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March i89x.J PS YCttE. spicuous upon the margin of the posterior wings upon the upperside, only those just at the anal angle and the two between the me- diannervules reappear upon the underside. Of these the two at the anal angle are ob- scure, while those between the median net- yules are large and very distinct. They are all crowned with red lines and have their black centres irrorated with shining green scales. Expanse of wings 28 mm. Type in the collection of the author. I have assigned this species in a gen- eral way to Lycaena Fabr., feeling un able to refer it to any of the recent subdivisions of the genus instituted by the Indian lepidopterists, without such an examination of the neuration as I do not feel justified in making with only one specimen at my disposal. It is very different in appearance from any othel species of the group known to me, and recalls tseudodipsas cephees Hew., so far as the co!oration of the upperside of the secondaries is concerned. ON AN IMPORTANT CHARACTER, HITHERTO LITTLE NOTICED, IN THE FAMILY BUPREST[DAE. BY" FREDERICK BLANCI-IARD. In Comstock’s Introduction to Entomology, part i, the many excelle,ncies of which and its fl’esh treatment of the subject lead us to hope for the early appearance of the succeeding parts, on page 18, there is given a figure of the underside of Juckroma gigantea Linn. in which is shown the anteco,xal piece of the me- tasternum, separated by a short transverse su- ture, the ends arcuately bent towards and reaching the hind coxae. This appears to be the first distinct reference to this pecu- liarity of the Buprestidae so far as can learn. Deyrolle, in his Buprestides de la Malasie, plate 4, figs. 3 and 4 exhibits the same thing, but in fig. 25, illustrating the underside of a species of Pachyscelis, the suture is not indi- cated. There is, however, no reference to the antecoxal piece in the text. From the examination of a considerable number of genera in this family during the last few years, both native and foreign, it ap- pears that this structure is always present and is of much greater importance in limiting the family than the connate first and second ven- trals chiefly depended upon heretofore. Although the members of the family Bu- prestidae are usually quite easily recognized, some early errors would have been avoided had this character been observed or appreci- ated; in our own fauna, notably in the case of the genus Schizopus Lee., for the recep- tion of which a distiuct family, the Schizo- podidae, was created although afterwards suppressed. It need hardly be said that the existence ot an antecoxal piece, seen elsewhere anaong Co- leoptera, so far as know, only in the Ade- phaga, where the importance of its existe,ce and of its modifications have been so skilfilly demonstrated by Dr. Horn, does not necessa- rily imply any relationship of the Buprestidae to that series, but adds another, and a most impressive one, to the many known instances of the repetition of characters or structures in widely different families, which have been noticed by writers, and especially by Dr. Horn. HARRISlMEMNA TRISIGNATA--I found two of these grotesque larvae on St/raea tomen- rosa, Sept. 22nd, Northborough, Mass. The only food-plant given by Mr. Edwards is "Syr/n’a." The larva bored into bits of rotten wood, and "backed out" with the chips. These chips were rolled into neat pellets of almost uniform size, very round,

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Page 1: PSYCttE. - Hindawi Publishing Corporationdownloads.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/1891/083515.pdfcollection ofthe author. I haveassigned this species in a gen-eral wayto Lycaena Fabr.,

March i89x.J PSYCttE.

spicuous upon the margin of the posteriorwings upon the upperside, only those just atthe anal angle and the two between the me-

diannervules reappear upon the underside.Of these the two at the anal angle are ob-scure, while those between the median net-

yules are large and very distinct. Theyare all crowned with red lines and have theirblack centres irrorated with shining greenscales.Expanse of wings 28 mm. Type in the

collection of the author.

I have assigned this species in a gen-

eral way to Lycaena Fabr., feeling unable to refer it to any of the recentsubdivisions of the genus instituted bythe Indian lepidopterists, without suchan examination of the neuration as I donot feel justified in making with onlyone specimen at my disposal. It is verydifferent in appearance from any othelspecies of the group known to me, andrecalls tseudodipsas cephees Hew.,so far as the co!oration of the uppersideof the secondaries is concerned.

ON AN IMPORTANT CHARACTER,HITHERTO LITTLE NOTICED, IN THE

FAMILY BUPREST[DAE.

BY" FREDERICK BLANCI-IARD.

In Comstock’s Introduction to Entomology,part i, the many excelle,ncies of which and itsfl’esh treatment of the subject lead us to hopefor the early appearance of the succeedingparts, on page 18, there is given a figure of theunderside of Juckroma gigantea Linn. inwhich is shown the anteco,xal piece of the me-tasternum, separated by a short transverse su-

ture, the ends arcuately bent towards andreaching the hind coxae. This appears tobe the first distinct reference to this pecu-liarity of the Buprestidae so far as can learn.Deyrolle, in his Buprestides de la Malasie,plate 4, figs. 3 and 4 exhibits the same thing,but in fig. 25, illustrating the underside of a

species of Pachyscelis, the suture is not indi-cated. There is, however, no reference to theantecoxal piece in the text.From the examination of a considerable

number of genera in this family during thelast few years, both native and foreign, it ap-pears that this structure is always present andis of much greater importance in limiting thefamily than the connate first and second ven-trals chiefly depended upon heretofore.

Although the members of the family Bu-prestidae are usually quite easily recognized,some early errors would have been avoidedhad this character been observed or appreci-ated; in our own fauna, notably in the caseof the genus Schizopus Lee., for the recep-tion of which a distiuct family, the Schizo-

podidae, was created although afterwardssuppressed.

It need hardly be said that the existence ot

an antecoxal piece, seen elsewhere anaong Co-leoptera, so far as know, only in the Ade-

phaga, where the importance of its existe,ce

and of its modifications have been so skilfillydemonstrated by Dr. Horn, does not necessa-

rily imply any relationship of the Buprestidaeto that series, but adds another, and a mostimpressive one, to the many known instances

of the repetition of characters or structuresin widely different families, which have beennoticed by writers, and especially by Dr.Horn.

HARRISlMEMNA TRISIGNATA--I found twoof these grotesque larvae on St/raea tomen-

rosa, Sept. 22nd, Northborough, Mass. Theonly food-plant given by Mr. Edwards is

"Syr/n’a." The larva bored into bits ofrotten wood, and "backed out" with thechips. These chips were rolled into neat

pellets of almost uniform size, very round,

Page 2: PSYCttE. - Hindawi Publishing Corporationdownloads.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/1891/083515.pdfcollection ofthe author. I haveassigned this species in a gen-eral wayto Lycaena Fabr.,

and evidently kept in shape by some gummysecretion applied by the larva. Each pelletwas about one-sixteenth inch in diameterand all could be rolled about without crum-

bling. When the burrow was finished thelarva "backed in" and closed the opening witha thin, transparent, parchment-like door.It took over twenty-four hours to make theburrow and seal it. C.G. Soule.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.--Mr. C. P. Gil-lette, formerly entomologist at the Experi-ment Station at Ames, Iowa, has removed toColorado to take a similar position at FortCollins.A continuation of Mr. J. H. Emerton’s

New England spiders appears in the lastpart of the Transactions of the ConnecticutAcademy. It concerns the Drassidae (33sp.), AgaIenidae (II sp.)., and Dysderidae(2 sp.), with six plates crowded with excel-lent figures; more than half the species areregarded as new.Baron Osten Sacken has suggested in the

February number of the Entomologists’monthly magazine a new classification of thefamilies of nemocerous Diptera.A timely and convenient catalogue of the

described transformations of North AmericanColeoptera by W. Beutenmuller will befound in the January number of the journa’lof the New York microscopical society.L’ABEILLE, the journal of entomology

founded by the late abbc! Marseul, and byhim carried through twenty-six volumes, isto be continued by the Entomological Soci-ety of Paris, to which he bequeathed it. Mr.L. Bedel has been chosen editor, and thetwenty-seventh volume is now in press, Thejournal, as formerly, will be devoted mainlyto Old World Coleoptera, and the frequencyof its issue will depend upon subscriptionsand sales.

PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES.CAMBRIDi3E ENTOMOLOGICAL CLUB.

8 June, 888.--The i39th meeting was heldat 55 Brattle St. Mr. J. H. Emerton waschosen chairman.

Mr. C. W. Woodworth exhibited speci-

mens of a species of Typhlocyba found onthe rose, to which they are very injurious.He also showed a specimen, of a species of

Jassidae found on the apple. No jassidshave before been found on that tree.Mr. S. H. Scudder remarked on the num-

ber of subsegments in the larvae of butter-flies. Mr. Scudder has applied this to theposition of Libythea, which has been vari-ously placed in the Pierinae, Nymphalidae,and Erycininae.Mr. Scudder stated that most of the changes

in the larvae of the Lepidoptera, such asmoults, etc., occur before ten o’clock in themorning.Mr. S. H. Scudder mentioned the finding

of the larva of Oeneis semidea which hadformed a very slight silken cocoon for pu-pating. It is now a pupa.

9 November, I888.--The I4oth meeting ofthe Club was held at I56 Brattle St. Mr.J. H. Emerton was chosen chairman.

Mr. J. H. Emerton exhibited some draw-ings of spiders made by himself and Mr. Ed-win Sheppard for Dr. H. C. McCook ofPhiladelphia.Mr. S. H. Scudder showed a collection of

butterflies brought together to illustrate mim-icry in this country. Considerable discussionof the subject of protective mimicry followed.

Profi C. H. Fernald spoke of the work ofthe State experiment stations, establishedunder the new act of Congress appropriatinga sum of money to each state for the purpose,and especially of the Hatch Experiment Sta-tion of the Amherst Agricultural College, ofwhich station he is entomologist.Mr. S. Henshaw read a paper for Miss

Caroline G. Soule on a mode of preservingpupae of Sphingidae through the winter.Mr. H. Hinkley spoke of forcing the early

emergence of Sphingidae by keeping the pu.pae at room temperature.Mr. S. H. Scudder described how Mr. S.

L. Elliot kept his pupae through the winter,and mentioned the opportunity offered by acold storage company in Boston for winter-ing hibernating insects.Mr. H, Hinkley described a double cocoon

of Attacus promethea.

Page 3: PSYCttE. - Hindawi Publishing Corporationdownloads.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/1891/083515.pdfcollection ofthe author. I haveassigned this species in a gen-eral wayto Lycaena Fabr.,

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