ERIC M. FISHER

Vol. XXXII JANUARY, 1956 No. 1

THE

Pan-Pacific Entomologist

CONTENTS

SNELLING—Bees of the genus Centris in California.,. 1

BARBER—A new species of Leptocoris. 9

FRICK—Nearctic species in the Liriomyza pusilla complex No. 1

Introduction ....... 11

LEACH—James Edward Cottle (1861-1953).-. 19

BECHTEL—A new species of Aplastus from Lower California with

notes on other species of Plastocerinae. 21

MUESEBECK—Two new braconid parasites of the avocado looper.. 25

HURD—Xylocopa rufina utilizing Mexican Cedar timbers for nest¬

ing purposes . 28

SCHEDL—Some bark and ambrosia beetles from the Tres Maria

Islands, Mexico .„. 30

SCHEDL—Fauna aethiopica VIII... 32

SMITH—A key to the workers of Veromessor Forel of the United

States and the description of a new subspecies... 36

PECHUMAN—An unusual new Tabanus from Arizona. 39

ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE . 18

BOOK NOTICES AND REVIEWS.24, 28, 35

PROCEEDINGS, Pacific Coast Entomological Society, 1955. 43

SAN FRANCISCO. CALIFORNIA • 1956

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The Pan-Pacific Entomologist

Yol. XXXII January, 1956 No. 1

BEES OF THE GENUS CENTRIS IN CALIFORNIA

(Hymemoptera: Anthophoridae)

Roy R. Snelling

Turlock, California

The anthophorid bees of the genus Centris 1 have been some¬

thing of a problem with workers of bees for some time. The genus

is a large one, and the number of names proposed for species

probably exceeds the actual number of species by quite a great

margin. Many species have never been properly described, if at

all, while others have been described many times under many

names (e.g. Centris versicolor Fabricius). With exception of

certain tropical species, most of these bees are rather stable, and

redescription has probably been the result of incorrect determin¬

ations and of not having actually seen the types of species. In

this study the author has studied the types of several forms, and

other names are based upon authentically determined material.

Tire earliest attempt to prepare a key for the determination

of Nearctic Centris is that of Cockerell (1897) which proved to

be unworkable as more material became available. The later key

of Fox (1899) is still workable for determination of the species

known at that lime. The principal value of this work is that valid

specific characters are brought into use for the first time. The

tables of Friese (1900) are of no real value for our species as he

relied largely upon the original descriptions and such poor char¬

acters as the color of the pubescence, body and wings, and upon

size. Michener (1950) has prepared an excellent key to the sub¬

genera.

The author wishes to express his thanks to Dr. C. D. Michener

1 The author is herein using Centris in the sense of Cresson, Cockerell and other

authors prior to Sandhouse (1943, U. S. Nat. Mus. Proc. 92:519-619). As Sandhouse

pointed out, this name should be used for the euglossine genus which has long been

called Eulaema, while the genus herein under consideration should be known as

Hemisia. However, in view of the extensive literature which has been built up

around use of the names Centris and Eulaema (prior to Sandhouse), C. D. Michener

and I feel that it would be much less confusing if the rules of the International

Commission on Zoological Nomenclature were suspended in these cases, in order that

these names may be used in the same sense as they have been in the past. Dr.

Michener has made an application to the Commission in regard to this matter.

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

for many valuable suggestions made while the research for this

paper was in progress, and for reading and correcting the un¬

finished manuscript. Grateful acknowledgment is also made to

P. H. Timberlake for the loan of certain specimens and for

making numerous valuable criticisms on the manuscript.

Key to California Species of Centris 2

Females

1. Clypeus strongly protuberant, seen from side as far in front of base of

mandibles as width of eyes, finely, sparsely punctate, with a large

median impunctate area, black, without macula; pubescence of meso-

scutum, scutellum and metanotum dark fox-red (wings pale fuliginous,

subhyaline, veins and stigma black; first tergum with long erect

pubescence, remaining terga sparsely pubescent; basal area of propo-

deum, except apex, dull, tessellate; inner mandibular margin with three

long, subacute teeth, apical tooth very long, subacute). rhodomelas

- Clypeus only moderately protuberant, often very shiny, black, red or

vellow, with or without macula; thoracic pubescence varying from light

fulvous to white; mandibles variable___2

2. Maxillary palpi four-segmented; pubescence mostly pale whitish, sur¬

faces of abdominal terga hidden by short, appressed pubescence.3

- Maxillary palpi five-segmented; pubescence fulvous to ochraceous; at

least four apical terga in large part bare.4

3. Large species, 13-16 mm.; mandibles tridentate; abdominal ventrites

three to five with distinct apical fringes of moderately long white

hairs - pallida

- Smaller, 11.5-13 mm.; mandibles quadridentate; ventrites lacking tire

white apical fringes . tiburonensis

4. Large species 13-16 mm.; clypeus black or with apical yellow spot;

legs black or darkly rufescent; clypeus distinctly punctate; surface of

second tergum obscured by short appressed pubescence.5

- Smaller 12-14 mm.; clypeus red or yellow; legs variable often red;

second tergum without surface obscured by appressed pubescence.6

5. Eye, seen from side, wider than genae; clypeus bulging basally, always

with a small apical yellow macula; pubescence of second tergum sub-

appressed, pallid; ventrites three to five with pale apical fringes; coastal

and desert species . hoffmanseggiae

- Eye, seen from side, no wider than genae; clypeus weakly bulging basally,

with a large shiny median impunctate area, entirely black; pubescence of

second tergum usually strongly appressed, usually dark or with apical

and lateral areas pallid; ventrites without pale apical fringes; primarily

of the San Joaquin Valley. californica

6. Greatest facial width greater than distance between the anterior ocellus

and apex of clypeus; legs mostly red, pubescence black, except on

anterior femora and tibiae; apical margins of terga two and three

2 The female of rhodoleuca Cockerell and the male of calif ornica Timberlake

have not been included in this key as they apparently are unknown.

January, 1956]

SNELLING-CENTRIS

laterally with pale fasciae; clypeus, labrurn, inner orbits for a short

distance, mandibles except apices, red (clypeus sparsely punctate, with

fine punctation on extreme lateral and basal margins; labrurn deeply

punctate, with shining interstices; first segment of flagellum almost as

long as scape, distinctly shorter than following three segments com¬

bined; propodeum very sparsely punctate; postscutellum shinier than

scutellum) ... rhodopus

- Greatest facial width less than distance between anterior ocellus and

apex of clypeus; legs black or dark brown, rarely lightly rufescent.7

7. Apical width of clypeus hardly greater than its median length; labrurn

small, subtriangular, subacuminate at apex; sternal pubescence of

thorax pale or lightly tinged with brownish. lanosa

- Apical width of clypeus greater than its median length; labrurn larger,

semilunate, its apex broadly, roundly slightly emarginate; sternal

pubescence of thorax usually strongly black or dark brownish. alripes

Males

1. Posterior femora strongly swollen, one-half to one-third as broad as

long; body entirely covered by long dense, shaggy, pallid pubescence;

abdomen dull red basally, remainder of body dull black; legs mostly

dull red ..-..,. rhodoleuca

- Posterior femora usually about one-fourth as broad as long, rarely (in

Nearctic fauna) almost one-third as broad as long; if body covered

with pubescence, then pubescence short, integument of abdomen shin¬

ing black .. 2

2. Maxillary palpi four-segmented; abdominal dorsum entirely hidden by

short pallid pubescence .—.3

- Maxillary palpi five-segmented; abdominal dorsum not hidden by pub¬

escence beyond first segment,...4

3. Larger species 13-16.5 mm.; face narrow, inner orbits strongly con¬

verging above . pallida

- Smaller species, 12—13.5 mm.; face broader, inner orbits almost parallel

...-..—. tiburonensis

4. Large species, 13-16 mm.; legs and abdomen black; maculae of face

pale yellow . 5

- Species of smaller maximum size, usually about 13 mm.; legs often red¬

dish; abdomen often reddish basally; maculae of face bright lemon-

yellow ...........6

5. Clypeus strongly protuberant, as far in front of mandibular base as eye

is wide when viewed laterally; first flagellar segment shorter than follow¬

ing four combined; supraclypeal area and underside of scape, in addition

to clypeus and labrurn, yellow; pubescence of vertex and thoracic dors um

often dark fox-red, but varying to fulvous... rhodomelas

- Clypeus not as strongly protuberant as noted above; first flagellar segment

as long as following four combined; supraclypeal area and underside of

scape black; pubescence as noted above usually ochraceous

.—...-. hoffmanseggiae

6. Face broad, distance from apex of clypeus to anterior ocellus no greater

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

than greatest facial breadth; legs pale reddish; terga two to five with

at least lateral apical fringes of pallid pubescence. rhodopus

— Face narrow, distance from apex of clypeus to anterior ocellus greater

than greatest facia] breadth; legs brown or blackish; terga two to five

without pale apical fringes.-...7

7. Pubescence of thoracic sternum dark brown or blackish, that of mid

and posterior legs entirely black; first flagellar segment shorter than

following two combined; inner orbits diverging above. atripes

- Pubescence of thoracic sternum pale or with a slight admixture of

brownish hairs; middle tibiae and posterior femora externally with pale

pubescence; first flagellar segment as long as the following three com¬

bined; inner orbits converging above...,.. lanosa

Trichocentris Sneliing, new subgenus

This subgenus is mostly closely allied to Penthemisia Moure

from which it hardly differs except in the swollen hind legs and

the heavy tibial spurs and tarsal claws. This subgenus is known

only from the males of three species, one of which is apparently

undescribed. One of the species included here (C. rnorsei Cock¬

erell) does not agree too well with the other species, but rather

than erect a new subgenus (which would tend to obscure the sub¬

generic relationships) for it, I am including it here provisionally.

Centris vanduzeei. Cockerell, described from the Gulf of Cali¬

fornia, may prove to be a Trichocentris, but the types will have

to be restudied before this is clear. The female of vanduzeei has

the abdomen thinly covered with erect white pubescence, with

whitish fasciae on the apical margins of the terga. The face is

black. The male differs from any known Trichocentris in that the

face is entirely black. In the closely related subgenus Penthemisia,

however, the males of a few species (e.g. mexicana F. Smith and

aterrima F. Smith) have the face immaculate, so this is probably

merely an interesting specific character.

If vanduzeei should eventually prove to be a member of this

subgenus, then we have an interesting situation, for the secondary

basitibial plate of the female of this species is very poorly

developed, while the genitalia of the three species which I have

studied have the large branched setae of the gonocoxites which

are characteristic of the subgeneric complex including Penthe¬

misia, Centris s. str and Xanthemisia. This would seem to indi¬

cate, therefore, that Trichocentris is a rather primitive type, from

which this complex may have evolved. With Trichocentris as the

most primitive type, one line of development (by retention of

January, 1956]

SNELLING-CENTRIS

the setae of the gonocoxites, shortening of the apical segments

of the maxillary palpi, development of a basitibial plate with a

secondary plate) leads to the Penthemisia, Centris s. str., and

Xanthemisia complex, while another line leads to Wagenknechtia

and the remaining subgenera in which the males lose the branched

setae and where the maxillary palpi are reduced to three or four

segments, all of these segments being quite long as compared to

the Penthemisia complex.

The characters by which Trichocentris may be recognized are

as follows:

Mandibles slender, tridentate, inner tooth much smaller than in

Penthemisia , acute; maxillary palpi five-segmented, two apical segments

distinct from one another, fourth as long as basal, fifth longer than basal;

first flagellar segment of antennae slightly longer than scape; clypeus and

labrum smooth, nearly impunctate, bright lemon-yellow; first recurrent

vein of forewings reaching second submarginal cell at end of basal third;

hind femora swollen, one-half to one-third as broad as long (usually about

one-fourth as broad as long in Penthemisia); tibial spurs blunt, flattened;

tarsal claws dentate, the inner tooth very long so that they appear almost

bifid, very stout; apical processes of seventh and eighth ventrites slender;

giant branched setae of gonocoxites quite long, not as well developed as in

other subgenera of this complex, arising near the bases of the gonostyli;

gonocoxites without apical processes; large robust species, body usually

covered with long, dense, shaggy pallid pubescence.

Type of subgenus: Centris rhodoleuca Cockerell, 1923.

Most of the species in this subgenus appear to be rather rare,

or at least are uncommon.

Centris rhodoleuca Cockerell

Centris rhodoleuca Cockerell, 1923. Calif. Acad. Sci. Proc. (4) 12:7b. 3.

This species was described from a male taken by E. P. Yan-

Duzee at Tiburon Island, Gulf of California, Mexico. I have seen

material of this rare species from California (Morongo Valley,

Palm Springs, Campo) and Nevada (near Arden, Clark County).

Timberlake informs me, in lilt., that he has a specimen from

Jacumba, San Diego County, California. The only floral records

for this species are Croton californica on which Timberlake found

it in Morongo Valley. According to data before me, this species

flies from June 6 to August 4.

Penthemisia Moure

Centris subg. Penthemisia Moure, 1950. Dusenia 1:390-392. Type:

Centris chilensis Spinola.

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

Hemisia subg. Penthemisia Michener, 1950. Jour. Kans. Ent. Soc. 24:2-4.

Centris pallida Fox

Centris pallida Fox, 1899. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. Proc. 51:66.9.

Centris pallida callognatha Cockerell, 1923. Calif. Acad. Sci. Prcc. (4)

12:78. 9 ( new synonym).

Centris trichosoma Cockerell, 1923. loc. cit. $ ( new synomym).

A careful study of a large series of this species and the types

of callognatha and trichosoma has resulted in the above synonomy.

The trichosoma is identical to males of this species from other

parts of its range, while the callognatha variation with fulvous

hair on the vertex and mesoscutum can be taken along with the

typical form in California, Arizona and Mexico.

This species flies during the spring and early summer on the

Colorado Desert in California, and visits the flowers of Cercidium,

Olneya and Dalea.

Pallida is a rather peculiar species, and might well belong to

the subgenus described above as Trichocentris. Occasional males

have the hind femora almost half as broad as long. The female

has the mandibles tridentate and the maxillary palpi are four

segmented. Whether this species falls under T richocentris or

Penthemisia must await the discovery of the females of Tricho¬

centris.

Centris tiburonensis Cockerell

Centris tiburonensis Cockerell, 1923. Calif. Acad. Sci. Proc. (4) 12:78.9.

This common species, which occurs in Baja California, Cali¬

fornia and Nevada, flies in the late spring and early summer

along with the superficially similar pallida. In Baja California,

Mexico, I found this species flying in a light rain and visiting

the flowers of Koeherlinia spinosa. One female was seen to enter

a burrow in loose sand. Like pallida, this species also visits

Cercidium, Olneya, and Dalea.

Centris rhodopus Cockerell

Centris caesalpiniae var. rhodopus Cockerell, 1897. Ann. Mag. Nat.

Hist. (6) 19:394. 9 $ .

Centris rhodopus var. pulchrior, Cockerell, 1900. Canad. Ent. 32:363.$.

This is the most common and well-known of our Nearctic

species of Centris and is found in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona,

Nevada, California, Sonora, and Baja California.

January, 1956]

SNELLING-—CENTRIS

Centris atripes Mocsary

Centris atripes Mocsary, 1899. Termes. Fiizetek 22:254. $.

Centris atriventris Fox, 1899. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. Proc. 51:68.9 $.

Preocc.

Centris foxi Friese, 1900. K. K. Naturhist Hofmus. Ann. 15:350. New

name for Centris atriventris Fox.

The presence of this species in California is marked by the

capture of a single male at Brawley, Imperial County, June 21,

1953 by the author, at flowers of Dalea spinosa. I have seen

material of atripes from Baja California, Sonora, Arizona, New

Mexico, Texas and Tamaulipas.

Centris lanosa Cresson

Centris lanosa Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc. Trans. 4:284. $.

Centris cocherellii Fox, 1899. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. Proc. 51:68. New

name for Centris hoffmanseggiae Cockerell, 9 . not the $ .

Centris cockerelli resoluta Cockerell, 1923. Calif. Acad. Sci. Proc. (4>

12:76. 9 $ (new synonym).

Cockerell erected the variety resoluta for the females of this

species which have the clypeus reddish in color. My studies, how¬

ever, reveal that this form also can be found among the so-called

typical populations of New Mexico and Texas, while individuals

with the clypeus pale yellow may be taken from time to time in

Arizona and California.

Centris lanosa is common on the deserts of southern Cali¬

fornia and is also found in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

and northern Mexico. This species flies in the spring and early

summer, visiting Cercidium, Krameria, Dalea and Prosopis.

Centris californica Timberlake

Centris californica Timberlake, 1940. Pan-Pacific Ent. 16:139.9.

This rare species, of which the male is unknown, is closely

allied to hoffm,anseggiae Cockerell, but until the male of cali¬

fornica is discovered, no definite idea of the true relationship of

the two species can be formed.

Centris californica is known from Barstow, San Bernardino

County, Kerman, Fresno County, and Turlock, Stanislaus County.

This bee has been captured on the flowers of Cleomella obtusifolia,

Wislizenia refracta and mustard, and capture dates range from

July 14 to September 24.

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

Centris hoffmanseggiae Cockerell

Centris hoffmanseggiae Cockerell, 1897. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (6)

19:395. $ (not $ ).

Centris hoffmanseggiae var. davidsoni Cockerell, 1904. South Calif.

Acad. Sci. Bui. 3:160. $ (new synonym).

Cockerell’s variety davidsoni , described from Banning, Cali¬

fornia, is much too poorly differentiated to be recognized as a

valid form, since individuals of both types may be found to¬

gether throughout the range of the species, which thus far is known

only to include New Mexico and southern California. Although

this is primarily a desert species, I have seen a number of speci¬

mens taken by C. D. Michener at the Hastings Natural History

Reservation, Santa Lucia Mountains, Monterey County. Known

floral records for this species include Cercidium, Lotus, Prosopis,

Penstemon, Dicentra and Larrea.

Centris rhodomelas Timberlake

Centris rhodomelas Timberlake, 1940. Pan-Pacific Ent. 16:139.$ $.

This is one of the most distinctive species of Penthemisia

known to me and does not seem to be closely related to any other

species. The strongly protuberant clypeus and dark fox-red

pubescence of the thoracic dorsum and the most readily noted

characters of this handsome species. It closely resembles Tetra-

lonia califomica (Cresson) in this respect.

Whereas this species has been found from Ventura County

north to Yolo and Fresno Counties, it is apparently absent from

the Central Valley. I have seen one male in the collection of the

University of California at Davis from Putah Canyon, Yolo and

Solano counties, June 2, 1949 (R. C. Bechtel). I am indebted to

Dr. G. D. Butler, Jr. of the University of Arizona for allowing

me to study four males of this species which he collected at Squaw

Valley, Fresno County, June 20, 1953, on the flowers of a thistle.

These are the northernmost records for any species of Centris

known to me and hence are of considerable interest.

January, 1956]

BARBER-LEPTOCORIS

A NEW SPECIES OF LEPTOCORIS

(Coreidae: Leptocorini)

Harry G. Barber

Entomology Research Branch,

Agricultural Research Service,

United States Department of Agriculture,

W ashington, D.C.

Leptocoris rubrolineatus Barber, new species

Very closely related to L. trivittatus (Say) both in size and

general dimensions of body parts, but the coloration is quite dis¬

tinctive. Pronotum with narrow anterior, posterior and lateral

margins, and central line behind the cicatrices, corium with all

claval margins, very narrow edge of the costal margin and all

veins, red.

Both in L. trivittatus and L. rubrolineatus the genital segment

terminates in four lobes. The lobes on either side of the broad

central sinus are more prolonged and parallel sided. The outer

lobes are much shorter and subtriangular in shape. Those of L.

rubrolineatus are shorter and more rounded at apices than in L.

trivittatus and the sinus within more shallow and more obtusely

rounded basally.

Holotype male, Healdsburg, California, July 15, 1931, col¬

lected by Mrs. L. P. Enzenauer, U. S. National Museum Cat. No.

62210.Paratypes,males and females,U.S. Nat. Museum: California,

13 with the same data as type; 7, Sonoma County; 8, Pasadena; 2,

Los Angeles; 1, Livermore; 3, San Gabriel Canyon; 7, Yorkville;

1, Mt. Diablo; 5, Santa Rosa; 8, Middletown; 3, Chico; 1, San

Luis Obispo; 2, Sacramento; 2, Courtland; 1, Santa Cruz Mts.;

1, Beaumont; 1, Mint Canyon; 1, Geyser; 1, San Jose; 1, Ft.

Tejon; 5, Siskiyou; 1, San Francisco. Washington: 3, Ilia; 2,

Dayton; 1, Oakesdale; 2, Paha; 1, Pullman; 4, Wapato. Oregon:

19, Ashland; 2, Corvallis; 5, Josephine. Idaho: 4, Weiser; 1,

Lewiston; 1, Juliaetta; 1, Moscow. Arizona: 6, Douglas. Texas:

2, El Paso. Nevada: 1, Reno.

Walker’s type of Lygaeus californicus in the collection of the

British Museum of Natural History is hand labeled, “Santa Cruz,

Cal.” In March, 1949, Dr. R. L. Usinger examined this type and

in correspondence stated that it was Leptocoris trivittatus (Say).

This was confirmed later by Dr. W. E. China, assistant keeper at

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

the museum. There is no doubt about this being the same as Say’s

species as there is contained in the Uhler collection at the United

Distribution of Leptocoris rubrolineatus (X) and L. trivittatus (•).

January, 1956]

FRICK-LIRIOMYZA

States National Museum two specimens of this same series and

labeled the same as the Walker type. It is a safe assumption that

Walker received his specimen from Professor Uhler.

I am indebted to Dr. Carl J. Drake, now studying at the British

Museum, for detailed data attached to the Walker type specimen.

From all of the evidence at hand, the locality record “Santa

Cruz, Cal.” cannot be accepted. Although there is a Santa Cruz,

California, Walker’s type could not have come from there. It is

quite evidently a case of mis-labeling. In a long series of specimens

from various localities in California and the other Pacific Coast

States there is no occurrence of Say’s species which is distributed

practically all over the United States east of the mountains. Since

this locality label might refer to Colorado, diligent research re¬

vealed that no such locality ever existed in that state.

It therefore becomes necessary to consider this West Coast

species as new. A glance at the map shows there is some over¬

lapping in the distribution of the two species in southern Arizona

and western Texas, but an examination of the specimens involved

shows that there is no intergrading of the two species.

NEARCTIC SPECIES IN THE LIRIOMYZA PUSILLA

COMPLEX No. 1 INTRODUCTION

(Diptera: Agromyzidae) 1

Kenneth E. Frick 2

Irrigation Experiment Station, Prosser, Washington

A revision of the species in the genus Liriomyza that key to

Agromyza pusilla in either of Malloch’s two keys (1913, 1918),

first mentioned by Frick in 1952, is still a long way from comple¬

tion. However, the urgent need for names for economic species in

this group has prompted this series of papers. At present, two

California species of economic importance are sufficiently well

known to warrant separate descriptions. Their descriptions will

form part two of the series.

Frost (1943) made the first attempt to clarify the status of

several species in this group. However, the problem of the many

very similar species forming a group within the genus Liriomyza

1 Scientific Paper No. 1313, Washington Agricultural Experiment Stations,

Pullman, Project No. 1062.

2 The writer is grateful to M. T. James for reading and evaluating this

manuscript.

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

will have to be attacked much as it was in Europe between 1920

and 1932. In order to separate the Palaearctic species, Hendel,

Hering, and de Meijere were required to rear adults, determine

larval host plants, study larval and pupal characters, and corre¬

late these with the adults. Their results (Hendel, 1932, 1936),

considering only the species synonymized by Malloch (1913) and

Frost (1924) under L. pusilla, are shown in Table 1.

The species in the genus Liriomyza can be separated into

several groups. This one, the so-called pusilla complex, is com¬

posed of a number of very similar species having the following

characters in common:

1. Antennae with third segment rounded and bright yellow.

2. Genovertical plates (orbits)' not prominently raised above the eyes.

3. Mesonotum without a yellow spot immediately anterior to the

scutellum.

4. Mesonotum with two to four rows of acrostichal setae.

5. Femora predominately yellow but sometimes heavily marked with

black spots and streaks.

6. Wing with M -|- M (posterior) crossvein present.

Table 1.—Species synonymized by Malloch (1913) and

Frost (1924) under Liriomyza pusilla and subsequently separ¬

ated by Hendel (1932, 1936).

Specific Name

pusilla Meigen, 1830

annulipes Meigen, 1830

pumila Meigen, 1830

strigata Meigen, 1830

exilis Meigen. 1830

orbona Meigen, 1830

pusio Meigen, 1830

puella Meigen, 1830

amoena Meigen, 1830

blanda Meigen, 1830

pascuum Meigen, 1838

brassicae Riley, 1844

trifolii Burgess, 1880

Larval Host Plants and Notes

Hieracium, Sonchus spp.

Not an agromyzid

Achillea spp.

Most omnivorous Liriomyza sp.

Synonym of strigata

Host plant unknown

Tragopogon spp.

Lampsana, Prenanthes, Sonchus, spp.

Sambucus spp.

nomen dubium

Euphorbia spp.

Many Cruciferae

Synonym of congesta Becker, 1903

Many Leguminosae

According to this definition several Liriomyza species, the

names of which have appeared in North American literature, are

excluded (Table 2). To date nine species that belong to this group

have been reported from North America. These, together with

known larval host plants and distributions, are given in Table 3.

January, 1956]

FRICK—LIRIOMYZA

Table 2. —Names of species that have appeared in North

American literature but excluded from the pusitla complex as

defined in this paper.

Specific Name

Larval Host

Plants

Excluding Characters

flaveola Fallen, 1823

Many Gramineae

Mid and hind femora black

scutellata Fallen 1823

Not an agromyzid

orbona Meigen, 1830

Unknown

Infuscated third antennal

segment

deceptiva Malloch, 1918

Unknown

Genovertical plates very

strongly raised above eye

margin

hold Malloch, 1924

Unknown

Angulate third antennal

segment

langei, Frick, 1951

Pea, aster, spinach.

Infuscated third antennal

sugar beet, celery

segment

It is my intent to provide descriptions and comparisons be¬

tween species so that others may determine the species name of

their specimens with a reasonable degree of accuracy. The specific

purpose of this introductory paper is to provide figures and

descriptions of characters that will be used in future descriptions.

I have attempted to use characters that can be seen and measured

with a stereoscopic dissecting microscope equipped with 15X

oculars, 6X objective, and an ocular net reticule ruled into 0.5

mm. squares.

Liriomyza brassicae (Riley), 1884, is considered a repre¬

sentative species and specimens have been used to illustrate cer¬

tain characters. Each specimen must be oriented so that the seta

being measured for length is perpendicular to the line of vision.

The wings also must be perpendicular to the line of vision in

order to measure accurately the lengths of certain veins. When

setal lengths are used, the longer of a pair has always been chosen

over the shorter. For example, if the right-hand inner postalar is

twice as long as the corresponding left-hand seta (as frequently

occurs), the right-hand seta has been used for measurement.

Head .—Table 3 shows the major characters that subdivide this

complex into four distinct segregates. The inner vertical seta

usually arises at the edge of the black of the vertex when stated,

“Both VT on black” (Fig. 1, C.). When the outer vertical is the

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

Table 3. —Names of species that have appeared in the North

American literature included in the pusilla complex as defined in

this paper, separated by major characters.

North Ameri-

can Larval

Known

Character

Specific Name

Host Plants

Distribution

-pusilla Meig., 1830, s.s.

Sonchus spp. ?

U.S. ?, Europe

Both VT Setae on

Yellow

congesta Becker, 1903

Vida, Trifol¬

ium,, and Med-

Throughout

U.S., Europe

(Fig. 1, A)

icago spp.

allia Frost, 1943

Allium spp.

Iowa

phaseolunata Frost,

Lima bean

New Jersey

1943

VTI on Yellow,

VTE on Black

(Fig. 1, B)

Washington,

Both VT on Black

eupatorii Kalt, 1874

Solidago spp.

Europe

(Fig. 1, C.)

verbenicola Hering,

Verbena spp.

New Mexico,

1951

Utah

Both VT on Black,

GVP Infuscated

(Fig 1, D)

virgo Zett., 1848

Unknown 3

Kansas ?,

Europe

brassicae Riley, 1884

Many Cruci-

ferae, Nastur¬

tium

Throughout

U.S., Europe

propepusilla Frost,

Unknown

Kansas

1954 4

3 The larvae mine Equisetum spp. in Europe.

4 New name for subpusilla Frost, 1943.

only seta on black, it also is usually at the edge of the black (Fig.

1, B). With teneral specimens the black area between the two

vertical setae is frequently almost indistinguishable from the

yellow. The infuscation of the genovertical plates (Fig. 1, D) is

frequently narrower than the space between the frontoorbital

setae and the eye margin. In teneral specimens this darkening

frequently does not appear, a condition which may lead to con¬

fusion in determination. Each specimen should be kept alive for

about 24 hours before being killed.

Mesonotum .—The relative lengths of several thoracic setae are

of importance in separating species, as are the colors from which

January, 1956]

FRICK-LIRIOMYZA

they arise. The presutural (Fig. 2) arises at the edge of the black

of the mesonotum. In some species the base touches, or is totally

on, the yellow of the lateral margin, or the base is entirely on the

black. This is best seen in a cephalic aspect of the specimen.

The intraalar is frequently absent, or equal in size to an acrosti-

chal seta. In some species it is twice or more the length of an

acrostichal. Fortunately, the intraalar can be distinguished by its

location near the posterior end of the intraalar row and its

oblique direction pointing it to the fourth (posterior) dorsocentral.

The number of setulae in the intraalar row, i.e., between the dorso¬

central row and the lateral margin of the mesonotum and posterior

to the transverse suture, is of some importance, although much

overlapping exists between species. The relative length of the

first dorsocentral to the fourth is of more value than the relative

length of the second or third to the fourth. The lengths are easily

measured from an anterior view of the mesonotum. The relative

length of the inner postalar to the outer postalar makes an excel¬

lent specific character. These are also measured from an anterior

view of the mesonotum. In cases where the wings hide the outer

seta, the fourth dorsocentral may be used for measurement. The

fourth dorsocentral is slightly longer than the outer postalar, but

not enough longer to influence the proportions being measured.

Scutellum .—The basal scutellar setae are important only in

VTI

EXPLANATION FOR FIGURE 1

Fig. 1. Portion of the right side of head, anterior view, showing: both

VT setae arising from yellow (A) ; VTI on yellow, VTE on black (B);

both VT on black (C); both VT on black, GVP infuscated (D). Areas:

E—eye; FV—frontal vitta; GVP—genovertical plate (orbit). Setae: PVT—

postvertical; VTI—inner vertical; VTE—outer vertical; SFO—upper

frontoorbital; IFO—lower frontoorbital. The orbital setulae, placed between

the frontoorbital setae and the eye margin, have been omitted for simplicity.

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

relation to their bases and the lateral black triangles of the

scutellum. The base may be on yellow (not shown), at the edge

of the black (shown on left side), or the black may extend

centrally well beyond the setal base (right side).

Pleural Area .—The anepisternum (mesopleura) varies from

Fig. 2. Left half of mesonotum and scutellum of L. brassicae, right

half of scutellum of Liriomyza n. sp., showing typical arrangement of

setae. The acrostichal setae and the setae of the intraalar row anterior

to the transverse suture have been omitted for simplicity. Setae: H—

humeral; PRS—presutural; SA—supraalar; IPA—inner postalar; OPA—

outer postalar; IA—intraalar; IA ROW—intraalar row; 1 DC—first dorso-

central; 2 DC— second; 3 DC—third; 4 DC—fourth dorsocentral; BSC—

basal scutellar; DSC—distal scutellar.

January, 1956]

FRICK-LIRIOMYZA

nearly all black to all yellow, depending upon the species. Since

the pattern of black on yellow offers a good specific character,

illustrations have not been included here. The katepisternum

(sternopleura) has three types of posterior markings. The first

is broad, covering the entire area caudad of the katepisternal

seta (Fig. 3, A). The second consists of a narrow band (B). This

band is always darker in the broad type. The third katepisternum

has no infuscation posterior to the triangle (C). These markings

are useful in species identification, providing the specimens are

not teneral.

EXPLANATION FOR FIGURE 3

Fig 3. Katepisternum showing the three types of posterior markings:

broad (A); narrow (B) ; and none (C).

Wing .—Among the more useful characters of the wings are

the position and angle of the M -f- M (posterior) crossvein. This

vein may be closer to, equal to, or farther from the R -f- M cross¬

vein than its own length. The angle that M M forms with the

penultimate section of M 1+2 (the section of which R -|- M connects)

is important (Fig. 4). The angle may be perpendicular or 90°

R-M m I*2

\ /

\ y

EXPLANATION FOR FIGURE 4

Fig. 4. Portion of wing showing three representative angles of cross¬

vein M-f M to the penultimate section of Mi+ 2 : perpendicular (A) ; 70°—85°

(moderate) angle (B); and 45°—65° (strong) angle (C). Veins: Mi+ 2 —

fourth longitudinal; M 3 + 4 —fifth longitudinal; R-f-M—radiomedial or

anterior crossvein; M-f-M—medial or posterior crossvein. A and B, wing

of L. brassicae; C, wing of Liriomyza n. sp.

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

(A) moderate, 70° to 85° (B), or strong, 45° to 65° (A). These

are arbitrary figures and were chosen as representative of the

several angles observed while preparing descriptions.

SUMMARY

A group of very similar appearing Liriomyza species, the so-

called pusilla complex, is defined. All species previously reported

in North America are included or excluded on the basis of the

definition of the group. Morphological characters of value in sub¬

group and species determination are described and figured.

LITERATURE CITED

Fricic, K. E.

1952. Four new Hawaiian Liriomyza species and notes on other

Hawaiian Agromyzidae. Haw. Ent. Soc. Proc., 14:509—518.

Frost, S. W.

1924. A study of the leaf-mining Diptera of North America. Cornell

Univ. Agric. Exp. Sta. Mem., 78:1—228.

1943. Three new species of Diptera related to Agromyza pusilla Meig.

Jour. N. Y. Ent. Soc., 51:253-262.

Hendel, F.

1932. Agromyzidae. In Lindner: Die Flieg. palaearkt. Reg., 59 (58,

66): 193—320.

1936. Ibid., 59 (96) :513—570.

Malloch, J. R.

1913. A revision of species in Agromyza Fallen, and Cerodontha

Rondani. Am. Ent. Soc. Amer., 6:269—336.

1918. A partial key to species of the genus Agromyza. Canad. Ent.,

50:76-80.

ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE: Notice of proposed use of

the Plenary Powers in certain cases for the avoidance of

CONFUSION AND THE VALIDATION OF CURRENT

NOMENCLATORIAL PRACTICE (A.(n.s.)21)

Notice is hereby given that the possible use by the Interna¬

tional Commission on Zoological Nomenclature of its Plenary

Powers is involved in applications relating to the under-mentioned

names included in Parts 1 and 2 of Volume 11 of the Bulletin of

Zoological Nomenclature, both of which Parts were published

31st January, 1955:

(1) Applications in Part 2 of Volume 11

(1) Neanura MacGiUivray, 1893, and Hypogastrura Bourlet, 1839, de¬

signation of type species for; Achorutes Templeton, 1835, supression of

(Class Insecta, Order Collembola) (pp. 38-48) (Z.N.(S.)303).

January, 1956]

LEACH-COTTLE OBITUARY

(2) Crenophilus, validation of, as from d’Orchymont, 1942; aeneus

Germar, 1824, as published in the combination Hydrophilus aeneus, valida¬

tion of (Class Insecta, Order Coleoptera) (pp. 49-55) (Z.N.(S.)752).

(3) Anurophorus Nicolet, (1842), designation of type species for

(Class Insecta, Order Collembola) (pp. 68-70) (Z.N.(S.)304).

1. Attention is drawn to the proposed adoption of the under¬

mentioned “Declarations”:

(a) relating to the transliteration of words normally written in Cyrillic

characters (preliminary to insertion in the Code as a Schedule

(Copenhagen decision) (pp. 4-18) (Z.N.(S.)310) ;

(b) defining the status of a generic name published conditionally (pp.

19-20) (Z.N.(S.)833) ;

established as a substitute for a previously established such genus

but with a different type species) (pp. 35-37) (Z.N. (S.) 867).

2. Any specialist who may desire to comment on any of the

foregoing applications is invited to do so in writing to the Secre¬

tary to the International Commission (Address: 28 Park Village

East, Regent’s Park, London, N.W.l, England) as soon as possible.

Every such comment should be clearly marked with the Commis¬

sion’s File Number as given in the present Notice.— Francis

Hemming, Secretary to the International Commission on Zoologi¬

cal Nomenclature.

JAMES EDWARD COTTLE (1861-1953)

E. R. Leach

217 Hillside Avenue, Piedmont, California

James Edward Cottle was born in San Francisco, July 10, 1861

and spent his long life there or in the near vicinity, the last

twenty odd years in Hayward. He was one of a large family and

was a big, strong, active youth who enjoyed athletics, particularly

boxing. Speaking of this sport he used to say, rather regretfully,

“On Saturday nights we beat each other up for five dollars!”

Sometime before 1900 he joined the police force and rvorked up

to Detective Sergeant which position he held when retired in 1927.

In one of his papers he speaks of collecting butterflies in the

sand lots of San Francisco as a boy but that was evidently only a

prelude to his real interest. This came some years later when he

met a collector, thought to be Beverly Letcher, in the field and

began to twit him about wasting his time in such a childish pursuit.

But before this diatribe was over James Cottle had a complete

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

change of heart and from that day until he was too old to go into

the field some 60 or 70 years later he was an ardent collector him¬

self. Soon after making Letcher’s acquaintance he met his “dear

old Dr. Herman Behr” and G. T. 0. Mueller, “scientists and

gentlemen if ever there were such”, and Herman Strecker. These

gentlemen gave him his first instructions in entomology and

identified many of his specimens. At this time he collected also

with Beverly Letcher and F. X. Williams. Years later he made

trips to many parts of California with Rev. Edward Guedet. By

1906 he had amassed a large collection of Lepidoptera, especially

rich in Catocala, only to have it completely destroyed in the great

fire following the earthquake of that year. But he was soon col¬

lecting again and as enthusiastic as ever. It is related that he

carried a small net in his pocket at all times and often netted small

moths in the street cars and on the streets at night.

Mr. Cottle travelled up and down the Coast, sometimes alone

and at others with a companion, seeking rare butterflies and moths

and has left some rather whimsical accounts of these excursions.

On a trip to Mt. Hood especially to take Argynnis Erinna Edw.

he had spent several days searching in vain when “I was coming

back to a tree where I had tied the horse and discovered

that he had broken the rope and decamped. Quoting unusual

paragraphs from the Bible and having visions of paying for a

lost horse I trudged down the trail in pursuit . . . Cautiously

sneaking up I grabbed his halter . . . and in looking around saw

a butterfly. Hurrah! It was a perfect specimen of the rare erinna.

The old horse had brought me right to the spot which had been

the object of my search for six days!”

On another occasion collecting near Point Arena with Rev.

Edward Guedet, and looking especially for Argynnis Behrensi

Edw. just at the moment the latter netted a pair Mr. Cottle

thought he heard loud laughter. “Could it have been the voice of

old Jim Behrens himself, for whom the butterfly we were hunting

had been named? Old Jim Behrens laughing at us from illimitable

space?” “Can it be possible that the old fellows, Behr, Rivers,

Mueller, those who have tramped the trails we trod, with net in

hand, are guiding our footsteps to where long lost specimens may

be found?”

Whether or not he was so guided he gathered another large

collection, this time limiting it to West Coast species, and when

January, 1956]

BECHTEL-PLASTOCERINAE

he passed away on October 20, 1953 at the age of 92 he had col¬

lected for the best part of 70 years and was the last survivor of

the charter members of the Pacific Coast Entomological Society.

It is sometimes said that he was careless about his locality labels

and it is undoubtedly true. The post office, or mountain, is occa¬

sionally put in the wrong county on his labels and many speci¬

mens carried no labels whatever. But the specimens were beauti¬

fully mounted, even the smallest perfectly spread, and the collection

was a joy to see. Beauty was all important.

At another time he wrote, “In the meantime let us indulge the

hope that on the other Shore, wheresoever it be, that Behr, Letcher,

Mueller, and in fact all the old collectors who have preceded us

across the Great Divide, will have a location picked and nets

enough to go around when we shall join them there.” May we

“indulge the hope” that he has had his wish fulfilled.

For data concerning Mr. Cottle I am indebted to Dr. F. X.

Williams and Rev. Edward Guedet.

The Cottle Collection is now in the Chicago Natural History

Museum.

A NEW SPECIES OF APLASTUS FROM LOWER CALIFORNIA

WITH NOTES ON OTHER SPECIES OF PLASTOCERINAE

(Coleoptera: Elateridae)

Robert C. Bechtel

University of California, Davis

The species of Aplastus are inhabitants of the western or south¬

western United States, being reliably recorded from Arizona, Cali¬

fornia, Nevada and Utah. While examining specimens in the col¬

lection of the California Academy of Sciences, however, several

specimens of a new species from Lower California were found.

Aplastus peninsularis Bechtel, new species

(Figures 9-12)

Male. —Testaceous, thorax slightly darker, head much darker. Head

coarsely, densely punctured, punctures separated by less than their own

diameter; irons with a triangular impression; eye moderately prominent;

antenna with apex of segment VII reaching apex of hind angle of pro¬

thorax, segment III (fig. 11) 1.3 times as long as segment II, segment IV

(fig. 11) 2.3 times as long as segment III and 1.3 times as long as segments

II-f-III, segments IV-X serrate, outer margins almost straight, segment

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

XI (fig. 10) not serrate, 5.7 times as long as broad. Prothorax (fig. 12)

measured medially as broad as long; apex evenly arcuate, without median

emargination; lateral margin smooth, straight, subparallel, lateral carinula

absent; hind angles moderately divergent, strongly carinate above and

below; less coarsely, slightly less densely punctured than head, punctures

separated by slightly less than their own diameter except on disc and from

lateral margin to prosternal suture where punctures are separated by 1.5

to 3 times their own diameter. Elytron six times as long as broad; lateral

margin straight for basal 2/3, gradually narrowing and evenly arcuate for

apical 1/3; striae feebly impressed, gradually disappearing toward humerus,

interstrial areas feebly convex. Prosternum, excluding mucro, coarsely punc¬

tured, punctures separated by slightly more than their own diameter

except apical 1/5 which is less coarsely, less densely punctured and separated

from basal 4/5 by a transverse carinula, middle 2/5 with a moderate

lateral depression on either side of a median elevated ridge, basal 2/5

deeply sulcate between coxae. Metacoxal plate rather abruptly and broadly

expanded at middle 1/3. Genitalia (fig. 9), gonostylus without ventral pre-

apical tooth, as viewed ventrally 2.5 times as long as part of aedeagus

projecting beyond its apex; basal part of aedeagus narrow, becoming

broader toward middle, middle broadest then gradually narrowing toward

apex which is broadly truncate. Length 14 mm., width at humeri 3.25 m.m.

Female. —Unknown.

Holotype male, California Academy of Sciences, and 4 male

paratypes, San Vicente, Baja California, May 11, 1938 (W. E.

Simonds). Paratypes in the collections of the California Academy

of Sciences and the writer.

Variations in the type series are as follows: triangular impres¬

sion of frons present or absent; antennal segment IV 2.1—2.6

times as long as segment III, segment XI 5.5-6.0 times as long as

broad; lateral margin of prothorax subparallel or slightly arched

near middle, lateral carinula present or absent; apical transverse

carinula of prosternum moderate to almost absent; scutellum with

or without a median longitudinal carina; length 13.10-14.00 mm.,

width at humeri 2.75—3.30 mm. with a width .-length ratio of

4.2—4.4.

A. peninsularis is closely related to angusticollis Horn, piceus

Van Dyke and speratus LeConte. Of these species, it appears to be

EXPLANATION OF FIGURES

Figs. 1-4, Aplastus speratus LeConte, Lebec, Kern Co., Calif. Figs.

5-8, A. piceus Van Dyke topotype. Figs, 9-12, A. peninsularis Bechtel,

holotype. Figs. 13-16, A. angusticollis Horn, topotype. Figs. 1, 5, 9, 13,

male genitalia, ventral, X 36. Figs. 2, 6, 10, 14, antennal segments X-XI,

lateral, X 36. Figs. 3, 7, 11, 15, antennal segments III-IY, lateral, X 36.

Figs 4, 8, 12, 16, prothorax, dorsal, X 9.

BECHTEL-PLASTOCERINAE

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL, XXXII, NO. 1

most closely related to angusticoUis Horn from which it differs in

in the shape and size of the antennal segments, prothorax and

genitalia (figs. 9-16). It differs from piceus Van Dyke and speratus

LeConte in these same respects (figs. 1-12) but in addition the

elytral striae are not well impressed and the ventral preapical tooth

of the paramere is absent.

The type localities of two species of Plastocerinae need correc¬

tion. Van Dyke (1932) stated that the type locality for Euthysanius

crihricollis Van Dyke is “near Kaweah, Tulare County, Califor¬

nia”; the label of the type, however, reads "Kaweah Pwr. Hse.

Rsv.” Inasmuch as this reservoir is approximately 6 miles ENE

of Kaweah and at a higher elevation, it would seem advisable to

designate Kaweah Power House #3 Reservoir, 44 m d e S. Ash

Mountain Park Headquarters, Tulare County, California as the

restricted type locality of E. cribricottis Van Dyke. A an Dyke

(1943) designated Morongo Valley, Riverside County, California

as the type locality for Aplastus piceus Van Dyke. Morongo Valley

is actually in San Bernardino County, thus the correct type local¬

ity of A, piceus Van Dyke should he Morongo V alley, San Bei-

nardino County, California.

The above proposed changes in the two type localities were

discussed with the late Dr. E. C. V an Dyke who was helpful in

determining the exact areas in which the types were collected and

who also concurred with the writer concerning ihese changes.

LITERATURE CITED

Van Dyke, E. C.

1932. Miscellaneous studies in the Elateridae and related families of

Coleoptera. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. (4) 20:291—465.

1943. New species of west American Coleoptera. Pan-Pacific Ent.,

19:41-52.

Book Review

FREAKS AND MARVELS OF INSECT LIFE by Harold Bastin. Printed

in Great Britain. Pubished by A. A. Wyn Tnc. New Vork, 248 PP*t

20 pi., 25 figs. 1954. $3,75,

Mr. Bastin, who is an Enguish author and a maker of Entomological

models, has done a very creditable job in the writing of this book. Not

only does it cover a wide diversity of aspects of the vast domain of insect

life in a very informative and entertaining manner, but it also escapes

triteness by close adherence to the facts, as far as a single reviewer can

determine, and by avoidance of teleological statements which are often

a major fault of many popular accounts of insect natural history.

January, 1956] muesebeck—braconid parasites

In the introductory chapter, a brief description of the major char*

acteristics and general facies of insects as well as a synopsis of the

major orders is given and in subsequent chapters, topics considered of

greatest interest to persons with little background in entomology are drawn

from all phases of the field. As would be expected, major emphasis is given

to the structural and behavioristic adaptations of insects to various modes

of life; the subjects presented run the gamut from oviposition to insects as

they affect man and his economy.

The twenty plates of black and white photographs are excellent for the

most part, although a few could have been selected with a little more care.

For example, those dealing with insects and pollination (plate XIV) show

very little detail and could have been chosen to reveal more of the actual

mechanisms of both plants and insects involved in pollen transfer. Some

of tlie insects appearing in various photographs are obviously posed, such

as the male of the Hercules beetle transporting its "inamorata (plate XIX),

but the greatest weakness of the work is in the quality of the text figures

which, although they convey the idea the author wished to express,

appear to some extent hastily done and in several cases are actually rather

poor.

A glossary of common names of the insects mentioned in the text and

th eir Latin equivalents is provided as well as an index, but although Mr.

Bastin refers by name to many of the authors whose work he has cited

throughout the book, no bibliography of any sort has been been included.

This is unfortunate since it is obvious that the author is widely read in the

various aspects of entomology and could have appended an excellent list

of selected references with very little additional wo rk.

Aside from these weaknesses, the book is well w’orth reading, especially

by the interested layman, for the information it contains as well as for

the very fine literary style in which the information is presented.'— Marius

S. Wasbauer, Department of Entomology and Parasitology, University of

California, Berkeley,

TWO NEW BRACONID PARASITES OF THE

AVOCADO LOOTER

(Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

C. F. W. Muesebeck

United States National Museum

Descriptions of the following new species of braconid parasites

of the so-called avocado looper. Sdbulodes caberala Guenee, have

been requested in order that names may be available for use in

biological papers.

Meteorus tersus Muesebeck, new species

Very similar to M. dimidiatus (Cresson), from which it may

be distinguished, however, by its clear hyaline wings, by the

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO, 1

absence of a conspicuous pale spot at the base of the stigma, and

by its shorter ovipositor.

Female .—Length about 3.5 mm. Face about as long as its narrowest

width, faintly transversely aciculate; ocellocular line fully twice as

long as diameter of an ocellus; antennae about as long as the body, usually

29- or 30-segmented; mesonotal lobes largely smooth and shining but

middle lobe with some minute and faint setigerous punctures; a small,

weakly rugulose area at apex of middle lobe; propodeum rugose reticulate,

the dorsal face convex and a little longer than posterior face: second

abscissa of radius usually twice as long as first; recurrent vein entering

extreme base of second cubital cell; nervellus shorter than basal abscissa

of basella. Abdominal petiole -without dorsal fossae; ventral margins of first

tergite widely separated at base of segment, converging and virtually

touching at a point midway between base and the spiracles, and then

diverging again to posterior margin of segment; petiole smooth, postpetiole

finely longitudinally striate; second and following tergites smooth and

polished; ovipositor sheath about as long as hind femur, much shorter

than hind tibia.

Brownish yellow varied with black or piceous; head brownish yellow

with a large blackish spot covering middle of Irons and vertex and extending

upon occiput; thoracic pleura and sternum usually pale, the dorsum

usually blackish but with a brownish-yellow area on mesoscutum behind

middle lobe; propodeum blackish, also abdomen except second tergite

and the extreme apex which are brownish yelIow r ; wines clear hyaline

without a suggestion of discoloration; legs brownish yellow, the middle

and hind tibiae and tarsi and apices of hind femora more or less infuscated.

Male .—Essentially like the female but with the antennae usually

31- or 32-segmented and the face slightly wider than long.

Type locality .— Carlsbad, San Diego County, California.

Type. —U. S. National Museum N T o. 62560.

Described from thirteen females and ten males reared from

Sabulodes caberata (Guenee) August 27, 1954, by C. A, Fleschner,

Paratypes are deposited in the California Academy of Sciences.

Apanteles caberatae Muesebeck. new species

Runs to phigaUae Muesebeck in my key to the North Ameri¬

can species (1921, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 58, p. 494) and

appears to resemble that species more closely than any other de¬

scribed form. It may he easily distinguished from it, however, by

its long second tergite and by being considerably larger. Further¬

more, the cocoons of the new species are pure white, unfluted and

solitary, whereas in phigaUae they are brown, longitudinally (luted

and gregarious.

Female.—Length about 3 mm. Antenna fully as long as the body;

face at narrowest point slightly broader than long, closely but very

shallowly punctate; mesoscutum shining, covered with closely placed, very

January, 1956] muesebeck—bracond parasites

shallow punctures; disc of scutellum smooth and shining with only a few

scattered, very shallow punctures; propodeum smooth and shining hut with

a number of short striae radiating from middle of posterior margin; first

abscissa of radius perpendicular to anterior margin of wing, a little

longer than intercubitus and joining the latter in a distinct though obtuse

angle; hind coxa with a large, flattened, punctate area on outer upper

edge toward base; inner calcarium of hind tibia longer than outer and

distinctly more than half as long as metatarsus. Abdomen rather narrow;

first tergite parallel-sided to near apex where it is gradually rounded

off, distinctly a little narrower at apex than at base, more than twice as

long as broad at apex, smooth and polished on basal two-thirds, finely

longitudinally sculptured on apical third; second tergite fully as long as

third, with sharply impressed, oblique, lateral grooves setting off a large

Fig. 1, Stigma and second cubital cell of Meteorus tersus. Fig. 2, Venter

of first abdominal segment of Meteorus tersus. Fig. 3, Outline of first and

second tergites of Apanteles caberalae.

subtriangular median plate that is much longer than broad at base and

twice as broad at posterior margin as at base, its surface very weakly,

irregularly roughened and shining; following tergites smooth and shining;

ovipositor sheath barely surpassing apex of last dorsal abdominal segment.

Black; lateral margins of first and second tergites and basal two-

thirds of venter of abdomen brownish; sometimes third tergite a little

brownish laterally; tegulae black; wings hyaline, stigma and veins brown;

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

legs brownish yellow, anterior and middle coxae basally, and hind coxae

entirely except sometimes toward apices, black; hind femora and tibiae

at apices and the hind tarsi infuscated.

Male .—Like the female in all essential particulars.

Type locality .— Carlsbad, San Diego County, California.

Type. —U. S. National Museum No. 62561.

Described from five females and nine males reared from Sabu-

lodes caberata (Guenee) by J. C. Hall and C. A. Fleschner. Para-

types are in the California Academy of Sciences.

XYLOCOPA RUFINA UTILIZING MEXICAN CEDAR

TIMBERS FOR NESTING PURPOSES

(Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

Paul D. Hurd, Jr . 1

University of California, Berkeley

During this past January, while in the state of Chiapas, Mexico,

limited observations were made on Xylocopa rufina Maidl, one

of the poorly known Central American carpenter bees. At Simo-

jovel and the Finca Inapila, near Yajalon, this carpenter bee was

actively nesting in sound structural Mexican Cedar, Cedrela

mexicana. At the former locality, the bee was nesting in some

numbers in the ceiling beams of a patio while at the Finca Inapila

several burrows were found in vertical door frames. The entrances

of the burrows were located on the vertical surface with the

burrow always curving inward and upward, usually some six to

eight inches. The only previous nesting wood reported for this

species was an unidentified pine stump at Uruapan, Michoacan,

Mexico. 2

1 These observations were made during and as an adjunct to an Associates in

Tropical Biogeography, University of California sponsored expedition.

2 P. D. Hurd, The Carpenter Bees of California, Bull. Calif. Insect Survey,

4 ( 2 ) : 58 .

Book Review

MOSQUITOES, THEIR BIONOMICS AND RELATION TO DISEASE. By

William R. Horsfall. The Ronald Press Company, New York, 723 pages.

1955. $16.00.

The author of this extensive compilation is to be congratulated for his

courage in attempting to review the voluminous literature on mosquito

bionomics and relation to disease. An introductory statement to the bibli-

January, 1956 ]

FURMAN-BOOK REVIEW

ography states: “Insufficient time and the press of other matters have made

a complete coverage of the literature impossible.” Unfortunately most critical

readers will find rather serious ommissions of pertinent literature.

As a reference work the basic organization of the book is good, providing

a consistent form of coverage for genera and species of mosquitoes. An intro¬

ductory chapter on the-subfamily Culicinae discusses in a general way the

same categories which are considered later in greater detail under generic

and specific headings. All stages in the life cycle are covered, with data on

distribution, food habits, assimilation, development, secretion, respiration,

parasites, predators, toxinosis, resistance and associated mosquitoes; in ad¬

dition data on adults include dispersal, swarming, mating, ovulation, ovi-

position, longevity, latency, excretion, stridulation, reservoir relations and

pathogenesis.

The above sections are covered in detail for only those relatively few

species which have been extensively studied. There are almost no data given

on rearing techniques, although a useful list of references on such techniques

is included.

There are many instances where illustrations would clarify the text, but

strangely, there is not an illustration in the entire book. Numerous tables are

provided including several on parasites of mosquitoes. The latter tables are

misleading in that they are. incomplete even to ommission of some parasites

discussed later in the text under individual consideration of mosquito species.

Perhaps it is inevitable in a book of this size that a certain number of

errors occur. However, it is disturbing that incorrect distribution ranges of

mosquito species were noted repeatedly, such as that given on page 274 for

the range of Anopheles punctulakus as “Melanesia north to 20° S lat. and

west to 170° E long. . . . ”. Citations from the literature are occasionally

inaccurate, as on page 293 where Reeves and Rudnick are erroneously at¬

tributed with associating endemic malaria on Guam with Anopheles subpictus

indefinitus.

Readers familiar with the west coast fauna of the United States will be

surprised to note that consideration of Aedes squamiger is restricted to in¬

clusion in a table of little-known species of Ochlerotatus.

An index of genera and species and a very abbreviated general index are

provided. The latter is entirely inadequate in a work of this magnitude.

In spite of the above criticisms the book should prove a useful tool to the

investigator concerned with mosquitoes.— Deane P. Furman, Department of

Entomology and Parasitology, University of California, Berkeley.

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

SOME BARK AND AMBROSIA BEETLES FROM THE

TRES MARIA ISLANDS, MEXICO. No. 143. CONTRIBUTION

TO THE MORPHOLOGY AND SYSTEMATICS

OF THE SCOLYTOIDEA.

(Coleoptera: Scolytoidea}

Karl E. Schedl

Lienz, Austria

Mr. Hugh B. Leech of the California Academy of Sciences

has sent me again a very interesting collection of bark and ambro¬

sia beetles from various parts of America, amongst them a small

batch from the Tres Maria Islands on the west coast of Mexico.

As no Scolytidae have been recorded from these small islands so

far I thought it worth while to deal with them as soon as possible.

The collection contains two known Scolytidae, two known

Platypodidae, a new Scolytid genus, Xylochilus, and a new species

of the genus Hylocurus Eichhoff. The records of the known

species are the following:

Problechilus striatus Eggers. Maria Madre Island, Arroyo Hondo, May

17, 1925, ex Ficus sp., H. H. Keifer.

Xyleborus volvulus Fabricius. Maria Madre Island, Arroyo Hondo,

May 17, 1925 and the same island, village, May 16, 1925, H. H. Keifer.

Platypus konincki Chapuis. Maria Madre Island, May 17, 1925 and

Magdalena Island, May 20, 1925, H. H. Keifer.

These specimens are somewhat smaller than the types accord¬

ing to Chapuis (6.25 against 5.0 mm.) but I have in my collec¬

tion exactly similar specimens from Sao Paulo in Brazil and prob¬

ably this difference in size has something to do with the altitude

from which the specimens come. Platypus exaratus Blandford a

very closely related species has been described from Guatemala

and I am not quite sure if this species really is different from the

Chapuis Platypus konincki.

Platypus pulchellus Chapuis. Maria Madre Island, village, May 16,

1925, H. H. Keifer.

The only specimen is also somewhat smaller than my speci¬

mens from Costa Rica.

Xylochilus new genus

Body cylindrical and coarsely sculptured as in Cyrtogenius Strohmeyer

and certain species of Hexacolus Eichhoff, but the fore coxae nearly touch¬

ing each other. Antennae with the funicle four-jointed, the club consist¬

ing of three segments separated from each other by interrupted septa as

January, 1956 ] schedl—Mexican scolytoidea

in the genus Pityophthorus Eichhoff. Eyes long oval, feebly emarginate in

front, tibia widened distally, tarsi cylindrical.

The new genus shoud be placed in the Crypturgini but its

position within this group is rather unique on account of the

shape of the antennal club.

Type of the genus: Xylochilus insularis Schedl, new species.

Xylochilus insularis Schedl, new species

Reddish brown, 1.9 mm long, 2.4 limes as long as wide.

Front plano-convex, densely punctured, pubescence inconspicuous.

Pronotum somewhat longer than wide (25:23), widest distinctly behind

the middle, postero-lateral angles strongly rounded, sides feebly arcuate

to subparallel on the basal half, arcuately narrowed in front, the subapical

constriction merely indicated, anterior margin broadly rounded and armed

with a series of extremely low and subequal asperations; summit short

Fig. 1. Antenna of Xylochilus insularis.

behind the middle, anterior area obliquely convex, densely and finely

asperate, these asperities gradually changing into a granulate-punctate

sculpture on the basal area, pubescence extremely short, inconspicuous.

Scutellum large, shining, impunctate. Elytra as wide and 1.2 times as

long as the pronotum, sides parallel on the basal three-fifths, apex broadly

rounded when viewed from above, declivity short, steeply convex; disc

coarsely striato-punctate, the large punctures closely placed, the inter¬

stices very narrow, rather coarsely sculptured, each bearing a row of

medium long erect bristles; declivity with the suture feebly elevated, the

second interstices feebly impressed, the strial punctures smaller than on

the disc, the punctures of the interstices partly replaced by small gran¬

ules, the pubescence not much different than on the disc.

Holotype, male, Maria Madre Island, Arroyo Hondo, May

17, 1925 (H. H. Keifer) in the California Academy of Sciences;

paratypes from the type locality and Magdalena Island, May 20,

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

1925 (H. H. Keifer) in the collections of C.A.S. and Schedl.

The female has the front feebly impressed below, the punctu¬

ation much finer, the pubescence longer and more conspicuous,

the pronotum more gradually narrowed from the base to the

apex and the punctuation of the elytral declivity distinctly coarser.

Hylocurus tresmariae Schedl, new species

Female .—Reddish brown when mature, 1.34 to 1.46 mm. long, 2.5 times

as long as wide. One of the smallest species of the genus as far as Central

America is concerned, with long and fine pubescence on the underside.

Front broadly convex, impressed on a rather small area below, impression

shining, polished, with a few punctures towards the outer margins, the

convex portion silky opaque, minutely scratched, finely punctured. Antennal

scape clubshaped, with rather long fine hairs. Pronotum about as long as

wide, postero-lateral angles rectangular, feebly rounded, sides parallel on

the basal two fifths, strongly and obliquely narrowed in front, subapical

constriction hardly noticeable, anterior margin rather narrowly rounded;

summit high, in the middle, anterior area obliquely convex, finely and not

very densely asperate, finely granulato-punctate, pubescence inconspicuous.

Scutellum large, shining, impunctate. Elytra feebly wider and 1.5 times as

long as the pronotum, of the usual shape, cylindrical to well behind the

middle, apex strongly acuminate, declivity short and steeply convex; disc

with rows of medium sized but deep punctures in hardly impressed lines,

interstices rather narrow, each with a row of minute hardly visible punc¬

tures which bear fine slender and erect scalelike hairs; declivity with the

interstitial bristles becoming distinctly spatulate, the striae impressed, the

strial punctures much more closely placed, the interstices narrowly eleva¬

ted and the interspacial punctures replaced by regularly arranged granules.

Male .—Rather similar to the female but distinctly stouter, the front

more widely and deeply concave and the hairs of the antennal scape more

numerous and longer.

Holotype, female, Tres Maria Islands, Maria Madre, village,

May 15, 1925 (H. H. Keifer) in the California Academy of

Sciences, paratypes in the collections of C.A.S. and Schedl.

FAUNA AETHIOPICA VIII. 144. CONTRIBUTION TO THE

MORPHOLOGY AND SYSTEMATICS OF THE

SCOLYTOIDEA

(Coleoptera: Scolytoidea)

Karl E. Schedl

Lienz, Austria

Mr. Borys Malkin has collected some Scolytidae and Platy-

podidae in Angola, in the British Cameroons and in Nigeria

January, 1956 ] schedl—scolytoidea aethiopica

during 1948 and 1949. This material has been sent to me by Mr.

Hugh B. Leech of the California Academy of Sciences for identi¬

fication. Besides a good number of known species, the records of

which I shall give elsewhere, there have been presented some new

species. The descriptions are given below.

Xyleborus bostrichoides Schedl, new species

Female. —Dark reddish brown, 2.4 mm. long, 2.25 times as long as

wide. Xyleborus bostrichoides has to be placed in the Xyleborus scabrati

and is easily distinguished from related species by the type of sculpture

on the elytra. Front subopaque, plano-convex, densely granulate-punctate,

with a few scattered hairs on the frontal face and along the epistomal

margin. Pronoturn as wide as long, widest at the base, postero-lateral

angles bul feebly rounded, the sides subparallel, feebly constricted in the

basal half, broadly round in front, apical margin with some very low

asperities; summit high, in the middle, anterior area steeply convex, densely

asperate, the asperities gradually changing over into a granulate-punctate

sculpture on the basal area, pubescence fine and sparse. Scutellum rather

large, wider than long, shining, polished and impunctate. Elytra feebly

wider and 1.66 times as long as the pronoturn, widest at the beginning

of the declivity, sides fairly straight in the basal three fifths, apex very

broadly rounded, declivity beginning short behind the middle, obliquely

convex; disc striate-punctate, the striae shallow except the first one on

each side, the strial punctures moderate in size, rather closely and regu¬

larly placed, the interstices fairly wide, each one with a regular row

of somewhat smaller punctures, those of the first, two interstices more

irregular in arrangement, all interstitial punctures bearing very fine erect

hairs; declivity with the second interstices feebly impressed, the suture

and the third interstices each with a short row of remotely placed but

distinct granules additionally to some punctures, the striae distinct, the

strial punctures as large as on the disc, the second interstice rather con-

fusely and coarsely punctured, the apical margin acute and indistinctly

crenulate up to the seventh interstices, the pubescence somewhat longer

than on the disc.

Holotype and 15 paratypes from Angola: Malange, 11-IX-

1949, ex Cassia siamea Lam. (Caesalpiniaceae), B. Malkin col¬

lector. (Holotype deposited in California Academy of Sciences.)

Xyleborus diglyptus Schedl, new species

Female. —Reddish brown, 2.5 mm. long, 2.8 times as long as wide.

This new species is rather difficult to place as I do not know any related

form but it seems to be advisable to include it into the Xylebori angustati

at the present time. Front opaque, minutely punctulate, finely but rather

remotely punctured, with a fringe of yellow hairs along the anterior

margin only. Pronoturn feebly longer than wide (29:26), widest in the

middle, postero-lateral angles rounded, feebly diverging in the basal fifth,

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

thence parallel to little beyond the middle, apex broadly rounded, apical

margin with numerous small asperities, summit distinctly before the middle,

anterior area convex and very densely covered by small asperities, basal

area subshining, very finely punctured, pubescence fine and erect, more

dense at the sides. Scutellum moderate in size, as long as wide, shining.

Elytra as wide and 1.5 times as long as the pronotum, the sides parallel

up to the middle, thence feebly and gradually incurved, the apex rather

narrowly rounded, declivity commencing short behind the middle, obliquely

convex; disc with rows of very fine, but rather distinct punctures, the two

sets, those of the principal rows and the others of the interstices difficult

to distinguish, the strial punctures bearing minute and inclined hairs,

those of the intervalles being much longer and semierect, some of the

interstitial punctures replaced by fine granules towards the declivity,

declivital face with the striae distinctly impressed, the strial punctures

larger than on the disc, each interstice with a series of setose granules, the

apical margin up to the seventh interstices not acute but marked by a set of

fine toothlike granules, the last ones near the suture situated in continuation

of the first interstices a little larger than the others, pubescence more

conspicuous on the declivity than on the disc.

Holotype, British Cameroons, Mt. Cameroon, Buea slope,

4500 ft., 13-V-1949 (B. Malkin), in the California Academy of

Sciences; paratypes collection Schedl.

Doliopygus malkini Schedl, new species

Male .—Reddish brown, 3.0 mm. long, 3.5 times as long as wide. More

closely allied to Doliopygus uncinatus Schedl but smaller, with the

median emargination of the second abdominal sternite more triangular in

shape, the lateral processes shorter and stouter. Front flat, separated from

the vertex by a subacute angle, frontal face subopaque, minutely punctu-

late, additionally with some shallow punctures, those more distinct and

larger in the upper third, very fine along the more shining epistomal

margin, median strigae impressed. Pronotum longer than wide (28:24),

lateral emarginations shallow, surface brightly shining, very finely punc¬

tate, a few larger punctures along the apical margin. Elytra feebly wider

and 1.7 times as long as the pronotum, of the usual general form, sides

straight, all alternate interstices terminating into triangular toothlike

processes, the first interstice distinctly shorter than the third, the outer

ones gradually decreasing in length, the disc with regular rows of fine

shallow punctures, the first row only somewhat impressed, the scattered

minute punctures of the interstices hardly noticeable; abdomen with the

second sternite triangularly and widely emarginate medially, the lateral

processes rather high but not long, subperpendicular when viewed from

the side, face of the second sternite shining, with a few setose punctures

along the sides and some coarser ones around the median emargination,

sternites three to five strongly shining, impunctate, the fifth with a shallow

depression on each side.

Holotype and 3 paratypes from Nigeria, Ogbomosho, 9-XII-

January, 1956 ] schedl—scolytoidea aethiopica

1949 (B. Malkin) ; in the California Academy of Sciences; other

paratypes are from Kabba, 20-11-49 (B. Malkin).

Doliopygus ugandae Schedl, new species

Male. —Reddish brown, elytra in the greater part pale yellow, 4.2 mm.

long, 3.1 times as long as wide. The two specimens of my collection bear

the label Crossotarsus hardenbergi Samps, and have been determined by

Sampson himself. The species Crossotarsus hardenbergi. Samps, is not

valid any more and moreover Lhese two specimens are quite different from

all the other allies and easily distinguished by the characters of the 2nd

abdominal sternite. Front aplanate, densely punctured, medially with a

subimpressed strigae, separated from the vertex by an acute angle, pub¬

escence short and erect. Pronotum distinctly longer than wide (45:38),

femoral emarginations shallow, surface shining, rather densely, uniformly

and finely punctured, median sulcus long, some short hairs on the sides

only. Elytra of the usual shape as common in the Doliopygi conjuncti,

feebly wider and 1.7 times as long as the pronotum, regularly striate-

punctate, the punctures largely submerged, the striae shallow, the interstices

fairly wide, with some minute hardly visible punctures, apex of elytra as

in Doliopygus ghesquieri Schedl; abdomen with the second sternit broadly

emarginate in the middle, the lateral processes strongly thickened at the

upper limit producing an edgelike ridge opposite the upper nearly horizon¬

tal margin of the processes, fifth sternite concave, without a toothlike

structure.

Holotype male, Uganda: Kampala, Mulange Mabira Forest,

4000 ft., in the Schedl collection.

RECENT LITERATURE

THE BLOWFLIES OF CALIFORNIA (Diptera: Calliphoridae). By Maurice

T. James. Bull. Calif. Insect Survey, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 1-34, incl. 2 pis.,

1 text fig. Offset printed. University of California Press, Berkeley and

Los Angeles; October 28, 1955. Price 50 cents.

Identification keys are given for the subfamilies, genera, and species of

Californian calliphorids (adults), with label data in full; larval habits are

summarized. The seven figures on two plates show structural details.

THE CARPENTER BEES OF CALIFORNIA (Hymenoptera: Apoidea).

By Paul D. Hurd, Jr. Bull. Calif. Insect Survey, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 35-72,

inch 6 pis., 4 maps. Offset printed. University of California Press,

Berekeley and Los Angeles; October 28, 1955. Price 50 cents.

This paper is of broader coverage than the title suggests, for the keys and

distributional maps are presented for the known species of America north

of Mexico. Californian records are given in detail; nesting habits are

discussed.— Hugh B. Leech, California Academy of Sciences.

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

A KEY TO THE WORKERS OF VEROMESSOR FOREL OF

THE UNITED STATES AND THE DESCRIPTION

OF A NEW SUBSPECIES

(Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Marion R. Smith

Entomology Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. De¬

partment of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

For many years only five species of Veromessor were known

to occur in the United States, these being andrei (Mayr), cham-

berlini (Wheeler), labognathus (Andrews), pergandei (Mayr),

and stoddardi (Emery). In 1951 (Great Basin Nat. 11:94—96)

I added a sixth, lariversi, from a locality 5 miles west of Pyramid

Lake (Washoe County), Nevada. Recently a seventh form, a new

subspecies of stoddardi was received from Chico (Butte. County),

California. This is described below. As two Veromessor new to

science have been found since the appearance of Creighton’s Ants

of North America (1950, Harvard Univ., Mus. Comp. Zool. Bui.

104:94—96), a key for the identification of the workers of all

our forms is offered here.

Genus Veromessor Forel

(Key for identification of workers of the forms occurring in the United

States)

1. Base of antennal scape dilated to form a prominent, trumpet-shaped

structure. (Epinotal spines long, much longer than the distance separat¬

ing their bases. Thorax very coarsely sculptured, rugulose-reticulate.

Color highly variable; commonly reddish brown to blackish.) One of

the most common species. Ariz., Calif., Nev., Oreg., and Mex.

..... andrei (Mayr)

Base of antennal scape not shaped as described above..2

2. Epinotal spines short, not longer than the distance separating their

bases . 3

Epinotal spines long, much longer than the distance separating their

bases .........~6

3. Pronotum longitudinally rugulose. Ammochetae lacking. Color largely

reddish brown..4

Pronotum not longitudinally rugulose. Ammochetae well developed.

Color not as described. 5

4. Base of antennal scape flattened and also noticeably dilated. Dorsal

surface of head although possessing coarse punctures in addition to the

other sculpture, the punctures are not readily discernible. Calif. (Butte

County). stoddardi chicoensis M. R. Smith new subspecies

Base of antennal scape not as described above. Dorsal surface of head

with coarse scattered punctures in addition to the other sculpture, the

January, 1956]

SMITH-VEROMESSOR

punctures very conspicuous. Calif. (Monterey County and southward),

Mex........ stoddardi stoddardi (Emery)

5. Color black or picous brown. Eye not remarkably large and convex

but with a rather distinct anteroventral angle. Middle of the anterior

border of the clypeus with a projection. Pronotum smooth and shining

but with a distinct shagreening. One of the most common species. Ariz.,

Calif., Nev., Mex. pergandei (Mayr)

Color not as described above but of a very light brown that reminds

one very much of a callow. Eye remarkably large and convex but

lacking the anteroventral angle. Middle of the anterior border of the

clypeus without a projection. Calif., Nev. lariversi M. R. Smith

6. Base of antennal scape unusually enlarged or dilated. Scape smooth

and shining. Median rugulae of the head noticeably diverging poster¬

iorly. Calif. (Santa Cruz Island and mainland areas near Los Angeles)

....... chamber lini Wheeler

Base of antennal scape not unusually enlarged or dilated. Scape not

smooth and shining. Median rugulae of the head not noticeably diverg¬

ing posteriorly. Bearing a superficial resemblance to Pogonomyrmex

occidentalis (Cress). Colo. (Glenwood Springs and Owl Canyon, 20

miles north of Fort Collins). lobognathus (Andrews)

Veromessor stoddardi chicoensis M. R. Smith, new subspecies

Worker. Length 6.2 mm.

Head subrectangular, scarcely longer than broad, with rounded posterior

corners and distinctly concave posterior border. Cheeks noticeably con¬

verging toward the mandibles. Eye placed nearer the anterior than the

posterior border of the head, moderately convex, approximately 0.3 mm.

at its greatest width. Mandible rather large, subtriangular, with 7 rather

blunt teeth. Base of scape curved, flattened and also noticeably broadened;

gradually and distinctly enlarged toward the apex, the apex of the scape

not attaining the posterior border of the head; last four funicular segments

enlarged but not forming a pronounced club. Frontal carina short, posteri¬

orly divergent, not concealing the insertion of the antenna. Frontal area

subtriangular, impressed. Middle of the anterior border of the clypeus

with an impression or emargination. In profile, promesonotum forming a

moderate arch which terminates at the pronounced mesoepinotal constriction

which is approximately 0.10 mm. deep and at least twice as long. Base of

epinotum lower than the promesonotum and sloping posteriorly to the

epinotal spines which are short, even shorter than the distance between

their bases. From above, pronotal humeri rounded; promesonotal suture

present but not well defined. Legs rather long and slender, with the femora

and tibiae only moderately incrassated. In profile, petiole, rather small

with erect node the anterior surface of which meets the pedicel in a dis¬

tinct angle; ventral surface of petiole with a poorly defined longitudinal

carina. From above, the postpetiole is subpyriform. Gaster oval, without

humeri.

Head with finely punctate interspaces between the fairly coarse

longitudinal rugulae; also scattered over the head there are some rather

38 THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

coarse punctures which are best seen only in certain lights. Pronresonotum

largely longitudinally rugulose, the interspaces finely punctate. Dorsal

surface of epinotum transversely rugulose. Side of thorax longitudinally

rugulose; the interspaces on the mesopleuron and side of epinotum coarsely

punctate thus causing these areas to appear dull or subopaque.

Petiole and postpetiole finely punctate with the dorsal surfaces

bearing a few coarse, foveolate impressions. Gaster witlr a fine shagreening

which is not always readily seen.

Body with a moderate amount of erect, coarse, golden hairs of variable

length, some of the hairs being rather long. Gula without ammochetae.

Head and thorax a rich reddish brown, gaster blackish except at the

base; petiole, postpetiole and legs with infuscated areas.

Type locality: Chico, Butte County, California, March 2,

1954, Adrian Wenner.

The workers of this new form were collected in Sec. 17, T22

N, R2E in the Chico area lava flow plateau at an elevation of

450 feet. This is approximately where the foothills of the Sierra

Nevada meet the Sacramento Valley at the upper end of the

Chico creek alluvial fan. The nest was beneath about a twenty

pound stone. It was composed of a series of galleries that led

approximately 12 inches into the soil. In summer the soil is baked

dry and at this time the ants very probably aestivate.

Described from a holotype and 20 paratype workers which

have been placed in the United States National Museum under

U.S.N.M. No. 62959.

This polymorphic subspecies varies considerably not only in

size but also in color and body proportions. Paratypes show the

following variations, the smallest worker is 3.7 mm., the largest

6.7 mm., infuscated areas of variable size and intensity common¬

ly occur on the head, petiole, postpetiole and legs, smaller

workers have a longer and narrower head than the larger workers.

Creighton (1953, Amer. Mus. Novitates No. 1612, pp. 17—18)

has shown that the typical stoddardi is a true harvesting ant with

foraging activities very probably of a crepuscular nature. It is

quite likely that this new subspecies may have similar habits.

Individuals who are especially interested in the taxonomy, biology

and distribution of the various forms of Veromessor, as well as

those of Novomessor , are referred to the paper entitled, “A Study

of the Ant Genera Novomessor and Veromessor” by Wheeler and

Creighton 1934, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci. 69:341—387,

2 pis.

January, 1956]

PECHUMAN-TABANUS

AN UNUSUAL NEW TABANUS FROM ARIZONA

(Diptera: Tabanidae)

L. L. Pechuman

Lockport , New York

In 1953, Professor Henry Dietrich of Cornell University and

Mrs. Dietrich collected long series of Tabanidae in Arizona. This

material has contributed considerably to our knowledge of the

Tabanid fauna of Arizona and comments on some of the species

collected will be published separately.

Among the material collected in 1953, is a series of an appar¬

ently new species of Tabanus. It is a pleasure to dedicate this

species to Professor Dietrich whose collecting activities for many

years have added much to the study of North American Tabanidae.

Tabanus dietrichi Pechuman, new species

Female. Length 16 mm. Eye pilose, hair very short; ground color

of eye dark green with a single diagonal purple band; short, stiff, golden

yellow occipital hairs rimming eyes. Frons slightly over three times as

high as greatest width, essentially parallelsided but slightly wider below,

dull ochre yellow pollinose with numerous stiff semierect black hairs;

basal callus small and almost obliterated by pollen of frons and what

portion can be seen is finely wrinkled; median callus narrow, somewhat

spindle shaped, not quite touching basal callus; subcallus concolorous with

frons, slightly protuberant; ocellar tubercle absent but a thinning of the

pollen in the ocellar area allows a portion of the integument to be seen

in vicinity of two vestigial lateral ocelli. Antennae black, first segment

slightly enlarged above; third antennal segment slightly angulate above

but with no dorsal excision; annulate portion somewhat shorter than

basal portion of third segment; a few long black hairs on some of the

annuli. Frontoclypeus and cheeks concolorous with frons and subcallus

and with no bare areas; many black hairs on upper portion of cheeks

and frontoclypeus but beard bright yellow. Palpi yellow with a pinkish

cast, not greatly thickened at base and with many stiff black hairs and a

few fine yellow hairs. Proboscis short, only slightly longer than palpi.

Mensonotum. black with five indistinct pale stripes which are covered

with recumbent orange-gold hairs, the area between the stripes being

covered mostly with black hairs; prescutal lobe dark yellowish brown.

Scutellum black with golden hairs. Pleurae black with black hairs and

several patches of pale yellow hairs and a tuft of bright orange hairs on

the mesopleuron just below base of wdng and bright yellow hairs on the

post alar callosity. Legs black with mostly black hairs; basal third of

fore and middle tibiae and basal sixth of hind tibiae brownish yellow;

middle femora with a few and hind femora with many golden yellow

hairs in addition to black hairs; hind tibial fringe black although there

are a few yellow hairs on the hind tibiae; underside of middle and hind

tarsi with many short reddish yellow hairs. Wings with a faint dusky

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

tint which is most intense in the costal cell; all veins faintly bordered

by heavier infuscation and dark spots are present on the crossveins and

at the bifurcation of the third longitudinal vein; veination normal without

a spur at the bifurcation of the third longitudinal vein. Knob of halteres dark

brown, cream colored at apex; stem pale brown. Abdomen a peculiar

shade of yellowish gray with a faint greenish tinge with darker markings

which consist on the second to fifth segments of paired dashes which do

not quite reach the posterior border but unite anteriorly to form a black

border which reaches across the segment and expands to form a large

dark spot at the anterio-lateral margin of the tergite; first tergite mostly

dark with infuscation heaviest under the scutellum; sixth tergite black;

all segments with bright golden yellow hairs over paler portions and black

hairs over dark portions; posterior margins of all tergites fringed with

golden yellow hairs. Venter fuscous, second to sixth sternites with very

narrow pale posterior borders and fringes of golden hairs; center of fourth

and most of fifth and sixth sternites with black hairs; balance of venter

densely covered with yellow hairs.

Male . Length 15.5 mm. Much darker than female. Eyes pilose, facets

about same size throughout; fringe of hairs on occiput golden yellow

Occipital tubercle with a crease through the center, yellowish brown

pollinose with yellow hairs. Frontal triangle considerably wrinkled, dark

yellow pollinose, darker above. Frontoclypeus and cheeks concolorous with

frontal triangle but cheeks becoming brighter yellow below; cheeks slightly

protuberant, with long black hairs. Antennae black, shaped much as in

female, with a few long black hairs on some of the annuli. Palpi yellowish

brown about two and a half times as long as greatest thickness, decurved

at tip, with many black and a few yellow hairs. Mesonotum black with

black hairs and a very few yellow hairs and only the faintest indication

of pale stripes; prescutal lobe chestnut colored; scutellum concolorous

with rest of thorax, black haired with a fringe of yellow hairs posteriorly.

Pleurae black, mostly black haired. Legs black and black haired, fore

and middle tibiae somewhat yellowish at base, middle and hind tarsi with

EXPLANATION OF FIGURES

Tabanus dietrichi Pechuman.—Male: 1, abdomen; 2, frontal triangle;

3, third segment of antenna; 4, second segment of palpus. Female: 5,

abdomen; 6, frons; 7, third segment of antenna; 8, second segment of palpus.

January, 1956 ]

PECHUMAN-TABANUS

stiff reddish hairs beneath. Wings as in female. Halteres dark brown.

Abdomen mostly black and black haired; second to sixth tergites with

very narrow pale posterior bands and a fringe of yellow hair; first tergite

with traces of a very small sublateral chestnut colored spot resting on the

posterior border; second and third tergites with larger chestnut spots which

practically cross segment. Venter mostly black and black haired with narrow

pale posterior borders with a fringe of yellow hair on the second to sixth

sternites; the third sternite with a large chestnut spot on each side near the

median line which crosses the segment and extends slightly over the second

sternite.

Holotype, female: Phelps Botanical Area, White Moun¬

tains, Arizona, 8 July, 1953 (A and H. Dietrich), in Cornell

University collection. Allotype, male: same data as holotype, in

Cornell University collection. Paratypes: 3 females with same

data as holotype; 1 female same locality as holotype collected 7

July, 1953; 34 males same data as holotype; 16 males same

locality as holotype collected 7 July, 1953. With the concurrence

of Professor Dietrich, paratypes are to be distributed as follows:

1 male and 1 female to the United States National Museum, Uni¬

versity of Arizona, Tucson, Dr. Cornelius B. Philip and the

writer. Additional male paratypes are in the collection of Cornell

University and the writer.

In the series studied the females showed little variation from

the holotype; the amount of black and yellow hairs on the legs

and palpi was not always proportionately the same as in the type

and the series varied from 14 to 16 mm. in length. In the males,

variation was mostly in the color of the abdomen; in some speci¬

mens the chestnut colored spots were more extensive than in the

allotype, in others less extensive and in some specimens these

spots were absent leaving the abdomen completely black with

very narrow pale posterior borders on the tergites; in a few

specimens there are traces of a pale mid-dorsal triangle on the

second tergite. The males varied in length from 14 to 16.5 mm.

Two specimens were not included in the series of paratypes since

they appear to be monstrosities; they have holoptic eyes as in

the male with an abdominal pattern much like that of the female

and the palpi are obviously aberrant.

Tabanus dietrichi is unique in several respects. It may be

separated from all Tabanus known to the writer by the almost

completely pollinose basal callus. Its peculiar coloration is ap¬

proached in the Tabanidae to the writer’s knowledge only by

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [vOL. XXXII, NO. 1

Chrysops hirsuticallus Philip and occasional specimens of Atylotus

incisuralis (Macquart).

Generic placement of this species was difficult. Its affinities

seem to be with a group of species which includes Tabanus

gilanus Townsend, T. boharti Philip, T. fairchildi Stone, T. rein-

ivardtii Wiedemann, and T. stonei Philip but certain characters

relate it to Atylotus on one hand and Hybomitra on the other.

Although none of the above species are congeneric with the geno¬

type Tabanus bovinus Linnaeus in a strict sense, our present

knowledge of the group would scarcely justify generic separation.

The conditions under which Tabanus dietrichi was found are

of interest. As described by Professor Dietrich, the males were

collected in knee high grass growing in a wet meadow at an

elevation of about 9,500 ft. It is to the great credit of Professor

Dietrich that he recognized that the abundant females of Tabanus

present at that time belonged to other species. Persistent search

for comparable females resulted in the collection of five speci¬

mens which were resting on the outer walls of a cabin at the edge

of a wet meadow where the males were collected.

I am indebted to Mr. William Wild of the Buffalo Museum

of Science for the figures of Tabanus dietrichi.

January, 1956 ]

PACIFIC COAST ENT. SOC.

PACIFIC COAST ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY

H. B. Leech W. C. Day D. D. Jensen

Vice-President President Secretary

Proceedings

Two Hundred and Fortieth Meeting

The two hundred and fortieth meeting of the Pacific Coast Entomological

Society was held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 4, 1955, in the Morrison

Auditorium of the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. President

W. C. Day conducted the meeting. The following members were present:

R. L. Usinger, W. C. Day, H. B. Leech, P. D. Hurd, Jr., Charles Hildebrand,

Glen M. Cagley, Borys Malkin, Berta B. Kessel, Edward L. Kessel, L. R.

Gillogly, Hilary Hacker, W. Anthony Doalin, W. W. Sampson, Stephen

Hitchcock, Otto W. Graf, Jr., and J. W. Tilden. The following visitors were

present: Grace Hurd, James Gillogly, Alan Gillogly, Robert L. Hacker,

and Duncan Cuyler.

The minutes of the annual meeting held December 4, 1954, were read

and approved.

Carlo Gemignani was elected to full membership in the Society.

President Day, reporting for the program committee, announced that

J. K. Holloway is scheduled to speak at the March 5th meeting, and E. S.

Ross will be the speaker on Apx-il 16th, if he has returned from South

America by that time.

Dr. Usinger announced the second memoir of the Society, “Revision

of the Spider Mite Family Tetranychidae” by A. Earl Pitchard and Edward

W. Baker, will be out in about six weeks.

President Day appointed the following committee to select a site for

the field trip scheduled for May 21, 1955: Dr. Paul D. Hurd, Jr., chairman,

Dr. Gordon Edwards, and Dr. E. L. Kessel.

In response lo the President’s call for notes and exhibits, Dr. J. W.

Tilden showed two photographs of a teratalogical scorpion, in which one

of the book lungs had developed into a malformed pectine. This might

offer some support to the theory that book lungs and pectines are serially

homologous.

Borys Malkin reported on MacJdotes spp. (Colydiidae) from New

Guinea, the Philippines, and Hainan Island. He exhibited fifteen specimens

belonging to the Academy and reported that there are five specimens in

the British Museum.

Dr. Kessell reported that Dr. Ross has sent from Peru, to date, 80

boxes of color slides and over 180,000 specimens. His trip has been

extended until April.

It was announced that Tom Briggs, a member of the Society and

senior at Lincoln High School in San Francisco, has been selected for his

work on Solpugids as one of two outstanding science students west of the

Mississippi River.

Dr. Usinger proposed that Dr. Kessel be delegated to write a letter

to Tom Briggs commending him in the name of the Society for his

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

selection as outstanding science student. The motion was seconded and

passed unanimously.

Dr. Usinger commented upon several species and two genera of

myrmecomorphic Mirid bugs. These were exhibited, along with the ants

which they mimic. In his study of the genus Dacerla he discovered that

three species, including one collected in Mexico by Mr. Leech, belong to

a new genus which be is describing. Most of these species are brachypterous

but one from southern California has fully developed wing-covers and

wings.

In the absence of Miss Emily Bartholomew, Mr. Leech read her note

on the habits of a California specimen of the southern European Katydid,

Phanoptera quadripunctata Brunner. (See Strohecker, 1952. Pan-Pac. Ent.

28(3) : 138). ‘‘On August 8, 1953, a small katydid was taken in a quince

tree near Sunnyvale, California. It was kept in a cage for about a month

before it died. It stridulated occasionally, most often at night. Its song

was a series of irregularly repeated, rasping clicks, with a soft, lisping,

leisurely quality. The katydid flew readily and in the manner of a Scud-

deria. Its general behavior was no different from that of the Scudderia

which were in the same cage. Mr, J. A. G. Rehn, Philadephia Academy of

Sciences, identified the specimen.”

Dr. Hurd added that there are two specimens of this katydid at the

University of California, collected in Niles Canyon in 1932, and at Sunny¬

vale in 1941. • -

Mr. Day introduced Mr. J. C. Rozen, of the University of California,

who spoke on the subject “Comparative Behavior of the Bees of the Genus

Nomadopsis” His address was accompanied by slides to illustrate graphically

the phylogenetic relationships between the species. Mr. Rozen’s discussion

is summarized below.

The genus Nomadopsis consists of some thirty species, twenty-five of

which occur in California. These bees are non-social. Although they may

nest in a localized area, there is no queen; each female digs and pro¬

visions her own nest. Nests are made in the ground and each cell is

provisioned with a pollen ball, upon which a single egg is laid. The genus

is divided into three rather distinct subgenera, one of which is composed of

three species groups.

In addition to morphological characters used in making these separa¬

tions, it is possible to make much the same separations based on behavior

patterns. By far the most distinctive of these are the mating habits which

may vary in method of approach by the male, in position and duration

of copulation. In one sub genus, for instance, the, union may last for an

hour, while in another the rough and tumble mating seldom exceeds five

seconds in duration. Nesting habits vary, for the burrow may be shallow

or deep, straight or curved, contain a single cell in each side branch, or

two or three in a series. Seasonal cycles vary from one to several generations

per year. With respect to the diurnal cycle the bees are usually active

during the warm part of the day but they are attuned to the pollen flower

and may be active early or late in the day depending on the time the

flower opens and closes. “Monolectic” species limit themselves to the pollen

January, 1956 ]

PACIFIC COAST ENT. SOC.

of a single species of plant; “oligolectic” ones have the choice of several

plants; while “polylectic” species may collect pollen from many different

species of plants. Certain morphological differences permit various species

to collect pollen from deep-throated flowers, while other bees with short

mouthparts feed on open flowers.

The meeting was adjourned.—L. R. Gillogly, Secretary pro tern.

Two Hundred and Forty-first Meeting

The two hundred and forty-first meeting of the. Pacific Coast Ento¬

mological Society was held at 2:00 p.m, on Saturday, March 5, 1955, in

the Morrison Auditorium of the California Academy of Sciences, San

Francisco. President W. C. Day conducted the meeting. The following

members were present: D. D. Jensen, P. S. Bartholomew, L. R. Gillogly,

G. E. Bohart, H. B. Leech, J. W. MacSwain, J. G. Edwards, J, W. Green,

K. F. Innes, E. L. Kessel, R. D. Cuyler, S. W. Hitchcock, A. E. Pritchard,

L. M. Henry, G. F, Ferris, R. L. Usinger, F. E. Skinner, B. McDaniel, J. H.

Freitag, N. W. Frazier and W. C. Day.

Visitors were present as follows: J. A. Reed, Alan Gillogly, Mrs. L. R.

Gillogly, James Gillogly, George Provin, W. A. Russell, J. K. Holloway,

Paul Remy, Dr. and Mrs. R. De Coursey, Mrs. S. W. Hitchcock, Peter

Wygodzinsky, and A. R. Hill. k

The minutes of the meeting held February 4, 1955, were read and

approved.

Gordon Bender, Duncan Cuyler, Samuel Gottfried, and Henry Taaber

were elected to full membership in the Society.

In response to the President’s call for notes and exhibits, Dr. Edward

Bohart showed pictures of the wild bee, Anthophora occidentalis Cresson,

its burrows in vertical banks and its parasite. The pictures were made in

Utah.

Professor Ferris exhibited his latest volume (number 7) of the Atlas

of the Scale Insects of North America.

President Day then introduced as the main speaker of the meeting,

Mr. James K. Holloway, Entomologist of the U. S, Department of Agri¬

culture and the University of California, who spoke on the subject, “Search¬

ing for Natural Enemies of the Sugar Beet Leathopper in Spain and

North Africa.” Mr. Holloway’s talk, which was illustrated with excellent

colored pictures, is summarized below.

In searching for natural enemies of an introduced insect species it is

very desirable to know the country of origin. The beet leafhopper was

thought to have originated in the western hemisphere. Exploration in Central

and South America failed to locate the species. In the course of a long

series of taxonomic studies, Dr. P, W. Oman decided that the beet leaf-

hopper belonged in the genus Circulifer. He recognized some 12 Old World

species of the genus which were generally distributed in the countries of

the Mediterranean. In 1948, Oman published an article in which he found

two species described, one from Palestine, and the other from Sicily, to be

synonymous with the North American beet leafhopper. This finding opened

up a whole new area for parasite exploration. As a preliminary to this

project, Dr. Norman Frazier was sent on a seven-month survey of the

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL. XXXII, NO. 1

Mediterranean countries. He definitely determined the existence of Circulifer

in these countries and recommended that we search in Spain and North

Africa for natural enemies.

In March 1952, we sailed from New York to Barcelona with a station

wagon equipped as a field laboratory.

The first problem pertaining to the field work was a big one, because

Circulifer were not insects of economic importance in Spain and there

were no taxonomists in that country who had worked on the group. There¬

fore, there were no distribution records available. In the United States we

know that the beet lealhopper is generally found in areas of 12 or less

inches of rain and is associated with certain preferred host plants. Fortun¬

ately, the botanical and meteorological records were good in Spain and

from these a probable collecting area was determined. The family Cheno-

podiaceae was used as a plant index. This family includes many of the

preferred host plant genera such as Atriplex, Salsola, Bassia, and others.

A rough sketch of the distribution was placed on a map of Spain and upon

this was placed areas of 10 or less inches of rain. This solved the problem

of the part of Spain in which to search.

No parasites or predators of the adults or nymphs were found in suffi¬

cient quantity to make shipments. Several egg parasites from Spain were

received in quarantine at Albany, California and from these, three readily

accepted the eggs of Circulifer tenellus.

Approximately four months, January through April, 1953, were spent

in North Africa in the following countries: Spanish Morocco, Tangier,

French Morocco and Algier. It was hoped that the warmer climate of these

countries would permit some winter work. Unfortunately, most of the

suitable collecting areas were at from 2,000 to 3,000 feet elevation. Under

desert conditions at that time of the year, there were a few hours during

mid-day which were warm enough for insect activity but the nights were

so cold it more than offset the activities resulting from mid-day temper¬

atures. However, in southern French Morocco below the Atlas Mountains

and along the Atlantic ocean, an area was found in which working populations

of Circulifer tenellus were obtainable. From this locality one egg parasite

was obtained and is now being released.

Mr. Holloway’s report was followed by short discussion after which

the meeting was adjourned.—D. D. Jensen, Secretary.

Two Hundred and Forty-second Meeting

The two hundred and forty-second meeting of the Pacific Coast Ento¬

mological Society was held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 15, 1955, at the

California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. President W. C. Day

conducted the meeting. The following members were present: D. D. Jensen,

P. Bartholomew, L. R. Gillogly, G. E. Bohart, H. B. Leech, J. W. MacSwain,

J. G. Edwards, J. W. Green, K. F. Innes, E. L. Kessel, R. D. Cuyler, S.

W. Hitchcock, A. E. Pritchard, L. M. Henry, G. F. Ferris, R. L. Usinger,

P. D. Hurd, F. E. Skinner, B. McDaniel, J. H. Freitag, N. W. Frazier, and

W. C. Day. Visitors were present as follows: J. A. Reed, Alan Gillogly, Mrs.

L. R. Gillogly, James Gillogly, G. Provin, W. A. Russell, J. K. Holloway,

January, 1956 ]

PACIFIC COAST ENT. SOC.

P. Remy, Dr. and Mrs. R. M DeCoursey, Mrs. S. W. Hitchcock, P.

Wygodzinsky, and A. R. Hill.

The minutes of the meeting held March 5, 1955, were read and

approved..

Dr. Hurd reported that the annual field meeting would be held at

Russellman Park, Contra Costa County, on May 14, 1955.

President Day reported on the publication status of volume 2 of the

Society’s Memoirs Series, “A Revision of the Spider Mite Family Tetrany-

chidae” by A. E. Pritchard and E. W. Baker, indicating it would be ready

for distribution in the near future.

A motion was passed instructing the Membership Committee to write

letters to members of the Society who are delinquent in their dues encour¬

aging them to continue active participation in the Sociey.

In response to the President’s call for notes and exhibits, Dr. Hurd

reported on limestone nodules containing fossil insects of cretaceous age

from the Calico Mountains of California.

Mr. Day reported that in one group of mayflies, three species had

been named on the basis of the form of one structure. He has found that

when the mayflies are killed in a killing jar with ethyl acetate this structure

appears identical in all.

Mr. Day introduced as the main speaker of the meeting Dr. A. R. Hill,

Department of Zoology, Glasgow University, whose subject was, “Some

observations on Anthocoris spp.” A summary of Dr. Hill’s remarks follows.

Anlhocoris bugs belong to the family Anthocoridae of the suborder

Heteroptera. They are commonly called Flower Bugs or Minule Pirate

Bugs. They are characterized by possessing 4-segmented antennae, by the

absence of ocelli and by the elytra showing a distinct euneus and embolium.

In color they are generally black and brown with either white or cream-

colored markings.

They are free-living insects to be found on a variety of shrubs, trees

and flowers, under fallen leaves, under bark, in moss, etc. Carnivorous in

habit, they feed on mites, thrips, leafhoppers, aphids, coccids and other

small insects and arthropods. Some have been reported as damaging culti¬

vated plants but this is rather unusual. There are approximately 40 species

recorded in the world list.

These insects, because of their small size and inconspicuous coloring

have been little studied, so that there is a lack of information about their

life-histories, their geographical distribution and their distribution on

plants. Practically nothing is known about their feeding habits, which

organisms form their prey and to what extent they inbibe plant juices.

More information as to the role these insects play in reducing and stabiliz¬

ing populations of pest species such as red spider mites, aphids, etc. would

be of considerable practical importance. It was for these reasons that the

lecturer began his study of British Anthocoris species last year. The work

is still in the preliminary stages. Distribution records have been obtained

from literature and supplemented by field studies and life history. Studies

have been performed on two species, Anthocoris nemo rum- (L) and A.

confusus Reuter. The former species, which is very common and widely

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [VOL* XXXII, NO. 1

distributed, proved the easier to rear in the laboratory. Exact data on

duration of stadia and on quantities of aphids consumed during; the

developmental and post-developmental periods have been ascertained.

Anthocoris nemoram completes its developmental period in 48 days

consuming some 57 aphids during that time, Jor A. confusus the figures

are 28 days and 35 aphids for the spring generation and 32 days and 40

aphids for the summer generation (the figures are averages). In the case

of A. nemorum there are strong indications that it is univoltine in Scotland,

whereas, in England, it is bivoltine.

\ci\ little seems to be known of the North American species which

have not been treated as a group since C). M. Reuter’s monograph (1884).

1 he author has made a study of these and hopes to publish a key for their

identification in the near future.

Following a discussion of Dr. Hill’s talk, the meeting was adjourned.—

IX IX Jensen, Secretary.

Two Hundred and Forty-third Meeting

1 he annual field meeting of the Pacific Coast Entomological Society

was held at Russelman Park, Contra Costa County, May 14, 1955. The

following members were present: E. S. Ross, W. C. Day, J. G. Rozen, H. R.

Leech, ^■ Hovanitz, Don Burdick, R. F, Smith, J. W. MacSwain, and Jane

MacSwain. \ isitors were present as follows: Mrs. W. C. Day, Dr. and

Mrs. K. M. DeCoursey, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Russell, Laurel Cummings,

Mrs. R. F. Smith and children.

I n for cm c aide scheduling difficulties prevented the attendance of many

members who had hoped to repeat the successful field meeting that had

been held at the same location last year. This was particularly regrettable

since, with the lateness of the season this year, there was an abundance of

flowering plants throughout the area. However, those present enjoyed the

opportunities for collecting and visiting under ideal weather conditions.

w. MacSwain, Secretary pro tem.

Tw'o Hundred and Forty-fourth Meeting

The two hundred and forty.fourlh meeting of the Pacific Coast Ento-

molop'cal Society was held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, 1955, at

" California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. President W. C. Day

con lute lie meeting. The following were elected to membership in the

Wry: Anthony Ross, Donald Maddox, Jerry A. Powell, and Richard

The following members were present: W. W. Middlekauff, E. 0. F.ssig,

s7 m H “ Sen ’ L : R - Cil My, P. A. Bartholomew, J. W. Mac-

BerTT i J d . en ’ G ' M - Cagle f’ w - Hovanitz, H. B. Leech, W. A. Doalin,

H ho W n ^T‘w' erry PoWe11 ’ D ' D - J- W. Green. S. W.

SwiR D P l. MacNe '"’ D - »• Henning, P. D. Hurd, B. F. Smith, E.

ienl Th t 11 rma ' 1 ’ ° Graf ’ ViCt0r St ° mblr '- w - C. Day, and D. D.

Eurnom R “ T" 8 '' S '',° rS Were PreSen,: Don Smit h, Riley Swift. Philip

Kn oa B Jron Furman Lynne Furman, Kathy Smith, Mary Swift, Tim

•’ r ° mn,y Sm,,h ' Mrs ' «• Gillogly, Alan Gillogly, J im Giilogly,

January, 1956 ] pacific coast ent. soc.

David Bartholomew, John M. Beak, David W. Davies, Charles Cushner,

R. L. Goodenough, Charles A. Koepke III, P. Wygodzinsky, Paul Surany,

Bob Pacheco, Paul Johnson, M. A. Barber, Iola W. Barber, Mrs. W. C.

Day, Sue Roberts, Eugene King, Marsh Pitman, George Johnson, Jo

Johnson, Celeste Green, Grace Hurd, Kathryn Mcnulty, Kathleen Green,

James Tyler, Bernard J. Adelson, James D. Denning, Richard A. Torkelson,

Mrs. D. G. Denning, Libby Smith, G. Provin, Mrs. E. Swift, Mrs. D. P.

Furman, John Hendrickson, and David Rentz.

The minutes of the meetings held April 15 and May 11, 1955, were

read and approved.

President Day reported that the Society’s second memoir, ‘The Re¬

vision of the Spider Mite Family Tetranychidae" by Pritchard and Baker,

had been published and had already sold 186 copies.

A motion was made and passed approving the action taken by the

Executive Board in amending the By-laws of the Society to add an adver¬

tizing committee to the standing committees ot the Society.

President Day appointed (he following members to serve as a nomin¬

ating committee 'to propose a slate of officers for 1956 at the December

meeting: Dr. Hurd, Dr. Ross and Dr. J ilden.

In response to the President’s call for notes and exhibits Dr. MacSwam

showed photographs of the eggs of five genera of Coniopteiygids and com

mented briefly on the striking differences in oviposition habit. In addition,

he exhibited a colored slide of one of the trash-carrying larvae of the genus

Eremochrysa of the Chrysopidae. .

Dr. Tilden reported two collections: A bee taken in a mosquito light

trap, on July 27, 1954, at Santa Clara, California.

A balloon fly was taken on the old alignment of the Los Gatos-Santa

Cruz Highway, about two miles west of Holy City, and not far from the

marker for the ghost town of Patchen, March 19, 1955. The fly was flying

very slowly and not far from the ground, perhaps eight feet. 1 he balloon

was very while and was what attracted attention. No others were seen.

Hugh B. Leech mentioned the following collections received by the

Department of Entomology of the California Academy of Sciences:

(1) Several thousand specimens taken by Dr. L. Vi. Swan of San

Francisco State College, on the California Himalaya Expedition of 1954,

to Makalu, the 27,790 ft. peak some 15 miles from Ml. Everest. I hr

collections were made in the Arun valley of eastern Nepal, those rom t e

floor of the valley are chiefly from elevations of 1.000 to 5,000 ft., hut

those from base camp on the mountain are from 12,000 to 20.000 ft.

(2) The Harry P. Chandler collection. This has not been completely

accesioned yet, but contains some 16,000 well mounted and labeled speci¬

mens. It is strongest in Coleoptera, especially aquatic species, but contain,

aquatics of other orders, and a general coverage of orders.

(3) Almost 800 Australian beetles, chiefly a named collection of ground

weevils. These comprise the subfamily Amycterinae, which is restricted to

Australia. There is also a set of Ferguson’s revisional papers on the sub¬

family which comprised part of the Deuquet collection. These are a gift of

Mr. E. R. Leach.

^0 THE pan-pacific entomologist [vol. xxxti, no. 1

(4) 2,500 coprine Searabaeidae, nearly all exotics which are a gift from

E. R. Leach, and from his collection. .

Dr. Ray F. Smith reported that the spotted alfalfa aphid. T her wap his

maculata (Buckton), is the most serious pest of alfalfa that has ever been

introduced into California. It first appeared in a few localities m southern

California early in 1954. It caused serious damage in that area during the

1954 growing season. It was first, found in northern California in January,

1955 in Kern County. All major alfalfa growing areas in the Central Valley

and in the coastal areas as far north as San Jose are infested. It is of

significance not only because of its damage to alfalia but because of its

impact on other aphids and their natural enemies.

President Day introduced Dr. E. S. Ross, of the California Academy

of Sciences, who spoke on “An Entomological Expedition to the Andes.

His talk, which was illustrated with superb colored pictures, is summarized

below.

Between September, 1954 and April, 1955, Dr. Ross, Curator ot Ento¬

mology at the California Academy of Sciences, in company with Mrs. Ross

and Air. E. I. Schlinger of the University of California at Davis, conducted

an entomological expedition to the Andean region of Peru, Ecuador,

and Colombia. The principal purpose of this field work was to photograph

the appearance and habits of living insects in tropical environments. This

work was supported by a grant from the John Simon Guggenheim Founda¬

tion. A secondary activity was a study of the biology and evolution of the

Embioptera. Mr. Schlinger’s objectives were to study flies of the family

Acroceridae and to make a general collection of insects of the many regions

visited.

Approximately ten thousand photographs were made, nearly a hundred

new species of Embioptera were discovered and studied, and about 200,000

insects of all orders were collected.

Using a selection of Kodachromes, Dr. Ross traced the activities of

the expedition from its base in Lima, Peru to its termination at Buena¬

ventura, Colombia. Before crossing the Andes to reach the principal work

area, Tingo Maria, field work was conducted in the coastal lomas in the

deserts north and south of Lima. By September 18 the group had begun

to work out of the experiment station at lingo Maria on the upper Huallaga

River. From this base the group radiated each day by truck to suitable

areas from high Carpish Mountain cloud forests to the w r est, eastward to

the Amazonian plains near Pucallpa. Upon completion of four profitable

months of such activity, the party returned to Lima on January 12, Hert

the accumulated collections were shipped to San 1 rancisco and the truck

was made ready for its difficult northward journey.

Between January 14 and March 50, most of the major life zones of

northern Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia wmre briefly visited. 1 he principal

purpose of this phase of the expedition was to increase the coverage of the

Embioptera and acrocerid collections. Diversions down the upper Pastaza

River of Ecuador, the upper Putomayo of southern Colombia, and to A illa-

vicencio in northern Colombia, resulted in valuable comparative collections

from life zones comparable to those intensively collected in central Peru.

January, 1956]

PACIFIC COAST ENT. SOC.

More than one hundred Kodachromes were shown, many of which illus¬

trated hitherto unphotographed tropical insects and the biological pheno¬

mena they exemplify. Particularly instructive was the large series showing

the diverse methods by which insects reduce predation through camouflage

and mimicry.

Following the lecture by Dr. Ross the meeting was adjourned.—D. D.

Jensen, Secretary.

Two Hundred and Forty-fifth Meeting

The two hundred and forty-fifth meeting of the Pacific Coast Ento¬

mological Society was held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 3, 1955,

in the Morrison Auditorium of the California Academy of Sciences, San

Francisco. President W. C. Day conducted the meeting. The following

members were present: R. C. Miller, D. D. Jensen, R. L. Usinger, D. P.

Furman, E. G. Linsley, J. W. MacSwain, P. A. Harvey, L. R. Gillogly, W. W.

Middlekauff, A. E. Michelbacher, E. 0. Essig, J. G. Edwards, E. L. Kessel,

Victor Stombler, G. F. Ferris, Laura Henry, J. W. Tilden, William Hovanitz,

Walter Thomsen, Donald Linsdale, M. Wasbauer, Don Burdick, J. J. Drea,

K. S. Hagen, J. E Swift, R F. Smith, Donald Maddox, Anthony Ross, Allan

Samuelson, Jerry Powell, J. W. Green, G. M. Caglev, and W. C. Day.

Visitors were present as follows: Dolores Damian, C. Joan Worthington,

Richard Schonert, Jean Johnson, James E. Harvey, Philip Torchir, Peter H.

Westigard, Dave Ribbee, Bernard Adelson, Derham Giuliani, William

Russell, J. A. Hendrickson, Jr., Jim Gillogly, Alan Gillogly, Mrs. Lorin R.

Gillogly, Mrs. W. C. Day, G. Provin, James W. Chapman, Neil A. Walker,

Don Sanders, Fred Mosslarger, Harlan L. Smith, Myron Gershenson, and

Paul Opler.

The minutes of the meeting held October 29, 1955, were read and

approved.

Myron Gershenson, Jon Herring and Harlan L. Smith were elected to

membership in the Society.

President Day appointed Dr. Jensen to serve on the membership com¬

mittee.

In response to the President’s call for notes and exhibits, Dr. Edwards

showed three colored slides. One was a picture of a large mass of yellow

Collembola on and adjacent to a snow bank at an elevation of 6500 feet

in Glacier National Park, Montana. The picture was taken in July 1955.

The second slide was of a peculiar moth larva eating prune leaves near

Sunnyvale, California, November 1955. Tt was reared to the adult stage in

the laboratory in about one month. The species has not been identified but

may belong in or near the genus Schizara. The third slide showed a scorpion

carrying three white young scorpions on its back. It was a species collected

from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.

Dr. Kessel stated that the balloon fly collected by Dr. Tilden near

Holy City, Santa Cruz Mountains, and reported at the October meeting, is

Empimorpha geneatis Melander. The type for this species was collected

in 1902 from somewhere in California. Otherwise it has been taken only in

Corte Madera Canyon, Marin County, by both Dr. Ross and Dr. Kessel.

Dr. Ross projected and discussed two Kodachromes illustrating pollen-

THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST [vOL. XXXII, NO. 1

ization of Aristolochia. Gnats, chiefly of the family Fungivoridae, are attracted

to the flowers because of their musky odor. Once in the flowers the flies

move upward to the stamens and pistil because of the light transmission

of the corolla wall which is pale around these parts. No light is visible in

the direction of the flower opening because of its twisted shape and dark

pigmentation. Once the pistil is fertilized* the bag-like corolla wilts, the

light trap opens, and the flies can escape. Bearing the pollen of such flowers,

they may then enter another flower and cause cross-fertilization.

Dr. Usinger exhibited several species of Microphysidae collected or

reared by Dr. E. S. Ross from webs of Embioptera in South America.

These proved to be new species of the interesting and hitherto monotypic

genus Embiophila described by Dr. W. E. China from Trinidad. Judging

by the species now before us, this promises to be a large and rather homo¬

geneous genus confined to Embiid webs in the New World tropics.

Dr. Tilden reported that the nominating committee proposed the follow¬

ing as officers of the Society for 1956: Hugh B. Leech, President; W. W.

Middlekauff, Vice-President; D. P. Furman, Secretary; R. C. Miller,

Treasurer; G. F. Ferris, Member-at-Large. They were unanimously elected.

The chairmanship of the meeting was then turned over to President¬

elect Leech who called on Mr. Day to give his presidential address entitled

“Some Adaptations Among the Mayflies.”

Before the meeting was adjourned, questions from the audience elicited

from Mr. Day an interesting description of methods of collecting and rearing

mayflies.—D. D. Jensen, Secretary.

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Vol, XXXIi APRIL, 1956 No. 2

THE

Pan-Pacific Entomologist

CONTENTS

DURHAM—Insect bearing amber in Indonesia and the Philippine

Islands . 51

LEE & RYCKMAN—First report of Trichocorixa calva (Say) from

California . 53

MacSWAIN & GARNER—Notes on two milliped-feeding carabids. 54

GILBERT—The Raymondionymine weevils of California, with a

description of a new genus and several new species. 55

DENNING—Several new species of western Trichoptera. 73

LATTIN—The first California record of Boreus californicus fuscus

Carpenter . 81

LINSLEY, MacSWAIN, & SMITH—Association of Holcopasites

with Pseudopanurgus in Mexico. 82

SCHUSTER—Two new species of Mipseltyrus from California. 83

ARNAUD & HOYT—Description of a new species of Diadocidia

from California . 87

TIMBERLAKE—Description of two species of Diadasia from North

America ._. 90

MICHELBACIIER — The false spider Mite, Brevipalpus lewisi

McGregor—a potential pest of English walnut. 93

BOOK NOTICES AND REVIEWS....86, 92

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA • 1956

Published by the PACIFIC COAST ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY

in cooperation with THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES