudinal yellow stripes, ge # and is thickly covered with black dots. As in the other species there are two broods in the year,
and the winter is passed in the pupa state. In the Southern States it is
a very injurious insect, but here it Fig. 13.
is too rare to be more than an interesting curiosity.
Another species of Pzerzs (P. frigida, Scudder) has Woes been taken in Labrador and ly - on the Island of Anticosti,
—=_. ———st 3 A % ; = SS 4 but it is not likely ever to ~ S x spread much, or to be ranked . = amongst ‘ common insects.’
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SOME GENERA OF CANADIAN INSECTS.
BY FRANCIS WALKER; LONDON, ENGLAND.
Isosoma.—So much has been lately written about this genus that it may be dismissed with a few words. The EZwrytomidae, to which it belongs, were considered by Nees to be in a debatable state between the
44 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
Chalcidiae and the Cyips tribe, and though they are now fixed with the
Chalcidiae, there is still matter for argument as to their maintenance by
animal life, or by vegetable life, or as to how they are divided between
these two means of existence. Nees mentions his discovery of a gall- making Zuryfoma, and Girand announces his ascertaining the vegetable
food of Jsosoma, a fact afterwards observed by Moncreaff, but this genus
has more importance in the U. States, where Harris, Fitch and others have
been witnesses of its ravages on corn. But the most interesting’ part of its history is in Canada where a species occurs in grape seeds, and is
remarkable not only on account of the singularity of its abode, but also by
the contrariety of the sexes, one of them representing the carnivorous
Eurytoma, and the other the herbivorous /sosoma, and thus one species ~ figuratively combines the diminishers of vegetation and the controllers of such diminution. J/sosoma is destitute of the metallic hue which is the
especial ornament of its tribe, but possesses a compact and elegant form,
a finely sculptured thorax, and a highly polished abdomen. It occurs in Australia, in Amurland, and probably in all the chief parts of the
earth.
PTrEROMALUS.—This genus is the last of the Canadian Chalcidiae, and. thereby indicates what a multitude of discoveries in this tribe are yet to be made in Canada. It inhabits all parts of the earth, and the British species are exceedingly numerous. JP. puparum is the type of the genus and has been long known in Europe. The chrysalis of a butterfly affords. food and lodging for its young ; it was found formerly near Hudson’s Bay, and its appearance in the U. States has been lately a source of gratifica- tion, and it can hardly fail of being shortly recognized in Canada, having now the means of making itself known.
MICRO - LEPIDOPTERA.
BY V. T. CHAMBERS, COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.
Continued from Vol. 5, Pagel5,
G. eupatoriella. Ante p.o. Vol. 4.
The former notice of this species was very brief and imperfect, having, as there stated, been made from a single specimen which had been untimely nipped from its pupa case. Since then I have bred and captured other specimens. It may be G. Venustella Clem., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1860.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 45
_————————
p. 92, and re-described by Dr. Clemens, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., 1863, p. 216. It does not agree accurately with either of Dr. Clemens’ descriptions, but it seems to be a somewhat variable species, though some of the most striking marks in my three specimens are not mentioned by Dr. Clemens. I therefore retain the above name for the present, at least, as Dr. Clemens gives no measurement for his species, and was unacquainted with its food plant. In the following description I have noted the points
in which my specimens differ among themselves and from Dr. Clemens description.
Maxillary palpi and basal joint of the labial palpi dark brown; ter- minal joint white, with a dark brown annulus before the middle. (In one specimen the labial. palpi are entirely white, except the annulus. Dr. Clemens’ first description says: “white, with a blackish spot near the -middle and one near the tip.” His second says: ‘‘Second joint fuscous at its end, third with a broad fuscous ring.”) Antennae brown ;- head white ; thorax white, narrowly margined near the apex with dark brown, and a dark brown line beginning on the head and extending to the apex of the thorax. (Dr. Clemens does not mention this line nor the dark margins.) Primaries dark grayish brown. A white streak along the dorsal margin from the base to about the middle, where it is confluent with the first dorsal oblique streak. (In one specimen it does not attain the oblique streak. This oblique streak is not mentioned by Clemens, who simply says- “the basal portion of the inner margin is white.”) A small white dorsal streak at the beginning of the ciliae (not mentioned by Clemens.) A short white costal streak inthe basal portion of the wing ; another about the middle, extending to or crossing the fold and pointing towards the second dorsal streak. (Dr. Clemens calls this second costal streak a fascia extending obliquely across the wings and sometimes con- stricted or partially interrupted near the dorsal margin. If sufficiently interrupted, this would make my second dorsal streak.) Two narrow white fasciae in the apical part of the wing, the last one not oblique. (Dr. Clemens calls these costal streaks extended to the middle.) All these streaks are dark margined internally, and the two last named are continued into the dorsal ciliae (a mark not mentioned by Clemens.) A fifth white , Short costal streak at the apex (not mentioned by Clemens, unless this is what he means by “ Ciliae—at the tip of the wings white, touched with black at the ends.”) Ciliae of the general hue, with a dark brown hinder marginal line beyond their middle. - Anterior legs dark brown, with yel-
46 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
—_—S
lowish-white tarsi; middle pair like the anterior, except that there is a white annulation near the middle of the femora; another at its articulation. with the tibiae, and another near the base of the tibiae; posterior legs whitish, annulate with dark brown. (Dr. Clemens says nothing about the: markings of the legs and tarsi, but in his classification of his species by the color of the tibiae, he places Venustel/a in the section ‘“ without white tibiae.”) AZ ex. Y% inch.
The larva may be found in the leaves of Aupatorium ageratoides from July to October, but is rather rare. The mine is at first a short narrow white line, but» ends in a large tentiform mine. It. is on the under surface, and the larva frequently leaves one mine to form another. The maxillary palpi are a “/#/e larger in this insect than in Parectopa robiniella Clem.; and I have not examined the neuration of this species, but I think it is evident at a glance that they are congen-. eric. And I do not see how, with a species like this before him, Dr. Clemens could have placed rvodenzella inaseparate genus. In fresh speci-. mens of robiniella the head is zof roughened, At p. 7, vol. 4, ante, I have suggested that Parectofa Clem. is simply Zeller’s section of Gracilaria with eight marginal veinlets in the primaries. Zeller’s section agrees nearly with Herrick-Schaffer’s genus, Luspilapteryx. And a glance ata figure of . Gracillaria (Euspilapteryx) amogattella, or G. (Lupilapieryx) phasian- tpinella, as figured by Stainton, (Vat. Hist. Tin., or the former in Woods’ Index Entomologicus, settles the position of Parectopa so far as the patlern of coloration can affect it. i
Many of the species of this genus, when very young, make linear mines. The mines of G. plantaginisella and G. eupatoriela are short, crooked lines, ending in the large tentiform blotches heretofore described. That of G. salicifoliela isa narrow white line, sometimes nearly straight and with lateral branches on the underside of Willow leaves; when it - leaves this mine it again enters the underside, but passes immediately through to the upper surface, where it makes the large blotch mine. The statement at p. 20 ave, that it makes but a single mine, is incorrect, as it commonly makes two or three. The young larva is flattened, resembling somewhat a flat Lzthocolletis larva. G. purpuriella sometimes pupates under a web, as stated anée ~. 28, but usually in its cone. The complete cone sometimes occupies an entire leaf; the apex of the leaf is bent over, so that the left edge touches the right one, to which it is fastened; then the leaf is rolled spirally to the base, and the tip is used to close one end and the base the other, so that the whole leaf is utilized. Many of the
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 47
—_——
mines, however, are by no means so perfect. Possibly the form of the mine may be useful as indicating the affinities of the species. G. desmodt- Joliella Clem. at first makes a narrow linear short mine on the underside of the leaf, ending in a small tent mine, which is indistinguishable from that of Lithocolletis desmodiella Clem., in the same leaves; afterwards it leaves the mine and rolls the leaf downwards from the tip. The mines of G. (Parectopa) robiniella and G. (Parectopa) lespedeseefoliella Clem. resemble somewhat the mines of the older larvae of G. salicifoliella. The larval habits of the other American species are unknown, except G. juglandisnt- eracella, which makes at first a short linear mine ending in a white blotch on the under surface ; at this stage it is indistinguishable from the young mines of some species of Lzthocolletis ; when it leaves the mine it feeds, - and then pupates under the edge of the leaf turned up. I have seen no account of the European G. juglandiella. The Black Walnut ( ¥uglans nigra) is naturalized in Europe. If it is the food plant of juglandiella, then juglandisnigracella or blandella may be the same insect.
ORNIX.
The species of this genus may be distinguished from those of Graci/- Jaria by the roughened head, the somewhat broader primaries and the duller colors.
Many of the species resemble each other very closely, so that, as Mr. Stainton says, the specific characters are to be sought for in the ciliae.
“Tn early life the larvae are leaf miners and make mines on the wader surface of leaves, difficult to distinguish from those of the genus Lzthocol- Jetis. Towards maturity, however, they abandon their mines and feed under a portion of a leaf turned doz from its edge, which is bound closely with silk. When they are full fed a small portion of the edge of the leaf is turned over, and the larva weaves its cocoon within the cone thus made.”—Clemens’ Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., 1861. p. The italics in this quotation are mine. Mr. Stainton gives substantially the same account of their habits. And I believe the species described below as O. inustiatumella is the only known species which has a different habit.
‘
O. inusitatumella. LN. sp.?
Dark iron gray, almost brown. Labial palpi whitish, with a dark brownish gray annulus on the third joint before the tip. Head dirty grayish mixed with brown. Antennae gray brown, faintly annulate with
48 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. :
white. Thorax soil Nitta dark iron gray, or brownish ; primaries pale whitish gray along the dorsal margin, dusted with brown. A narrow, brown streak from the fold, which widens into three small spots, once near the base, once towards the middle, and once behind the middle. Seven (or eight?) indistinct pale costal streaks, the first before the middle, the last close to the apex ; those in the apical part of the wing are longer than those about the middle, and extend nearly across the wing, and all are internally dark margined. A white spot at the extreme apex, very small, and followed by a minute dark brown dot, behind which is an indistinct brown hinder marginal line. Ciliae of the general hue. <A/ar ex. nearly ¥ inch.
At the bottom of p. 776, v. 3, ante, I have mentioned a mine on the upper surface of the leaves of Haw trees, which resembles that of Lztho- colletis Virginiclla on the upper surface of Ostrya leaves; and which I then supposed to be the mine of an undescribed Lithocolletis. (As will be hereafter explained, there is no such species as L. Virginiella, and the supposed mine of that species proved to be the mine of Z. ¢ritenwanella. (But of that hereafter.) The mine on the uffer surface of the Haw leaves proves to be that of the Ovzix above described. This mine is white, with the frass scattered, and much of it attached to the upper cuticle. It : is large and nearly circular, and when completed the leaf is folded upwards. The larva never leaves the mine, but pupates in it, in a brownish- red cocoon attached to the upper cuticle. I have never seen it on any leaves except those of Crataegus tomentosa, and never on those, except in one small piece of woodland containing about ten acres, near Covington, Kentucky. There they are very abundant, and I have found multitudes of them containing larvae and pupae, and empty ones with the pupa case projecting through the upper cuticle, from May to November. J have - never met with any other Ornix on the leaves of C. tomentosa. It is a very difficult species to rear, as out of at least one hundred mines that I have gathered containing the larvae and pupae, I have succeeded in rearing but two specimens of the imago.
Dr. Clemens states that his O. crataegifoliclla has the labial palpi whitish ; and does not mention the annulus; and he says that the fore- wings have a few whitish streaks zu the apical part of the wing. His description is scarcely sufficient to enable one to determine a species among those which resemble each other so closely as do many species of this genus. But if he had mentioned the annulus on the palpi, and had
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 49
not confined the whitish streaks exclusively to the apical part of the wing, I should have considered captured specimens of this species as specimens of his species, which he says also feeds on C. tomentosa. But then the habits of his species are those of the genus generally—that is, it leaves the mine and pupates under the turned down edge of the leaf.
Nor can there be any suspicion that my first surmise about the mine was correct, viz., that it is a Lzthocolletis mine, from which I have failed to rear the imago; whilst I have bred an Ornix, which was unobserved in another mine onthe same leaves. For in one of the instances in which I bred it, I placed, one evening, a single Haw leaf in a wide-mouthed vial, containing nothing else. The leaf was carefully examined, and contained nothing but the mine and pupa of this species. The next morning the Ornix had emerged, and its pupa skin was projecting from the mine.
I have, therefore, described it as a new species, notwithstanding its close resemblance to O. Crataegifoliella, which Dr. Clemens says feeds upon the same leaves, but which I have never found on or in them.
For the purpose of comparison with the preceding species, and with the one described afterwards (O. prunivorcila), 1 here quote Dr. Clemens’ description of his species.
O. Crataegifoliella, Clem., Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., Nov., 861, (p. 94 of Mr. Stainton’s edition.)
“Labial palpi whitish. Head dark brown and gray intermixed. Antennae dark brown, faintly annulate with whitish. Forewings dark brown, with a purplish hue. Along the inner margin, from the base to the anal angle, whitish dusted with dark brownish. In the fold at the base is a dark -brown streak, and a small blotch of the same hue beyond the middle, nearly reaching to the inner margin. Toward the tip are a few whitish costal streaks, and at the apex a small round dark brown spot in a whitish patch, with a circular dark brown apical line behind it; ciliae Dlackish gray. Hind wings blackish gray ; ciliae rather paler. Abdomen blackish, tipped with dull yellow.”
“The larva mines the leaves of Crataegus tomentosa (black thorn) in September, and becomes a pupa early in October, weaving a reddish- - brown cocoon in a turned down edge of the leaf. The pupa case is thrust from the end of the cocoon at maturity, the imago appearing early in May. There is doubtless a summer brood, but I have not sought for it. The head of the larva is brown ; the body greenish-white, with the dorsum
50 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
reddish-brown.” This description of the larva suits the larve of a great: many species. —
O. prunivorella. LN. sp. |
Dark steel gray, almost brown. Labial palpi white, each joint tipped externally with dark steel gray. Antennae of the general hue, faintly annulate with whitish. Thorax and primaries dark steel gray, the primaries with about nine faint whitish costal streaks, the first near the base and the last at the apex, becoming gradually longer from the base to the apex, all faintly dark margined internally, the last three or four nearly perpendicular’ to the costal margin, crossing the wing and uniting near the dorsal margin, where they are very narrow and indistinct. A small black apical spot, behind which are three dark hinder marginal lines in the ciliae, the first. of which is at their base, and becomes furcate in the dorsal ciliae, the second is at the middle, and the third at the apex of the ciliae. AZ ex., ¥% inch. Kentucky. ; |
The larva mines the leaves of Apple trees (AZa/us) and -Wild Cherry trees (Prunus seroting), making a large tentiform mine on the under surface, which can only be distinguished from that of Lithocolletis crataegella Clem., in the same leaves, by its larger size. It is at first a short crooked line, which ends in the large tentiform mine. It leaves the mine to pupate: under the edge of the leaf turned down.
Lithocolletis crataegella, Tischeria matlifoliella, Aspadisca Splendoriferella, and so many larvae of larger moths feed indifferently on the leaves of Crataegus, Prunus and Malus, that I at first, when I bred this insect from Apple and Wild Cherry leaves, was inclined to suppose it to be Q.. crataegifoliella Clem., but a slight inspection shows it to be different, and. I have never found it feeding on Haw leaves, Among other things which distinguish it from O. crataegifolicdla and O. inusitatumella the posterior: margin of the wings is not whitish, and it has three hinder marginal lines. in the ciliae. It may be found in all stages through the summer and fall.
PERSONAL.—We are pleased to learn that Mr. Aug. R. Grote, one of our esteemed contributors, well known for his many valuable papers on Lepidoptera, has removed from Demopolis, Alabama, to Buffalo, N. Y., where he has undertaken active work in connection with the ote le Natural Science.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 5E
DESCRIPTION SOF NORTH AMERICAN HYMENOPTERA, No. 5
BY E. T. CRESSON,
Continued from Vol, 4, Page 231.
Genus Micropwvs, Nees.
MIcRoDUS IMITATUS. J. sp.
© .—Sanguineous, shining; head, antennz, prothorax, surroundings of scutellum, pleura beneath, four anterior legs, including their coxe, posterior trochanters and their tibiz and tarsi, black ; sides of mesothorax tinged with blackish; metathorax coarsely punctured above with four longitudinal carinz, the two central ones approximate, flanks less coarsely punctured ; wings uniformly fuliginous, with the usual hyaline angular streak beneath stigma; abdomen long, narrow, polished, with a purplish reflection ; ovipositor longer than body. Length .37 inch.
Massachusetts. More slender than sanctus, with the mesothorax, scutellum and sides of pleura sanguineous; the metathorax is differently sculptured and the posterior tibiz are black.
MICRODUS SIMILLIMUS. JV. Sf.
g 2.—Pale sanguineous or fulvo-ferruginous ; head, antennz, the thorax, except metathorax and four anterior legs including coxe, black: metathorax opaque, scabrous ; wings fuliginous; tips of posterior tibiae and tarsi more or less fuscous ; abdomen shining, suture between first and second segments very deeply impressed. Length .22-.27 inch.
New Jersey ; Pennsylvania ; Illinois. fuch smaller than sanctus, which it closely resembles, and from which it is at once distinguished by the posterior trochanters not being black.
MICRODUS CALCARATUS. JV. sf.
&—-Sanguineous ; head, antennz, the thorax, except metathorax, four anterior legs, posterior trochanters and their tibiae and tarsi, black ;, four anterior knees, anterior tarsi except claws, intermediate tarsi except tips of joints, all the tibial spurs and apical joint of posterior tarsi, white or whitish ; metathorax shining above, with carinae forming an elongate central area; wings fuliginous as usual; abdomen shining, second
52 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGISY.
‘segment with two finely crenulated, transverse lines ; ovipositor as long as body. Length .25 inch.
Delaware. Allied to savcfus, but much smaller, with the tibial spurs and four anterior tarsi white.
Microbus pivisus. JV. sf.
ft .—Sanguineous ; head, antennae, pleura, metathorax, post-scutellum, four anterior legs, including coxae, posterior coxae beneath, their tro- chanters, tips of their femora, their tibiae and tarsi, black ; metathorax roughly scabrous; wings fuliginous; abdomen depressed, smooth and polished, a broad, rather deep fovea on each side at base of second seg- ment. Length .34 inch.
Illinois. Differs from medius, to which it is closely allied, by the color of the legs ; the metathorax is more roughly sculptured, and the clear blotch beneath the stigma more obscure, while in medius it is very con- “spicuous.
MIcRODUS AGILIS. JV. sf.
2.—Small, slender, black; tip of clypeus, labrum, mandibles and palpi yellowish ; thorax shining, metathorax opaque, scabrous; wings hyaline, faintly dusky, iridescent; legs pale sanguineous, posterior tibiae yellowish, their tips, a narrow annulus near base, and their tarsi, blackish; ‘three basal segments of abdomen pale sanguineous, remainder black, shining ; ovipositor as long as body. Length .25 inch.
Massachusetts.
MICRODUS DISCOLOR. JV. sf.
¢ $¢.—Small, yellow-ferruginous ; antenne entirely black; space between summit of eyes and two large spots on occiput, fuscous ; most of prothorax, sutures of mesothorax, space around scutellum, sides of pleura and metathorax above, all more or less fuscous; metathorax trans versely rugulose above ;_ scutellum sometimes blackish, and the spots on occiput sometimes indistinct ; wings pale fuscous, areolet very minute ; legs honey yellow, most of tarsi, tips of four posterior tibia, tips of posterior femora and an annulus near base of their tibiae, blackish; abdomen opaque, shining beyond third segment, which is more or less fuscous; one speci men has the vertex, occiput and thorax entirely, the posterior tibiae except ‘broad median annulus, and the first, apex of the second, and the third
'
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 53:
segments of abdomen black. The # varies from entirely ferruginous, except antennae and posterior tibiae, to almost entirely black. Length -14 inch.
Illinois. A very variable species.
MICRODUS PALLENS. JV. Sf.
2 .—Honey-yellow, shining; tips of mandibles and antennae black, scape reddish beneath ; metathorax roughened, opaque, pubescent ; wings pale fuscous, areolet sub-triangular; intermediate tarsi dusky, tips of posterior tibiae and their tarsi black ; abdomen polished. Length .22 inch.
Illinois. Allied to /fulvescens, Cress., with clear spot beneath stigma. much less distinct.
MICRODUS LaTIcINcTus. JV. sp.
g¢ .—Small, black, shining; mandibles and palpi pale; metathorax scabrous; tegulae pale honey-yellow; wings hyaline, iridescent: stigma blackish ; legs honey-yellow, posterior coxae dusky at base beneath, their tibiae yellow, broadly black at tips, their tarsi fuscous; abdomen shining black, first segment longitudinally striated, second yellowish, remainder polished. Length .20 inch.
Missouri. (C. V. Riley.)
Microbus cincTus. J. sp.
gf 2.—Small, black, shining; tip of clypeus, mandibles and palpi pale-yellowish ; antennz pale testaceous, more or less dusky toward tips, scape piceous ; metathorax opaque, finely scabrous ; tegulae pale; wings hyaline, iridescent, faintly dusky; legs honey-yellow, tips of posterior femora above black, their tibiae yellow, black at tips, with a narrow black annulus near base, their tarsi fuscous ; coxae of 2 generally entirely black, of ¢ entirely honey-yellow; abdomen black, polished, first segment Opaque, second segment pale honey-yellow. Length .17 inch.
Illinois. Smaller than /aticinctus, from which it is at once distinguished by the first abdominal segment not being striated.
MICRODUS ANNULIPES. JV. Sf.
? .—Small, black, shining ; clypeus, mandibles and palpi more or less pale-yellowish ; metathorax rugose, somewhat shining ; tegulae honey- yellow ; wings hyaline, iridescent, stigma and nervures pale brown; legs
54 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
honey-yellow, anterior pair pale, posterior tibiae white, tips and a spot.
near basé black, their tarsi black, white at base ; abdomen polished black, second and sometimes base of third segment honey-yellow. Length .16—.18 inch.
Massachusetts ; Pennsylvania ; Illinois. Easily recognized by the _ white posterior tibiae annulated with black. It is closely allied to the two preceding species.
MICRODUS EARINOIDES. JV. sp.
? .—Small, slender, shining black ; mouth pale piceous, palpi whitish ; metathorax rugose, sub-opaque; tegulae honey-yellow ; wings hyaline, ir- descent; legs honey-yellow, posterior tarsi whitish, apex and spot near base black, their tarsi black, whitish at extreme base: abdomen black, depressed, polished, basal sutures of second and third segments sometimes pale. Length.r5 inch.
Massachusetts; Illinois. Resembles Zarinus limitaris in miniature.
Genus EaRINuS, Wesm.
EARINUS LIMITARIS. Bassus limitarsis, Say, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist.,i., p. 250.
g 2.—-Black, shining, with a short pale silky pile on face, pleura and metathorax ; mesothorax not trilobate, feebly punctured ; metathorax rounded, shining, disk with a narrow longitudinal groove ; tegulae whitish ; wings hyaline, iridescent, costal nerve and stigma black, nervures fuscous, areolet quadrate ; legs honey-yellow, posterior tibiae pale, apex broadly and a narrow annulus near base black, their tarsi entirely black ; abdomen narrow, depressed, polished, second segment with an oblique groove on each side behind which is a round swelling; sheaths of ovipositor thick, fringed with short dense black pubescence. Length .25-.35 inch.
Canada; Mass.; Penn. ; Virginia; Illinois. Common.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 55
CANONS OF SYSTEMATIC NOMENCLATURE FOR THE HIGHER GROUPS.
BY SAMUEL -H. SCUDDER.
[From THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ScIENCcE AND Arts, Vou. III, May, 1872.]
Several years ago, the American Association for the Advancement of Science appointed a committee to reconsider the canons of biological nomenclature, and to report whether, with the growth of science, they required any additions or alterations. No report has yet been made, nor, so far as we are aware, is any likely to be presented, until the subject is again brought prominently forward and new instructions given. Professor A. E. Vertill has since republished * the Revised Rules of Zoological _ Nomenclature adopted by the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1865, and has accompanied them by a few apt comments; in England, Mr. W. F. Kirby, in a paper read before the Linnean Society of London, has called attention to the extensive changes which a strict adherence to the laws of priority would cause in the generic nomenclature of butterflies; and quite recently has put the same into practice in his catalogue of these insects. |
But hitherto very little has been said concerning the special application of definite rules to groups higher than genera, and itis to this division of the subject that we desire to call attention.
In attempting to legislate upon this branch of zoological nomenclature, two principles must be kept in view: rst, so far as possible, the canons already in general acceptance for generic nomenclature should be applied to all the monomial groups. Unity of principle lies at the foundation of acceptable legislation ; second, retrospective laws should be avoided.
- One difficulty meets us at the outset,—what some are pleased to term the unstable nature of the higher groups, but which we should prefer to call the disagreement of naturalists as to the limits and value of these groups ; yet as this diversity of view is a nearly equal hindrance to any code of rules, it needs only to be mentioned in passing.
Endeavoring to keep in mind the principles above enunciated, and as
the simplest means of presenting our views, the following outline of a code is suggested for the consideration of zoologists.
This Journal, July, 1869.
56 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
Canons.—l. The name originally given by the founder of a group should be permanently retained, to the exclusion of all subsequent syn- onyms.
This rule, recognizing the law of priority, which lies at~the foundation of all systematic nomenclature, is the same as the first and prime rule of the code accepted by the British Association, with the exception of certain references made exclusively to species; and, since this canon meets. universal acceptance, there is no need of discussing it, aside from the following limitations.
1. This law of priority should not extend to works published before 1758. ;
The same reasons for such a limitation do not exist in the present instance as in the case of specific nomenclature ; but similar objections ° can be made to an earlier limitation. Only three reasonable courses are open to the naturalist: to accept (@) no limitation whatever, in which case “our zoological studies would be frittered away amid the refinements of classical learning ;” (4) the limitation here formulated, in which case all our systematic nomenclature takes its common origin in the tenth edition of Linne’s Systema Naturz ;* or (c) to apply the laws of nomenclature to each kind of group (sub-family, family, class, etc.), from the time when such group was first brought into use—which would engender such con- fusion as speedily to bring all nomenclature into deserved disrepute.
2. Plural or collective substantives (or adjectives used as substantives) are alone admissible.
As the higher groups are all collective—in idea, if not in fact—it is essential that the names applied to them should be at least capable of a collective sense; and names which are not so formed should be dropped. The Niteccebave action of such a law would be very slight.
3. A name which has been previously proposed for some genus or higher group in zoology should be expunged.
This accords too well with accepted rules to require any discussion.
4. When two authors define and name (differently) the same group, both making it of the same or very nearly the same extent, the later name
(or if synchronous, the least known name) should be cancelled, and never again brought into use.
* The English—the strongest upholders of the plan of dating from the twelfth edition of the Systema Naturee—are now, by degrees, accepting the earlier date of 1758 as the starting point for zoological nomenclature, and we may assume that, in this view, the whole scientific world will sooner or later concur.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. Be
With the exception of certain verbal modifications, this law is identical with the sixth section of the British Association rules, where it is applied to genera only.
5. In any subsequent alterations of the limits of a group, its name should never be cancelled ; but should be retained either in a restricted or an enlarged sense.
The necessity for such a limitation is obvious; otherwise a different name would (or, could) be given by every author who differed from pre- ceding ones in his ideas of the prec*’e limitation of any group in question. This indeed has already been done, and, if continued, will create lament- able confusion; but this limitation should itself be subject to ‘one exception, which may be formulated thus :
6. But any assemblage so defined by an author as harshly to violate the groupings of nature (as known to naturalists of his time), should be cancelled.
Such a rule would prevent the injury which might accrue to science by _ too close an application of the preceding law. The parenthetical limita- tion seems, however, to be necessary.
II]. Changes in the name of one group should not affect the names of other groups.
This follows as a corollary of the first canon, but it has been not infrequently violated, and it is easy to perceive the cause. The nomen- clature of higher groups,-notably of families and subfamilies, has, to a considerable degree, been founded upon generic names, with the addition of special collective endings to the root (see recommendation 1). Now, when a generic name which has formed the basis of a family designation has been found to be pre-occupied, it has been thought necessary by some to recast the nomenclature of the higher group. But why? After a name has been long applied to a group, it ceases to have any intrinsic meaning _and is simply associated with the group itself, recalling it without reference to any particular member of the same. It certainly would be agreeable if we had a nomenclature in which each group should by the very association of ideas recall its members; but since that is utterly impossible, and we have to deal with a mass of synonyms already tangled and intricate, our problem is—how best to make our way out of the difficulty without a con-
tinual wrangling over names and entailing endless disputes upon future generations,
58 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
To this canon no exception whatever should be made ; for it would be difficult to draw the line anywhere and gain general consent. Anyone — who considers the subject, will see that one apparently reasonable excep- tion will lead to another scarcely less desirable, until the whole value and force of the proposed canon is destroyed.
III. The mere enumeration of its members, when known, is a suffi- cient definition of the limits of a group, and gives it an unquestionable claim to recognition.
Although it is certainly szos¢ desirable that every name proposed for a group should, when first propounded (or shortly after), be accompanied by a full description of its essential characters, it is evident that no one acquainted with the subject of which an author treats can fail to under- stand his meaning if he defines his groups by mere enumeration of their members. If, for instance, he designates the known genera to be embraced in a proposed family, he actually defines his group much better than he could do by a specification of its characters, since we have probably not yet been favored with any description of a natural family which gives everything which is characteristic and omits all that is not.
Recommendations.—1. “That assemblages of genera, termed families, should be uniformly named by adding the termination -idze to the name of the earliest known or most typically characterized genus in them; and that their subdivision, termed subfamilies, should be similarly constructed with the termination -ine.”
This recommendation, formulated by the committee of the British Association, is deprived of a great part of its value by the disagreement of naturalists as to the nature of family and subfamily groups,—assem- blages of very diverse natures having received this designation at the hands of different writers ; indeed, up to the issue of Professor Agassiz’s Essay on Classification, no one had ever attempted to give definite shape to current opinions upon the subject ; and it will be long before we shal] see a general concurrence in either the views put forward in that work, of In any modification of them. Such being the case, it is evident that this recommendation cannot have the force of a law, nor be allowed any retrospective action. Otherwise these rules, or any other reasonable ones (however generally they may be accepted), are powerless to assign to any higher natural group a fixed and unalterable name ; but the group in cues- | tion would receive a different name from different authors, according as they considered it a subfamily or an assemblage of still another nature.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 59
2. All monomial collective names should be derived from the Greek, and have a plural form.
3. Only the surname of the author who first proposed a group need follow its name, whether the group be used in its original or in a modified sense ; but when it is desirable to indicate at the same time its recognized altered limits, the surname of the writer who first proposed the accepted circumscription may follow in a parenthesis.
In systematic nomenclature, the object is to register titles, not to gratify pride, and the names of authors are appended for convenience, not fame ; the question of justice or injustice has no place here; and yet the above recommendation ought to be satisfactory to those who view this matter in a different light.
NOTES FROM: THE EAST.
PIERIS RAP#.-—The yellow variety of this butterfly occurs here every summer, from the commencement until the end of the season; what I have seen of them were of a delicate sulphur yellow. I netted all that I met with, but never found a yellow female on the wing. In July, 1870, I had a pot of mignonette growing on my window-sill, and observed a w/z¢e female Rafe laying eggs on it. I reared seven or eight of the caterpillars, feeding them on mignonette, and they all assumed the pupa state ; after the butterflies had emerged, a friend unfortunately opened the box and some of them escaped before I had seen them. When I examined the box there were five yellow females remaining in it. They had the dark markings very strongly produced, as the later broods generally have ; not knowing at the time the scarceness of the yellow females, I did not preserve them, and I have not seen one since. I believe, with the exception of one reared by Mr. Bowles at Quebec, it is the only instance on record. Last spring I found some chrysalids of ~af@ containing parasites, but did not succeed in breeding them, as the change from the cold of the open air to the warmth of the house killed them. Last summer vaf@ was very abundant here, and now the chrysalids may be seen in great numbers sus- pended to the fences about the city. The parasite has incrcased wonderfully dnring last season, for nearly all the chrysalids that I have seen this year are infested with them. I do not think that more than one in fifty has escaped their attacks.— F. B. CAULFIELD, Montreal, P. Q.
Macropasis Fasriciu.—This beetle was very numerous here last season, and did a considerable amount of damage to the potatoe vines ; in
60 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
one field of potatoes that I examined I found on nearly every plant from two to seven of them, busily employed on the leaves ; their blue-gray dress contrasted well with the green of the leaves, and gave them quite a picturesque appearance. When disturbed, they did not attempt to fly, but let themselves fall from the leaves ; however, when on the ground they were active enough, and soon hid themselves under stones or lumps of earth. While on the plants they appeared to be very peaceable, keeping together in small groups, but on some occasions they are sad cannibals. A friend of mine brought me some of these insects in a paper, and when I opened it there was only one alive; the rest of them were rather badly mutilated, some had lost their legs and some were minus their heads. I put them together again and the survivor immediately commenced a fierce attack on one of his slaughtered relatives, and did not seem one bit the worse after his strange repast.
DIAPHEROMERA FEMORATA.—lI found this insect quite common here last summer ; they do not seem to be particular in their choice of trees in this locality. I found them on Maple, Linden, Oak and Butternut, and early in the season I found a young one making a tour of discovery on an Elm that I had sugared for moths. I found the males much more active than the females, stalking up the tree when disturbed, while the females either remained quiet or dropped to the ground, rarely going up the tree. —F. B. CAuLFIeELD, Montreal, P. Q.
HESPERIA ILLINOIS 1penticaL with HESP. ACANOOTUS, Scupp.
I am informed by the best authorities that under the name of Hesp. “ T)linois,” I have merely re-described Mr. Scudder’s Hesp. Acanootus, and I therefore hasten to make the necessary correction.
In comparing my supposed new species with specimens and descriptions of N. A. Hesperidze, I was misled in regard to Acanootus, (which I had never seen,)-by Mr. C. S. Minot’s description of that species on page 150, vol. iv, of the CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST, which will be seen to differ in several important particulars from my description of what now appears to be the same species.
The majority of the females taken here also differ in the spots on ie primaries from the female of Acanootus, as first described by Mr. Scudder.
The few extenuating circumstances mentioned above, do not, however, relieve me of the blame of having, with injudicious haste, re-described an old established species.—G. M. Doncs, Ohio, Il.
Che Canadian Entomologist.
VOL. V. LONDON, ONT., APRIL, 1873. No. 4
NOTES ON CASNONIA LUDOVICIANA; SALLE. BY S. V. SUMMERS, M. D., NEW ORLEANS, LA.
Long, .30-.33 inch. Body elongated, glabrous, sanguineous, pilose. Head, disk of prothorax, and under surface black; head rhomboidal, middle wider than thorax, thence gradually constricted into a narrow rufous neck; eyes large and prominent; mouth parts, three basal joints, antennz and legs rufous ; eighth and ninth joints of antennae white, remaining joints black ; prothorax elongate, cylindrical, piceous; humeral base and apex rufous, widest just behind middle, when viewed vertically two fine long yellowish erect hairs will be observed to arise laterally just before the middle, much longer than on elytra. Elytra faintly striate, striae with fine distant punctures, from each arise a single yellowish erect hair ; intervals smooth, flat, elytral constriction at humeri narrower than middle of thorax, humerus slightly elevated, angles rounded, a wide black band on middle of elytra, sinuated above, arcuate below, apex truncate and tipped with black; knees darker than femora, posterior thigh with outer two-thirds black. |
I am unable to detect any sexual dissimilarity.
Its larger size and finer punctured striae before band on elytra, and the white eighth and ninth antennal joints, easily distinguishes it from pennsylvanica. The Californian fzcfa is unknown to me.
Flabitat New Orleans, La. Mexico. Rare.
This charming addition to our North American fauna appears first due to M. Salle, of Paris, France, who (if I am correctly informed) about forty years ago took a unique near an old Saw Mill, in N. O. Subsequently, none others were known to occur until 1861, when an indi- vidual was attracted by the lamp of a Mr. Speck, which ultimately became the property of Mr. Salle, making the second specimen in all Europe. Mr. Trabranelt, a diligent collector who has resided here some eighteen
62 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
years, took the next three specimens, one of which he has lately exchanged to Mr. Salle. Again, on Dec. 31st, ’72, under some board traps in dry grass, near water, my first specimen occurred, and for three succeeding days a unique was taken. ‘Their habits are probably gregarious, living on the ground, and as the collecting grounds in the vicinity of New Orleans are limited, owing to swamps, they may be found to occur more plentifully in Northern La. ‘They are very active and graceful, taking alarm at the least noise, and run with great rapidity, keeping the antennae in constant vibration ; when placed in a collecting bottle containing Cyanide of Potas- sium, they would seize hold of some other insect and proceed to drag it off, imitating certain species of ants. The drug, however, quickly quiets them.
ON MR. SCUDDER’S SYSTEMATIC REVISION: OF SOMEGGE THE AMERICAN, BUTTERFLIES.
BY AUG. R. GROTE., BUFFALO, N. Y.
[PAPER NO. 2.]|
Since it is conceded that the law of priority is invariable in its applica- tion to zoological nomenclature, it remains for us to apply it to the determination of our Butterflies. That some inconveniences may arise from the correction of errors, does not militate against our desire to be right. The question is, are Mr. Scudder’s genera well founded, or, are his names entitled to precedence, not is it convenient for us to use them. Without as yet entering an extended discussion upon the structural characters of our Butterflies, we will briefly notice Mr. Scudder’s genera.
1. Oeneis, Hubner (1816.) The type and first species mentioned under this name by Hubner is Vorna. While five species are cited under this genus, Hubner refers two more to Eumenis, viz.: aed/o and farpecja. But the type of Eumenis is £. aufonoe. It is difficult to avoid the con- clusion that we must retain Oeneis to be correct, while regretting the necessary abandonment of Chionobas, so sonorous and accustomed a name. In our North American fauna we have, besides the species cited by Mr. Scudder, Oen. chryxus and Oen. Uhleri, described under Chionobas by Doubleday and Reakirt. Chionobas S¢refchii, Edw., does not belong to
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 63
~
this genus, and isa synonym of Satyrus Ridingsii, I have been informed. Oen. nevadensis has been described by Behr.
2. Enodia, ubner (1816). No one can possibly object to this desig- nation for our Z. jortlandia on any score. .
3. Minois, Hubner (1816.) This generic name has priority, and Mr. Scudder shows that it represents a distinct type. It cannot be objected to on any score. Besides wephele and alope, it includes JZ. pegala, M. ariane and JM. boopis. The former is a Southern species, the Papilio pegaia of Fabr., and thought to be a possible form of J/, alofe,; the two latter are described by Behr under Satyrus.
4. Argus, Scopoli (1777). Mr. Seudder restricts Scopoli’s term to our species, the Aipparchia Boisduvalit of Harris, enumerated under another name by Scopoli. To this procedure there isno objection, provided that Boisduval’s types of Argus were not of those referred to the genus by Scopoli, which we cannot determine at the moment, when Boisduval’s restriction would have priority. Hubner has, however, a Satyrid genus Arge, the type of which is 4. psyche.
5. Megisto, Hubner (1816.) Hubner’s type is JZ cymelia, to which he refers Eurytus as a synonym. He includes in his genus Megisto Mr. Scudder’s type of Argus. There can be objection to the use of the term if we do not follow Mr. Butler’s Enlargement of Euptychia.
(To be Continued. }
NOTES ON fH PABITS- OF ‘THE ‘AN ELON.
BY H. L. MOODY, MALDEN, MASS.
It was in April of 1872, while at Plymouth, Mass., with a party of friends in search of the Mayflower Zpig@a repens, that I was so fortunate as to capture a specimen of the larva of this insect. It was quite by accident that it came to my hands. A friend and myself were lounging by the roadside, for want of better employment thrusting our fingers into ‘the light sand, when with a jerk and exclamation my friend withdrew his hand to find this larva clinging with a most determined nip to a finger ; it immediately dropped to the ground, however, and so quickly buried itself backward as to almost escape us, but a moment’s lively digging revealed
64 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
it again, and I secured it in a pill box. On my arrival at home IJ provided
a jar with a few inches of dry sand in the bottom, and placed the larva in it; it at once buried itself, and though I waited several hours, hoping to witness the commencement of its pitfall, there was no movement in that direction ; there was now and then a slight stir of the sand, and once or twice the head was thrust above the surface, but quickly withdrawn at the slightest movement on my part. I grew tired of watching and retired for the night, returning in the morning to find a completed pit. It was in the form of an inverted cone, about one and one-half inches in diameter and three-quarters deep, and as smooth as sand could be made. At the first glance I discovered no sign of the builder, but a closer inspection revealed a pair of mandibles and at the base of them a pair of eyes; the bearer of these was snugly ensconced in the sand. The mandibles were stretched to their widest capacity and resting against opposite sides of the pit, so harmonizing in color with the sand as not to be readily noticed. In this position the larva would rest for hours unless disturbed, when it would withdraw from sight, but soon reappear and resume its watch.
My great interest, however, was in its method of taking its prey, and to witness this operation I provided a dozen or more ants of a small species, dropping them all into the pit at once; the larva with one sweep of its jaws secured three or four, and in a very short time killed or dis- abled them, but it soon dropped them and proceeded to kill most of the others before commencing its repast. Owing to their sluggish habit but very few succeeded in escaping. I was curious to see if the larva would attack as readily larger and more savage species, and the next day secured the largest specimens I could find of the Red Ant, Formica sanguinea ?— noted for its courage and ferocity. I dropped the largest of these on the sand in the jar, leaving it to find its way into the pit, which it soon did, hesitating a moment at the brink and then walking to the bottom. At the instant that the ant came within reach the larva closed its jaws upon one of its legs, and for a few moments I witnessed quite an exciting contest, the ant turning and twisting to find its adversary and biting savagely at everything within its reach, the larva endeavoring to draw far back into the sand, thereby protecting itself and pressing the ant so close to the surface as to allow but very little room for movement. ‘The ant finally freed itself from the jaws of the larva, but did not at once succeed in leaving the pit; the larva instantly almost entirely uncovered itself and slashed right and left with its mandibles, seeming to be in a perfect fury at
7
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 65
the loss of its prey. It also threw sand rapidly, but I could not see that the sand struck the ant except when it tried to escape up the side of the pit back of the larva; then the sand invariably struck it and brought it to the bottom. The ant finally escaped, but the next day was again caught and its juices sucked dry.
In no instance did I see so much resistance offered as in this case; usually the ants seemed to realize that their adversary was one with which they could not cope. From my observations I concluded that the larva trusted rather to its long mandibles and the inability of its prey to readily climb the walls of the pit, than to sand throwing where it did not capture them in the first attempt, for I saw it throw sand in but few instances. I did not see it in the act of digging its pitfall but once ; it was then mid- night and I did not stay to witness the completion. I noticed only that it threw the sand out with its head, working very rapidly. I have some- times left the room to return in less than an hour to find a completed pit where before there was no sign of it. From the day of capture to May rith I kept it supplied with ants, of which it destroyed numbers every day, but on the latter date, either by design or accident, its pit was filled level with the surface, and from this time to the time of pupating it dug none, remaining hidden most of the time and but once taking any food, then capturing an ant while concealed by a few grains of sand. On June 4th it constructed a round cocoon of silk, covered with grains of sand, and about one-half aninch in diameter. I presume it immediately pu- pated, but did not open the cocoon to ascertain. On July 8th the imago appeared and proved to be A¢yrmeleon immaculatus.
In the larva state it is certainly in some respects the most interesting insect I have ever seen, its very activity and pugnacity exciting admiration ; its mandibles were always ready to close upon any intruding object. When I first obtained it I wished to preserve a description and in order to accurately observe the colors I was obliged to remove the fine grains of sand that were entangled in the short hairs on the body ; this I did with a camel’s hair brush, an operation to which the larva decidedly objected, but it stood its ground and fought it out, constantly seizing the brush -between its mandibles, often in its attempts to reach it springing quite clear of the table.
66 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
DESCRIPTIONS OF NORTH AMERICAN HYMENOPTERA, No. 6»
BY E. T. CRESSON,
Continued from Page 54.
Genus TOXONEURON, Say.
The characters of this genus are given at length under the name of Tenthredoides (Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., iv., p. 290), which appears to be synonymous. It may be easily recognized by the short robust body, rather large transverse head, stout legs, broad ample wings (which are generally fuligmous), and especially by the form of the marginal cell, which is rather suddenly constricted (or somewhat reclivate) at tip of second sub-marginal cell, and thence narrowed to the apex, which is some- what incurved, and reaches the extreme apex of the wing; this, as well as the second and third submarginal cells, are indistinctly defined, the nervures being sub-obsolete.
The species, thus far known, may be distinguished by the characters given in the following table:— Body entirely black.
Wings entirely fuliginous. Legs black, anterior knees honey-yellow.
Aiatbral ‘spurs! lack 2% 2 ages s « -'= + se o8dcae essa te cosas ani aott et ke eee Tibial spurs white..... ee Sie +e. 2. MINUTUM. Legs black, anterior femora and fbi and Giese liate kneeshoneyoyecllow ... ai. o leat oolose see 3. ORIZABE, Legs honey-yellow, cox, trochanters, tips of posterior tibie and their tarsi black................ 4. EXPLORATOR.
Wings hyaline, apex fuliginous. Legs entirely black. . ..... 5. MEXICANUM. Legs black, anterior pair i seer ot bane ‘house ella . 6. APICALE. Legs black, anterior tibize and tarsi, base of sntermodiate tibize, their tarsi and band at base of pos-
Or
terior tibiz white or yellow................ 7. TIBIATOR. Body black; head, pro and mesothorax and*anterior legs flavo-
FETTULINOUS, cgece's «sie veces wets ess sisces uns DEO kUAtemtaaie Body black ; abdomen and legs flavo-ferruginous.................. 9. ABDOMINALE.
Body ferruginous ; head, antenne, metathorax and pleura black...10. SEMINIGRUM. Body fulvo-ferruginous; mouth, antenne, pleura beneath and
metathorax black... 120. 1.10 cs eeos wee oe ll Soy RaenORE Body yellow ; three spots on mesothorax, sae on piece cad ab-
domen, except base, black................12. ORNATUM..
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 67
—_—<——_——
1. TOXONEURON #£THIOPS. JV. Sf.
® .—Black, shining, clothed rather thickly with a short whitish pubes- cence; wings fuliginous, a sub-hyaline spot beneath base of stigma, posterior wings except tips and costa, hyaline ; legs black, anterior knees bright honey-yellow, their tarsi palish. Length .25 inch.
Cordova, Mexico. (Sumichrast.)
2. TOXONEURON MINUTUM. JW. sf.
9 .—-Very small, black, shining, slightly pubescent ; wings uniformly pale fuliginous, iridescent ; legs black, tibial spurs white, anterior knees, their tibize, four anterior tarsi except tips, and intermediate knees pale yellowish. Length .ro inch.
Illinois. 3. TOXONEURON ORIZAB&. JV. Sp.
g¢ .—Black, shining, slightly pubescent; mandibles, anterior femora except base, their tibize and intermediate knees, honey-yellow, tibial spurs black ; wings fuliginous, iridescent, posterior pair sub-hyaline ; abdomen flat, base tinged with piceous. Length ,16 inch.
Orizaba, Mexico. (Sumichrast.)
4. TOXONEURON EXPLORATOR.
Bracon ( Toxoneuron) explorator, Say, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist., i, p. 259.
“Indiana” (Say) ; Illinois ; Texas. ‘The femora except base, and the tibiz except apex of posterior pair, are bright honey-yellow ; tibial spurs pale ; in one specimen the posterior femora and tibiz are dusky. Length 20 Inch.
5. TOXONEURON MEXICANUM. J. sp.
g ¢.—Black, shining, rather thickly clothed with a short, white, sericeous pubescence ; tips of mandibles brown ; impressed lines on meso- thorax and excavation at base of scutellum, crenulated ; wings hyaline, apex beyond first cubital cell fuliginous, nervures black ; spurs of anterior tibiz pale. Length .25-.30 inch.
Cordova, Mexico. (Sumichrast.) Sometimes the posterior orbits are tinged with honey-yellow, and the pubescence on anterior tibie tinged with yellow.
68 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
6. TOXONEURON APICALE. JV. Sf.
f.—Black, shining, clothed with a very short dull pubescence ; sutures of mesothorax not crenulated ; metathorax with strongly developed elevated lines; wings hyaline, apex fuliginous, leaving base of marginal and of second cubital cells hyaline; nervures and stigma black ; legs black, anterior femora except base and their tibiz entirely, bright orange- yellow, intermediate knees slightly tinged with testaceous. Length .20 inch.
Illinois. 7. 'TOXONEURON TIBIATOR.
Bracon tibiator, Say, Long’s 2nd Exped., il, p. 322; ( Zoxoneuron) Bost. four. Nat. Hist.,.1, p, 259.
“Pennsylvania” (Say); Illinois. A very pretty species, easily recog- nized by the white annulus at base of posterior tibie. Length .25 inch.
8. TOXONEURON THORACICUM. JW. sf.
f 9.—Black, shining; head, prothorax, mesothorax, spot beneath tegulae and anterior legs except coxae, trochanters and base of femora pale ferruginous ; spot on cheeks beneath, mouth, more or less of clypeus and a spot between ocelli and eyes in @, black ; wings uniformly blackish- fuliginous, nervures and stigma black ; metathorax with strongly developed elevated lines, forming an.ovate central area. Length .20 inch.
Cordova, Mexico. (Sumichrast.)
9. TOXONEURON ABDOMINALE. JV. Sf.
t .—-Black, clothed with a short dull pubescence ; posterior orbits, legs except coxae and trochanters, and the abdomen entirely pale san- guineous; base of first abdominal segment tinged with yellow; wings dark fuliginous, nervures and stigma black ; posterior tarsi dusky. Length 228.anch,
Ilinois. Bracon populator (Say, Long’s 2nd Exped., ii, p. 323), which is also referred to this genus by Say, and which, he says, is “a very com- mon insect in many parts of the United States, does not appear to bea Toxoneuron, as the ovipositor is described as being longer than the abdomen.” It is probably a true Bracon.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 69
10. ‘TOXONEURON SEMINIGRUM.
Tenthredoides seminiger, Cress., Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., iv, p. 291, g 9.
Colorado. Colored much like Aftcrodus divisus, described in the pre- ceding paper (page 52); the form is, however, much more robust, and the neuration of the wings entirely different.
11. ‘TOXONEURON VIATOR.
Bracon (Toxoneuron) viator, Say, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist., 1, p. 258.
‘‘TIndiana”-(Say) ; Arizona. The specimen from Arizona has all the cox, except spot on two anterior pair beneath, concoloreus with remainder of legs. Length .30 inch,
12. TOXONEURON ORNATUM. JW. sf.
g.—Lemon-yellow, shining; spot behind antennz covering ocelli, extending to summit of eyes and from thence in a narrow line to occiput which it margins, three stripes on mesothorax, the central one broad and abbreviated behind, spot on scutellum, short line beneath tegulze, furcate line on pleura, large spot on underside, posterior coxee beneath and a spot above at base, their femora and tibiz within, spot on each side of first abdominal segment, and the remaining segments except very narrow apical margins, black; flagellum brown; wings yellow-hyaline, apex fuscous, nervures and stigma reddish-brown ; apex of abdomen compressed. Length .25 inch.
Cordova, Mexico. (Sumichrast.) A beautiful species.
Genus PROTEROPS, Wesm.
PROTEROPS CALIFORNICUS. JV. sf.
qf ,—-Black ; abdomen entirely ferruginons ; wings uniformly blackish- fuliginous ; antennz as long as body; legs entirely black, slender. Length .30 Inch
California. (Behrens.) This is allied in general form to Zoxoneuron, from which it is at once separated by the anterior ocellus being situated between the insertion of the antennz. The neuration is also quite
different.
70 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
SPECIFIC NOMENCLATURE.
BY H. K. MORRISON, OLD CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
The publication of Mr. Scudder’s Revision has caused much dismay among amateurs, on account of the numerous specific changes and minute generic sub-divisions which it proposes.
To students of Lepidoptera the novel, and in many cases, original views advanced afford a fertile field for discussion. Mr. Scudder has attempted to study the order by the same methods, and to correct its tangled specific nomenclature by the same principles which govern all other departments of Zoology.
This work is rendered very difficult from the fact that their beauty and the readiness with which they can be captured and preserved, has made them from the time of Linnaeus a favorite order with collectors. Thus it was that many of the species have been described not by naturalists, but by amateurs ; and genera founded cn the most casual and unimportant characters. The confusion caused by the publication of superficial and carelessly written works, or of works in which the labors of preceding Entomologists have been neglected, it will take years to undo. Mr. Kirby, in his invaluable catalogue, has combined the results of the labors of European students in this direction, and adopted, although he did not fully carry out, the principles which Mr. Scudder followed strictly in his Revision.
Unless some definite law is laid down and universally observed, in regard to Entomologicalnomenclature,the Science will always remain in the chaotic condition in which it now is. Time will only increase the confusion ; and now that a good remedy has been proposed, it would be folly to reject it, because of the temporary inconvenience it would occasion. The con- demnation with which Mr. Scudder’s book has been received seems to be founded, not on an intelligent rejection of his deductions, but simply on account of the trouble which a partial change of names would cause the present generation of students.
But is it not better to endure a slight and constantly diminishing evil for the sake of a future and permanent good ?
There are two laws by which the nomenclature of a science may be governed, that of priority and the so-called law of convenience. The
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. Tt
former is fixed, immutable, and to it every possible case of generic or specific synonymy can be referred, and at once and for ever decided. The latter is relative, changeable, differing in various countries and among Entomologists of the same country. That which is convenient to European Lepidopterists is the reverse to American. A collector has a different standard of convenience from a naturalist. To reconcile all these different opinions is impossible ;_ there is no rule which would be acknowledged by all.
Take as an example one of our common Hesperide, Pamphila zabulon, described by Boisd. & Lec. in 1833, and found in all the European collec- tions under that name. In 1862 the same species was described in Har- ris, Ins. Mass., as Hesperia hobomok, and it is so named in most American collections. By the law of priority the matter would be at once deter- mined in favour of sabu/on. But which is the most convenient ?—zabulon evidently to European Entomologists, and Aodomok to American.
Here is a case in which the convenience of the two parties will always be opposed, and what rule have we to decide which is right? none, unless we accept priority as our guide.
Priority can be applied equally well to genera, but whether it would be advisable to change our families in accordance with it is, perhaps, doubtful, as the family name is not used in designating the insect and is therefore not of so much importance.
By accepting these laws as proposed by Mr. Scudder, we are under no obligation to follow him in his excessively fine generic divisions. It is the array of new names which gives his paper, at first sight, such a for- midable appearance. I would be the last one to separate such closely allied species as massasoit and zabulon, mystic and sassacus, polyxeies and trots, and many others which are placed in new genera.
But the questions which can be raised in regard to the expediency of using large or small genera, and others of like nature, will, in time, settle themselves, if we can establish our nomenclature on a firm foundation which will never be disturbed by subsequent investigation. ‘his we think Mr. Scudder has done, and we hope that his work will be appre- ciated by American Lepidopterists.
72 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
MICRO - LEPIDOPTERA.
BY V. T. CHAMBERS, COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.
Continued from Page 50. GRACILLARIA.
If the rule holds good absolutely that the same generic name should not be used in Entomology and Botany, then Graci//aria must be dropped in one or the other. Ido not know which has priority, but a name of a genus so old and well known as the Graci//aria of Micro-Lepidopterists ought scarcely to give place to an obscure genus of Cryftogamia.
EIDO ALBAPALPELLA.
Ventllia albapalpella, ante v. 4, p. 207.
Dr. Packard calls my attention to the fact, which has slipped my memory, that Venillia is preoccupied among Geometride. I therefore substitute £7do for it.
PSORICOPTERA GIBBOSELLA, Stainton.
Adrasteia guercifoliella, ante v. 4, p. 200.
When ‘ Adrasteia’ was established I knew Fsoricoptera only by name A specimen of A. guercifoliella which I sent to Mr. C. V. Riley, was pro- nounced by him to be nothing else than P. gibbosella, St. Mr. Riley states that he has bred the species from larvae feeding on Oak leaves, and that he compared his bred specimens with specimens in the collection of Mr. Stainton. He has also favored me with a generic and specific diagnosis of P. gibbosella, and I am satisfied that his identification of A. guercifoliella with it is correct. Adrasteia must therefore give place to Psoricoptera, and the species which I have placed in the former must be removed to the latter genus. Some of the other species (asa g. D? pseud-accaciella) which I have placed provisionally in Depressaria, also approach very nearly to Psoricoptera, if they do not in fact belong zv it.
PTEROPHORUS. P. lacteodactylus. WN. sp.
Creamy white. Head pale lemon yellow, except between the antennae where it is of the general creamy white hue; abdomen with a streak of pale lemon ye'low along the sides. Alar ex. 1% inch. Kentucky, in pune:
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. ie
ADELA.
A. bella. WN. sp.
Vertex, upper portion of the face, palpi and a long streak on each side of the thorax under the wings brilliant golden ; lower portion of the face dark purple. 2 with the basal half of the antennae dark purple, the remainder snowy white: in the { only about the basal third is purple. Thorax above the wings and both pairs of the wings dark shining purple, the thorax and primaries with a golden gloss and appearing, according to the light, dull brown purple, violaceous, or golden; before the apex of the primaries are three narrow, and in some lights, indistinct fasciae, the color of which varies with the light and all of which are faintly dark margined both internally and externally ; the third fascia isat the apex. The fasciae when most distinct have a silvery lustre.
Al. ex., & %inch; 2 a little larger. Kentucky.
A fresh or living specimen of this insect is a gorgeous creature, but after death the colors become dull. Iam not acquainted with the larva. The imago may be taken in May, feeding upon the flowers cof the “Climb- ing Bittersweet” (Celastrus scandens), and a little later it is not uncommon resting upon leaves along paths or roadways through the woods.
DICTE, £é/. 20U.
Head, face as broad as the thorax ; head and face, basal joint of the antennae and first and second joints of the labial palpi clothed with long loose hair-like scales; antennae with the basal joint incrassate, stalk simple, reaching to the apex of the wings; maxillary palpi microscopic 3 labial palpi drooping (in the dead insect), the terminal joint projecting forwards and a little upward, and about two-thirds as long as the second joint. (If recurved the palpi would reach the vertex.) Tongue naked, rather longer than the thorax ; eyes globose, prominent.
Wings deflexed ; anterior oblong ovate, obtusely pointed, with moderately long ciliae. The costal vein attains the margin about the middle. ‘The subcostal curves gradually into the discal, giving off a long branch before the middle, a shorter one behind the middle, then a furcate one which curves upwards to the costal margin, whilst the apical branch also curves up from its junction with the discal vein to the margin just before the apex; the discal vein closes the discal cell and sends three branches to the posterior margin ; the median is straight to the discal, where it becomes furcate, both branches attaining the posterior margin ; submedian jsimple.
74 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
Posterior wing about as wide as the anterior, sub-ovate, the apex pointed and the costal margin but slightly convex; the costal attains the margin behind the middle ; the discal cell is closed by a much curved discal vein which emits two branches to the posterior margin ; the sub- costal sends a branch to the apex from near the end of the celland beyond the discal vein becomes furcate, both branches attaining the margin behind the apex. Median and submedian both simple, and both attain the pos- terior margin.
The roughened head and palpi and the shape and neuration of the wings ally this genus to Zevea and its congeners.
D. corruscifasciella, LV. sp.
Head, palpi, basal joint of the antennae, thorax and basal half of the anterior wings golden yellow ; antennae glistening snowy white, the apical half annulate with velvetty black ; just before the middle of the anterior wing, in the yellowish portion, is a brilliant metallic fascia. The central portion of the apical part of the wing is occupied by a large, nearly circular, greyish drab spot, containing four longitudinal velvetty black streaks, bordered before by a brilliant metallic costal streak which points towards the fascia ; and behind by a similar costal streak pointing towards the dorso-apical margin. The grayish drab spot is separated from the dorsal-‘margin by a rather large triangular velvetty black patch, the apex of which touches the dorso-apical margin. This triangular streak is dusted a little with grayish drab scales; two metallic spots on the disc, and four dorsal spots of the same hue. Costo-apical margin and the apex brownish golden, with a bright metallic fascia interrupted in the middle, and another streak of the same hue at the extremeapex. Posterior wings purplish fuscous; under surface of both wings purplish fuscous mixed with yellowish green, and the fascia and streaks of the forewing visible through the wing. Abdomen black washed with golden, and each seg- ment margined beneath with silvery; legs black, annulate with white. Alar ex. a little over % an inch.
Kentucky and No. 127, collection of Mr. Wm. Saunders, London, Ont. Rare. This is one of the prettiest and most brilliant ‘ Micros’ known to me.
SOLENOBIA.
S. Walshela? Clem. Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., vi, p. 132.
Dr. Clemens described this species from a single specimen sent to him by the late Mr. Walsh. Mr. Walsh took the larva in the winter time
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 75
underneath the bark of Hickory trees, and suspected it of making galleries under the bark. Dr. Clemens more correctly suspected that it was lichenivorous and hoped that Mr. Walsh might ascertain its larval history. Alas! the researches of both have terminated forever.
Only the male was known to Dr. Clemens, and from his description I think his specimen must have been somewhat rubbed. Male, “ Head and face dark gray. Antennae dark gray, slightly spotted with white.” Fore wings dark gray at the base, remainder paler, sprinkled irregularly with dark spots and scales. Ciliae grayish white. “ Hind wings gray.” (The quotations are from Dr. Clemens’ description.) The female is apter- ous, with the head clothed with hoary scales and a tuft of the same at the apex ; but the body is nearly naked. AZ. ex. 54 inch. Kentucky. Com- mon.
The larva feeds upon lichens and may be found in March and April, feeding up. It becomes a pupa in April and the imago emerges about a week thereafter. The larva is whitish, head black, upper surface of the two succeeding segments shining yellowish brown, anteriorly margined with white. The case is prismatic in outline, and of an almost leathery consistence, about 4% of an inch long, and tapering slightly towards each end ; it is composed of silk, sand, particles of lichens, and excrement of the larva,and I have sometimes found small Molluscous shells adhering to it.
ON SOME OF OUR COMMON INSECTS.
oe
IV.—THE [SABELLA TIGER MOTH.
Pyrrharctia (Spilosoma) Isabella.
BY W. SAUNDERS, LONDON, ONTARIO.
There are but few of our readers who are not familiar with the cater- pillar of the Isabella Tiger Moth, one of our commonest “ woolly bears,” and found, we believe, in almost every part of Canada and the Northern United States. This larva, in common with many other members of the family (arctiade) to which it belongs, hybernates during the winter. It acquires nearly full growth in the autumn, and then, having selected a cosy sheltered spot under bark, log, rail, stone or board in which to _ hide, it
76 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
coils itself up there into a sort of ball and sleeps through the long and dreary winter, and about the time when the birds come back and the warm days of spring begin, this bristly creature rouses itself to begin life anew. Hence it is one of the few caterpillars which present themselves to us full grown in early spring, and from its peculiar appearance can scarcely fail to attract attention. It has not to wander far for food, for, being in possession of an omnivorous appetite, it feasts on the first green thing it meets with, grass, or weed, or early plant, and having fed but a short time, it spins its cocoon and'becomes a chrysalis.
The caterpillar is about an inch and a quarter long; its head and body are black, and it is thickly covered with tufts of short, stiff, bristly hairs, which are dull red along the middle of the body and black at each end. When handled it immediately coils itself into a ball and remains for some time motionless. It is very tenacious of life; we have known the larva to be frozen in a solid lump of ice, and when thawed out move around as if nothing had happened. It sometimes occurs, although very rarely, that this larva becomes a chrysalis early in the fall, and produces the moth the
SUES ee same season. We have never met with an instancc of this but once, see CAN. ENT. vol ap 26; its usual course is that which has already been partially de- scribed.
Its cocoon, 4, fig. 14, is spun in some secluded nook, and is of a dark color, of an elongated oval form and curiously wrought with a network of silk, in the meshes of which are interwoven the black and red hairs from the body of the caterpillar. Within this enclosure the insect changes to a dark brown chrysalis, and remains as such about two or three weeks, sometimes longer, when the moth having burst its shelly covering, softens the silky fibres of which its cocoon is formed by a liquid with which it is furnished, and makes its exit through a hole at one end of the cocoon.
The moth, a, fig. 14, when its wings are spread, measures about two inches. Its wings are of a pale yellowish buff colour, with a few dull
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. te
blackish dots more numerous on some specimens than on others. The hind wings are sometimes paler than the fore wings, and at other times tinged with orange red, while in other specimens we have observed that the under surface of the fore wings assumed a dull rosy hue. The body is a little deeper and richer in colour than the wings, and the abdomen is ornamented with longitudinal rows of black dots; on the. upper surface there is a row down the middle of the back, and one on each side, and on the under surface there are sometimes two additional rows of smaller dots.
Although this insect is so common and well known in its larval con- dition, it is not often seen on the wing. It flies at night, and being seldom attracted by lights, it rarely finds its way into our houses. It is also pro- bably subject to the attacks of ichneumons, which destroy some of the caterpillars before they reach maturity.
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SOME GENERA OF CANADIAN INSECTS.
BY FRANCIS WALKER, LONDON, ENGLAND.
Before leaving the Canadian Cha/cidie, in hope of returning to them when many more genera are discovered in Canada, I will mention A/cgas- Ztgmus, which very prebably occurs there ; it is a genus of Zorymide, and, in some respects, connects that family with the Zuryfomida, and is next to the latter in the interest with which it may be regarded in case there is a foundation for the report lately published concerning the seed-eating habits of the species which represent it in California. But this does not seem probable, as it is certainly carnivorous in Europe, where two species exceed the others in beauty and are especially conspicuous, the great 1 giganteus that maintains itself on the Cynifs of a one-chambered gall in the Mediterranean region,and JZ. dorsalis that, with various other species, lives on the substance of the Cyzips of the many-chambered Oak Apple of North Europe. I have seen other species near London and in the Alpine vallies of Switzerland, and they are attractive on account of their comparative rarity, though their economy is but little known. The natural history of the Australian species may be unknown for some time to come, and I hope that its discovery will be preceded by attention to the Canadian galls and to their parasitic inhabitants.
78 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
SrREX.—This genus is well known by the large size of the few species that have been discovered and by its especial habitation in the North- I have mentioned elsewhere its occurrence in Eastern Siberia, which may have been the earlier habitation of the European species, and wherein some of the North American species also dwell, such as S. gzgas, S. albicornis, S. juveneus, S. spectrum and S. flavicernis. S. juveneus has appeared as far south as Algeria, and SS. cedrorum is contemporaneous with the cedars on Mt. Lebanon. SS. varies and S. dimtdiatus inhabit North America, and there are three apparently undescribed species from that region and one of small size from Mexico. There are two in North Hindostan and one in Australia, and three or four whose native country is unknown to me. It does not appear that distance in space between two species is accompanied by corresponding difference in character, for the Australian species is very nearly allied to S. juveneus. In the neigh- bouring genus, Zremex, the European 7: juxicernis is represented in North America by Z: columba, and there are three undescribed species, one of North America, one of Hindostan, and one of China.
NOTES ON COLLECTING.
BY THEODORE L. MEAD, NEW YORK.
Last season, while in the Catskill Mountains, I made some experiments. in sugaring for moths, which may be interesting to collectors.
The sugaring mixture employed was “molasses sugar” and water, in the proportion of three or four pounds to the gallon; I could not per- ceive that other additions, such as alcohol or preserved fruit, &c., were of any advantage.
About twenty trees in an orchard were sugared, but very few moths were seen for the first night or two, though as afterwards they came in immense numbers, it would seem that a little time is required for the news to spread.
Having found a cyanide poison-bottle to be very useful in killing small Diurnals, and noticing the almost universal habit of these moths, when disturbed, of darting downward before flying away, it occurred to me to make a poison-bottle on a large scale and to dispense with a net, always so inconvenient to use at night.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 79
Accordingly I procured a quart bottle with as wide a mouth as pos- sible—a fruit jar would have done very well—put in it enough lumps of common fused cyanide of potassium to cover the bottom, and having poured upon this about an inch of plaster of Paris mixed with plenty of water, I had only to await nightfall to commence operations.
The large poison-bottle worked to a charm; scarcely a moth escaped which I desired to take. With the new instrument I became impatient of the time required to take out and pin each specimen as soon as stupefied, and tried the experiment of capturing every uninjured moth seen and allowing them to remain ina layer upon the plaster until it was convenient to return to the house and sort them over, taking a moderate amount of care that they should not be unnecessarily shaken up in carrying.
Rather unexpectedly I found that this treatment did not seem to injure or rub the specimens in the least degree, though sometimes nearly a hundred moths of all sorts and sizes would be piled together, making a stratum an inch or two thick in the bottle.
After this discovery night collecting became easy, nets and boxes were left at home, and the only necessary articles were a lantern and the poison- bottle. Arrived at a tree and carefully turning the light upon the sugared patch, I selected out such moths as seemed desirable, and, removing the - stopper, gently touched them from below with the open bottle. When they. had flown down into the receptacle, the cork was replaced and the specimens were thus safely disposed of till the following morning, when they could be sorted over at leisure.
Occasionally a very wary moth would fly away at the first approach of artificial light, and I endeavored with laudanum and hydrate of chloral to so stupefy them that they could be readily taken. The laudanum was rather too effective, seeming to intoxicate them; at any rate, after imbibing the mixture, the moths fell off the tree and sprawled around in the grass in a very absurd manner, quite unable to fly away ; but-still most of them managed to go aconsiderable distance, and so were lost in the grass. The hydrate of chloral had no effect whatever upon them ; some moths which took a considerable quantity of a very concentrated solution—about equal bulks of the salt and of water—remained unaffected.
Sometimes ants were troublesome, biting the trunks of the moths as they fed, and causing them to fly away. In these cases a dose of laudanum was generally effective in driving off the ants for a considerable time.
80 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
a —_———.
Strips of white cloth nailed upon the trees were very convenient to receive the sugar, though not necessary. One afternoon, while preparing my baits for evening, a fine Grapta Interrogationits hovered around the tree for a moment and then lit close by, and unrolling its proboscis, feasted on the nectar. While engaged in this absorbing operation I readily cap- tured it between thumb and finger. In some localities where rare species are to be found, it may be worth while to try sugaring for butterflies as well as moths.
The vapor of hydrocyanic acid in the poison-bottle, as a rule, did not change the colors of specimens even after prolonged exposure. But a single moth of those collected, a pinkish Crambus, was faded by it, changing to olive brown.
At my suggestion cyanide of potassium was adopted by the American Museum of Natural History, to preserve their Entomological collections from the ravages of insects. At first small tin boxes were used, but the salt chrystallized upon the tin and made its way over the edge and down the sides of the receptacle, staining the cabinet drawers. Finally small glass capsules were used to contain the poison, and proved satisfactory. The vapors render it unpleasant to work over the drawers while the cap- sules are in them, but with the temporary removal of these the inconvenience ceases. A fly or other small insect introduced into one of the cases, dies in a very short time, and the protection against Dermestes is very complete, though of course it is hardly advisable to use this method where the drawers are not nearly air-tight. Still I think that every Ento- mologist would find a singie tight receptacle thus poisoned very useful as a sort of quarantine for suspected specimens. Even delicate green Geometrae, after being in an atmosphere cf prussic acid vapor for months, have, so far, shown no change in color.
THE South London Entomological Society, which, though only nine months old, has been extremely successful, held on Thursday evening last, at Dunn’s Institute, Newington Causeway, a very interesting exhibition of collections of insects, chiefly British Lepidoptera. The collections were made by the members themselves, all amateurs, and do them the greatest credit. The room was densely crowded, and the exhibition was a great success.
2
Che Canadian Gntomologst.
VOLE. V. LONDON, ONT., MAY, 1873. No. 5
HYPENA SCABRA (Fasr.) AND H. ERECTALIS, Guen. BY J. A. LINTNER, ALBANY, N. Y.
In the examination of my last season’s collections of AHyfena scabra (scabralis, Guen.,) and ‘‘ A erectalis,’ for sexual determinations, I was ~ surprised to find of the former, only the male represented, and of the latter, only the female. Collections of each having been made during the same period of time (from September rst to September 24th) and at the same place (the wall and ceiling of the piazza of my residence)—such 2 remarkable occurrence seemed to be so removed from accident, and inexplicable from any difference of sexual habits, that I was led to suspect the identity of the two species. On referring to my cabinet, I there found individuals labelled as ~ and Q of each species ; but, on a critical review of these determinations by an infallible method of distinguishing sex in the Heterocera, viz., the structure of the /rcnu/um (simple in the male and compound in the female), my “ 2 ” scabra proved to bea ff, and my “ ¢” erecfalisa 2. Among my duplicates of the collections of several years, the same result obtained. Mentioning these facts to my friend, Mr. Meske, of this city, he was quite positive of having in his cabinet the sexes of each species, but he subsequently found that a frenulum inspection of all his examples gave him only one sex of each form. There was, therefore, no longer room for doubt of the identity of
the “‘ two species” —that “ erecta/is” is only the female (though uniformly smaller) of scabra.
It is interesting, in connection with the above, to notice that Guenee,. in his description of scabralts, refers to seven #’s under his observation, and says, “ Je ne connais pas la 2.” Of erectalis he says, ‘3 3,1 2.” Mr. Grote (Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., iv, p. 102) cites f¢ and 2 of erectalts
82, THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
and scabra. ‘The varying form of the abdomen of scabra—-each sex often assuming the form pertaining to the other—may have easily led him into this error,as it had done with me in those which I had placed in my cabinet.
A strong testimony to the value of the investigations in which the eminent German Lepidopterist, Dr. Speyer, is at present engaged, in his examination and comparison of the identical or closely allied forms of European and American Heterocera, is given in the fact, that from the study of a small number of scabra and erectalis submitted to him (perhaps three of each form), he was led to believe that the two would prove to be but one species. This opinion was recently communicated by him in a letter to Mr. Meske. Before its reception, the conclusion, confirming his belief, to which I had arrived, through an examination of abundant material, had been forwarded to him.
There seems to be no sufficient reason at present for changing the scabra of Fabr. into the scabralis of Guenee—the true relations of the Deltoidz, whether to the Noctuas or to the Pyralites, being still a matter of opinion and discussion.
I embrace the present opportunity to communicate the fact, that an example of Depressaria Ontariella Bethune, sent by me last fall to Dr. Speyer, and by him submitted to Zeller, was by the latter determined to be D. heracliana Deg. The opinion of Mr. Angus, recorded in vol. 2, p. 19 of this Journal, that it was probably identical with the above named European species, is hereby confirmed.
DESCRIPTIONS OF NORTH AMERICAN HYMENOPTERA, No. 7
BY E. fT. CRESSON, PHILADELPHIA, PENN. Continued from Page 64. Genus HELcon, Nees.
Posterior femora toothed beneath near apex. Body entirely black, Jegs ferrmpimous.,. 7.0... s «6 ved nce ee 1, OCCIDENTALIS. Body black and ferruginous. Abdomen black, with broad median ferruginous band...2. BOREALIS. Abdomen entirely ferruginous. Metathorax and pleura more or less ferruginous ; posterior tarsiwiiten. 425 ij. dene baaaenee’ 3. ALBITARSIS. Metathorax and pleura black ; posterior tarsi black.4. FRIGIDUS.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 83
Posterior femora simple. Body entirely black. Legs entirely honey-yellow or ferruginous. Wings hyaline ; first abdominal segment narrow, SU a Se ee Ja.ss 4a aa eee 5. AMERICANUS. Wings fuliginous ; first abdominal segment broad, OQPaiee aaa. s ec se 2 nO a ate ere 6. FULVIPES.
Legs ferruginous, eee ion femora, tibiz and tarsi biack.7. PEDALIS.
1. HELCON OCCIDENTALIS.
Flelcon occidentalis, Cress., Proc. Ent. Soc.; iv, p. 292. @. Colorado.
2: -HELCON BOREALIS... -/V. sf.
gf .—Black, opaque ; clothed with a short thin pale pubescence ; top of head, cheeks and space on side of pleura smooth and shining, face finely and densely punctured ; antennz long, slender, brown; thorax densely, rather roughly sculptured, somewhat coriaceous ; metathorax densely and coarsely sculptured ; tegulz dull honey-yellow ; wings hya- line, iridescent, nervures and stigma fuscous; legs brigit honeyepetons anterior coxee tinged with fuscous, posterior tibize black, reddish at base, their tarsi pale yellow, dusky at tips, femoral tooth strong and blunt; abdomen depressed, first segment coriaceous, second and third céandenes honey-yellow. Length .33 inch.
Maine.
3. HELCON ALBITARSIS. JV. Sf.
g$ .—Head, pro and mesothorax, scutellum and sometimes the pleura entirely black; remainder honey-yellow or ferruginous; sometimes the pleura is entirely ferruginous, and sometimes the metathorax is obscurely ferruginous, nearly brown; antenne black or brown; head and thorax sculptured as in dorealis, the metathorax being more distinctly reticulated ; tegulz honey-yellow; wings hyaline, iridescent, nervures, and stigma fus- cous ; legs bright honey-yellow, posterior tibiz black, reddish at base, all the tarsi white, dusky at tips, femoral tooth acute; abdomen narrow, shining, first and second segments reticulated ; apical segments sometimes tinged with dusky: Length .27-.35 inch.
84 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGISIY.
Virginia; Illinois. This may be the male of dentifes, Brulle, the female of which is described as having a white annulus on antenne, and’ the tarsi are not conspicuously white as in @lbitarsis.
4. HELCON FRIGIDUS. JV. Sp.
? .—Black, shining ; face rough ; antennze slender, black ; prothorax except posterior angles, semi-circular band on pleura, disk of meso- thorax and basal excavation of scutellum, covered with coarse striz or reticulations ; metathorax coarsely reticulated ; tegule piceous ; wings smoky hyaline, nervures and stigma black; legs, including cox, rufo- ferruginous, tarsi tinged with yellowish, posterior tibize blackish, femoral tooth strong and very blunt; abdomen longer than thorax, narrow,, polished, ferruginous, dusky at base, first segment with two longitudinal ridges and a stout blunt tubercle on each side near base; ovipositor longer than body, honey-yellow, sheaths black. Length .45-.50 inch.
Hudson’s Bay ; Vancouvers’ Island (Henry Edwards.)
5. H{ELCON AMERICANUS. J. Sf.
2 .—Black, shining; face roughened ; prothorax and metathorax reticulated; labrum and mandibles except tips ferruginous; palpi pale yellowish; antennae long and slender, brown-black, base honey-yellow ; middle lobe of mesothorax prominent, divided from the side lobes by a deep groove which become confluent behind; tegulae and base of wings honey-yellow ; wings hyaline, sub-iridescent, nervures and stigma black ; legs honey-yellow, posterior tibiae and tarsi more or less dusky, femora simple; abdomen long, slender, shining, sides and base of second and third segments tinged more or less with testaceous, first segment long, narrow, grooved medially ; venter more or less tinged with testaceous ; Ovipositor very long and slender. Length .55-.60 inch.
Canada; .Virginia. Very distinct from /w/vifes by the shape and sculpture of the first abdominal segment.
6. HELCON FULVIPES.
Flelcon fulvipes, Cress., Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., iv, p. 292. @.
Colorado.
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7. HELCON PEDALIS. JV. Sp.
g 9.—Same form and sculpture as fu/vifes, from which it differs by. the posterior femora except base, and their tibiae and tarsi being black. Length .40-.48 inch.
Hudson’s Bay ; Massachusetts.
MICRO - LEPIDOPTERA.
BY V. T. CHAMBERS, COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.
Continued from Page 50. TINEA. Zz 1 -eunitaricedla..~ IV. sp.
Black ; head and face rufous ; palpi grayish white; antennae yellowish gray, annulate with black, tips white; wings black, with a costal and dorsal white spot opposite each other just before the middle (sometimes united, forming a fascia), a white fascia (sometimes interrupted) beyond the middle, a costal white spot in the apical portion of the wing, and near the apex an obliquely curved costal white streak ; apical portion of the wing bronzy, iridescent, ciliae grayish brown; legs silvery white, in parts tinged-with fuscous ; posterior wing fuscous. A/ar ex. less than % of an inch.
The larva is found upon old stone walls and monuments in cemeteries. I do not know whether it feeds upen the hairs contained in the mortar of the walls or upon the mortar itself, or upon Lichens, but upon the wall where I have found it most abundantly, I have never found a trace of Lichens. The case is composed of silk and grains of lime. It is flat- tened, with the under surface truncate at each end, and the upper surface projects in shape something like the bowl of a spoon at each end; the sides are emarginate near each end. I have lost my notes upon the larva. Hab. Kentucky and the Gulf States.
It is one of the handsomest Z7vee known to me.
2. TI. Orleansella. WV. sp.
Straw color or pale yellowish, thickly dusted with fuscous; a discal fuscous spot about the middle of the wing, and another opposite to it on
86 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
the dorsal margin; a row of dark brown spots around the apex, a dark brown spot on the base of the costa and an obscure one at the inner angle: the apical portion of the wing is thickly dusted. Antennae gray- ish stramineous : head and palpi sordid stramineous, the outer surface of the palpi brown. A/ar ex. 34 inch. New Orleans, La., in November.
3. T. auristrigela. WN. sp.
Head and antennae straw color or pale golden, palpi silvery; thorax and wings brown in some lights, bright purple, roseate or violaceous, with a wide shining straw colored or pale golden streak upon the fold, beginning at the base of the costa and extending to and into the beginning of the dorsal ciliae, and sometimes connected with a large straw colored or pale golden costal spot before the costal ciliae; ciliae pale golden Alar ex. ¥% inch. Kentucky, in July.
4. T. straminiella. WN. sp.
Head sordid yellowish; palpi, antennae, thorax and anterior wings straw color, palpi brownish externally ; sides of the thorax behind the eyes brown; arow of small brown spots along the fold, another at the end of the disk. Apex dusted with brown. Alar ex. Yinch. Ken- tucky, in June.
5. T. iridella. N. sp.
Palpi and lower part of the face brownish ; upper portion and vertex yellowish ; antennae brown; thorax and anterior wings iridescent, in some lights brown, in others glittering bluish green, violet or topaz red. In some lights the entire wing appears of a beautiful azure. Posterior wings pale fuscous. Alar ex. # inch. Col. Mr. Wm. Saunders, of London, Ontario, Canada.
A beautiful insect under the microscope.
6. TZ misceella. WN. Sp.
Head and palpi pale yellowish ; antennae pale fuscous; thorax and primaries fuscous and saffron yellow intermixed in almost equal quantities, the fuscous scales being sometimes aggregated into small spots, one of which is about the end of the disc and a larger one is near the base. Alar ex. ¥ inch. Kentucky.
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. S7
7. costotristrigela. LN. sp.
Head and palpi pale saffron yellow, the outer surface of the palpi dark brown; antennae dark brown; thorax and basal portion of the dorsal margin of the primaries dark brown dusted with yellowish white, the primaries otherwise white dusted with dark brown, with an oblique dark costal streak near the base, extended to the fold; just before the middle is another longer one also extended to the fold where it enlarges into an irregular spot, being also dusted with yellowish white above the fold ; just behind the middle is another streak not reaching the fold, behind which is a small costal brown spot and a row of brown spots around the apex. The apical portion of the wing is more densely dusted than the disc. Ciliae white with fuscous spots. Adar ex. ¥% inch. Kentucky, in August and September. Taken fiying.
8. TZ. bimaculella. WN. sp.
Outer surface of the second joint of the labial palpi brown; inner surface and terminal joint pale yellowish or stramineous ; head pale stramineous ; antennae pale yellowish tinged with fuscous; thorax shining dark brown, almost black, except the tip which is stramineous; costal half of the primaries fuscous, narrow towards the base, but spreading towards the apex, where it is mixed with pale yellowish, with a distinct dark brown spot beyond the end of the disc; dorsal half stramineous, widest at the base, narrowing towards the apex, with a distinct dark brown spot within the margin about the middle: ciliae fuscous and stramineous mixed ; anterior and intermediate legs dark brown, the tarsi faintly annulate with stramineous ; posterior legs stramineous. Alar ex. ¥Y% inch. Kentucky.
g. TI. aurosuffusela. NN. sp.
Palpi pale stramineous, the outer surface of the second joint of the labial pair brown ; antennae pale fuscous; head and thorax pale stramine- ous, with a small pale fuscous spot on the thorax before the apex; primaries pale stramineous streaked along the fold with pale reddish golden, and the apical portion of the wing suffused with the same hue; a rather wide pale fuscous streak, the basal portion of which is scalloped towards the fold, extends from the base of the costa along the costal margin to a little beyond the middle, and a similar streak, scalloped towards the fold in its : posterior half, extends along the dorsal margin from near the base to the
io) Co
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
beginning of the ciliae; and at the beginning of the costal ciliae is a rather wide somewhat oblique streak or band which extends almost to the dorsal margin and is a little convex towards the base ;_ ciliae pale stram-
ineous. Alar ex. Ysinch. Kentucky.
we, off griseella: INSP.
Palpi brown; head and antennae sordid yellowish gray; thorax and primaries brownish gray, with a small brownish spot within the dorsal margin before the middle, another still more faint on the disc, and a more distinct one at the end of the disc. Adar ex. Ys inch. Kentucky.
zz. T. marginistrigela. LN. sp.
Paipi yellowish white, the labial pair brown externally and tipped with white ; head whitish yellow ; thorax dark brown with a faint golden tinge; primaries dark golden brown, with some white intermixed, especially in the basal portion and along the dorsal margin to beyond the middle; the white of that part of the dorsal margin is arranged in numerous narrow _ short streaks which are perpendicular to the margin; a large white patch at the beginning of the dorsal cillae, sparsely dusted with brown; a row of white spots extends along the entire costal margin from near the base ; two of these spots about the middle being much larger than the others; extending to the middle of the wing, and only separated from each other by a narrow crooked brown line. The margin just before and at the apex is white, much dusted with brown and separated from the dorsal white patch by a patch of brown. Ciliae white with about seven or eight brown spots extending into them. Adar ex. % inch. Kentucky.
a2, J. trimachlella. “IN sp
Pale stramineous, the head a shade deeper yellow; thorax and primaries dusted with pale fuscous; two small fuscous spcts upon the disc about the middle, the one nearest the costal margin being the most indistinct, and a third one more distinct at the end of the disc ; posterior wings shining pale cr whitish yellow. Adar ex. vs inch. Kentucky.
13. T. fuscomaculella, N. sp.
Gray, flecked and spotted with fuscous, which in some lights appears reddish or brownish golden; one of the spots is at the base of the costa,
and opposite to it on the dorsal margin is a smaller one connected with it ®
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 89
by scattered fuscous scales ; a fuscous streak from the costa to the fold sometimes almost interrupted in the middle ; an oblique fuscous streak about the apieal third of the wing and a small dorsal spot opposite to it, and another small spot of the same hue near the apex; antennae silvery gray ; face and palpi whitish, outer surface of the palpi dusted with fuscous. Alar ex. Y% inch. Kentucky.
The antennae in this species and in the one next described are rather longer than is usual in Zizea. The neuration of the wings in both these species is also different. But I have not thought it necessary to make a new genus for them upon this account, the more especially as the neuration is by no means constant among the different species of Z7zvea, and these two species differ somewhat from each other in neuration. There are also minute differences in the form and relative size of the joints of the labial palpi between the preceding species and these two. This. species and the next differ from the others and agree with each other in having the costal margin of the hind wings excised from the middle to the tip. For these reasons I had at first intended to place them in a separate sub- genus, but as they differ from each other somewhat, especially in neuration and pattern of coloration, and agree with Zinea otherwise than as above quoted, I have concluded not to remove them from this genus. The next described species has the scales of the thorax and wings appressed and smoother than in the other species.
rg. T. argenti-strigella. WN. sp.
Face and palpi silvery white, outer surface of the labial palpi brown ; antennae silvery beneath, maroon brown above, annulate with silvery white ; vertex maroon brown; thorax above, a spot under each wing and the basal portion of the primaries rich maroon brown, or in some lights violaceous, with a narrow irregular white fascia upon the wings behind the maroon basal portion ; behind the fascia the primaries are maroon brown or violaceous, mixed with white towards the fascia, the white gradually disappearing towards the apex. Six oblique silvery costal streaks, the first being small and the others becoming gradually larger to the fifth, the sixth again being smaller ; two distinct dorso-apical white streaks and a small patch of maroon dusted with white in the dorso-apical part of the wing, which is continuous with those of the five dorsal silvery streaks ; dorsal ciliae silvery ; abdomen violaceous, each segment silver fringed ; legs silvery iridescent. Adar ex. ¥% inch. Kentucky.
A very handsome species.
90 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. as eee gg Tere re
The following species differ from the true Zivea as follows: the an- tennae are shorter and thicker, with the joints shorter and arranged like a series of cups placed in each other, and microscopically ciliated (or rather pubescent.) I have not thought it necessary to erect a new genus how- ever, as in other respects they agree with the true Z7wea.
15. T. auropulvella. WN. sp.
Snowy white ; outer surface of the second joint of the labial palpi brown ; antennae yellowish white ; primaries very sparsely dusted with pale reddish or brownish golden, except in the apical portion, where the dusting is rather dense; it is also thicker near the base of the dorsal margin. A dark brown spot on the costa at the extreme base ; another larger one on the costa near the base; a smaller costal one just before the middle ; a large one just behind the middle reaching to the fold; another small one before the ciliae and five or six other small ones extending around the apex at the beginning of the ciliae ;_ in some lights these spots are distinctly golden brown. Adar ex. yo inch. Kentucky. Taken in July resting upon the trunks of trees in forests. It is rather sluggish and does not easily take flight.
¥O. “TL. fuscopulvella”” No sp:
Snowy white; outer surface of the labial palpi dark brown; antennae sordid yellowish white ; thorax and primaries dusted irregularly with dark brown scales, the dusting sparse In some portions, but in others aggre- gated into small spots or patches, a small one of which is on the fold not far from the base ; two other larger ones about the middle and others in the apical half of the wing ; it also assumes the form of more or less distinct costal and dorsal streaks. Alar ex. 34 inch. Kentucky.
17. T. maculabella. WN. sp.
Snowy white; maxillary and labial palpi brown, except the inner sur- face of the labial pair, which is white; antennae sordid yellowish white ; thorax and primaries snowy white, with large distinct dark brown spots which in some lights are golden brown; one of these spots is on the anterior margin of the thorax and one on each side before the apex; primaries sparsely dusted with dark brown ; a dark brown costal spot at the extreme base and a larger one near the base; another within the one last named on the fold; before the middle is an oblique irregular streak
THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 9L
of the same hue reaching to the fold and pointing towards a spot of the same hue just within the fold; a small spot of the same hue about the middle of the costa, behind which is an irregular costal streak of the same hue which extends to the middle of the apical portion of the wing and widens into a large irregular spot ; in the apical part of the wing is an indistinct Zongitudinal dorsal streak, nearly opposite to which, but a little behind it, is a larger and more distinct streak which is also longitudinal. All of these spots are mixed with or margined by reddish yellow scales ; ciliae white dusted with dark brown. Alar ex. 7 inch. Kentucky.
The three foregoing species thus resemble each other and differ from the others in ornamentation as well as inthe structure of the antennae. They were all three taken in the same situations.
ON THE HABITS OF CERTAIN GALL INSECTS.OF THE GENUS CYNIPS.
BY H. F. BASSETT, WATERBURY, CONN.
For ten years past I have been studying the habits of the Cynipide to determine, if possible, whether there are one or two broods of these Insects each year.
Several years ago I discovered the flies of C. ¢. oferator in the act of ovipositing in the young acorns of Quercus tlicifolia, the oak on which the woolly galls of this species are generally found. The insect thrust its ovipositor down between the acorn and the acorn cup, and, late in the summer, the acorns thus stung proved abortive, while around them and often protruding far above the cup were little acorn-like galls, each con- taining a large Cynipideous larva. Several of these galls were often found in each acorn cup. ‘That year nearly all the acorns were affected, and there are more or less thus injured every year.
I have as yet failed to rear any flies from these galls, probably because I have failed to keep the galls in the proper condition for developement.
A later discovery, made three or four years ago, was that of two, and I think three species of Cynips in the act of ovipositing in the buds of the oak, Q. alba, just as the buds began to develope, but before the leaves were visible.
92, THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST.
The relationship of these species to any known species was only inferentially established. It is true that the leaves of several oaks on which I found one species very abundant, were almost all covered with galls of C. g. futilis, O. S., but the females of this species were not so large as my new bud stinging species.
I have, for the past three years, carefully examined the buds of Q. ilicifolia, hoping to find the producer of C. g. operator at work, but without success, till this week, when I found no less than thirty gall flies ovi- positing in the buds of this oak.
That they really are the producers of these galls needs no further proof than I now give. The insect C. g. oferator is distinguished from all our other species by the projection of the ovipositor above the dorsum. In this respect it resembles the several species of guest gall flies that infest almost all our species of galls. It has, however, the neuration of the true gall flies. In size my insects are considerably larger than C. g. operator, but in form, color, neuration of the wings, and, above all, in the peculiar form and position of the sheath of the ovipositor, they are like this species.
Few will doubt their identity; but to make “assurance doubly sure,” I hope some one will be so fortunate as to raise gall flies from these acorn galls, when a comparison with mine will settle the question whether this particular species (C. g. operator) is double brooded or not.
I wish (if my article is not already too long) to state a few other facts and to show their bearing upon the history of these interesting insects.
There stands not