o
L U
o
OF THE
UNIVERSITY Of ILLI NOIS
595705
COLB
v.9-10
BIOLOGY
+Viic; material is re
The person charging library from
» « before the
result in dism.ssal urbaNAXHAMPAI^
UNiVERSiTVO^^^
L161 — 0-1096
fan ft \jdj .\kr
The Coleopterists’ Bulletin
A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF BEETLES
VOLUME 9, 1955
Published by THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY SAINT JOHN FISHER COLLEGE ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
The Coleopterists’ Bulletin is published by the Department of Biology, Saint John Fisher College, Rochester, New York, and edited by Ross H. Arnett, Jr. Head, Department of Biology, and Associate Professor of Biology, Saint John
Fisher College. It is issued six times a
Subscriptions: The subscription price for each annual volume of six numbers is $4.00 payable in advance. All sub¬ scriptions begin with the first issue of the year and those subscribing later in the year will receive the back issues of that volume.
Back volumes: A stock of back volumes is maintained and may be purchased as
year beginning with February.
follows: Volumes 1-9, send for price list, sets only available; volume 5, $4.50; vol¬ ume 6, $2.50 ; volume 7, $5.00 ; volume 8, $5.00 ; volume 9, $5.00 ; single numbers, $1.00 each ; all prices postpaid.
Missing numbers: Issues lost in the mail will be supplied free of charge if no¬ tified within three months after mail¬ ing.
NOTICE TO AUTHORS
Manuscripts submitted for publication should be typewritten, double spaced, and on one side of the paper only. Notations after the author’s name, such as address, project numbers, etc., should be treated as footnotes, and in general, acknowledge¬ ments should also be in footnotes. It is preferred that other footnotes be avoided. Illustrations should be sent unmounted, but numbered. The manuscript should be marked to indicate the location of text figures or the position of full page plates. A bibliography should be compiled at the end and references in the text referred to this bibliography. All geographical names in periodical abbreviations should be spelled out, and the full title of each article cited should be given.
Manuscripts will be acknowledged upon receipt. As soon as possible thereafter the author will be notified as to accept¬ ance. If the manuscript is accepted, a tentative date of publication will be set. In general, all papers will be published
in their order of receipt, but the editor reserves the right to use articles out of order in the interest of a balanced maga¬ zine.
The editor will make no text changes without advanced notice to the author. Galley proof will be sent for correction. These galleys are sent out well in advance and do NOT indicate the date or order of publication.
Separates of articles torn from the is¬ sues will be supplied free. 100 copies are reserved for this purpose and will be sup¬ plied equally between the authors accord¬ ing to the way the issue is made up. The number of copies to each author will vary from 50 to 100 in most cases. Reprints printed free of extraneous matter will be supplied with or without covers at cost. Reprints MUST be ordered on the form provided when returning galley proofs. ‘The approximate cost of reprints will be supplied Avith this form.
EDITORIAL POLICY
Any article, note,_ or neAvs items likely to be of interest to readers of the Bulletin will be considered. Articles with illustrations are particularly desired, and in most cases, descriptions of neAV species must be illustrated. Descriptions
of neAV species or genera must contain keys or be correlated with existing keys. Photographs, with or Avithout text, suit¬ able for printing on the front cover of each issue are desired.
Ar /
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Volume 9, 1955
Arnett, R. H. Jr., Organization of the Bulletin. _ 28
Benton, A. H. and Wilcox, J., On the habits of beetles of the genus
Catops. _ 29
Carne, P. B., Notes on Australian Coleopterists. _ 87
Cazier, M. A., The Southwestern research station of the American
Museum of Natural History. _ 64
Collecting Notes. _ 16
Current Literature. _ 30, 61, 77, 91
Current Literature Section. _ 20
Downes, J. A., Tenth International Congress of Entomology. _ 90
Edwards, J. G., Cerambycid on Box-Elder twig. _ 33
Gentry, J. W., Beetle pest conditions. _ 25
Hatch, M. H., Bradycellus harpalinus Serv. in North America. _ 10
Hicks, S. D., Abundance of several species of Coleoptera in British
Columbia. _ 1 1
Hicks, S. D., A dermestid in poison ivy. _ 9
Hicks, S. D., Two forms of Blepharida rhoise (Forst). _ 21
King, E. W., The phylogenetic position of Atractocerus Palis. _ 65
Kissinger, D. G., New distribution and habitat records of N. A.
Coleoptera. _ 13
Klapperich, H., Catching beetles with the aid of a bicycle with notes
on the Leiodidae of the Rheinland. _ 85
Leech, H. B., Crepuscular habit of Anaplocephalus cribrifrons
(Scarabaeidae : Dynastinae). _ 6
Leech, H. B., Orr’s records of beetles eaten by the pallid bat. _ 52
Leech, H. B. and Green, J. W., Plant association data for a few Arizona and New Mexico Coleoptera (Cleridae, Meloidae,
Chrysomelidae, Cerambyeidae) . - 27
Marshall, M. Y., Studies in Malachiidae — VI. - 35
McDermott, F. A., A note on the genus Diphotus Barber 1941
(Coleoptera, Lampyridae). _ 49
Monros, F., On some new genera of Nearctic Chrysomelinae
(Chrj^somelidae) . _ 53
News. _ _ _ 5, 19, 64, 74
Notices. _ 32
Perry, J. P. Jr., Notes on Dendroctonus beckeri Thatcher in Central
Mexico. _ 1
Projects. _ 16, 90
Reviews. _ 30, 34, 63, 75, 89
Selander, R. B., The proper name for the tribe Calospastini and a
correction of generic synonymy (Meloidae). _ 17-
Spangler, P. J., Habitat notes and description of the larva of Cicin-
dela circumpicta johnsoni Fitch (Cicindelidae). _ 81
Tilden, J. W., Collecting Acmaeodera in Santa Clara county, Cali¬ fornia. _ 23
Tilden, J. W., Interspecific cannibalism in Brennus Mots. (Cara-
bidae). _ 10
Williams, R. E., Ocypus olens (Muller) in the United States (Sta-
phylinidae). _ 77
Wood, G. C., Coding biological taxons. _ 28
Young, F. N., Request for information. _ 10
Young, F. N., The type locality and habitat of Hydroporus dixianus
Fall (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). _ 7
Young, F. N., Unusual abundance of Sandalus in southern Indiana 74
LIST OF NEW TAXA DESCRIBED IN VOLUME 9
Acalligrapha Monros, new genus (Chrysomelidae). _ 55
APLICALAE King, new suborder (Coleoptera). _ 73
Attains mcclayi Marshall, new species (Malachiidae) . _ 44
Attains scapnlaris Marshall, new species (Malachiidae). _ 42
Attalusinus mexicanus Marshall, new species (Malachiidae). _ 38
Bidensomela, Monros, new genus (Chrysomelidae). _ 54
Bidensomela bidenticola meridionalis Monros, new subspecies
(Chrysomelidae). _ 54
Calligramma Monros, new genus (Chrysomelidae). _ 50
Collops bipunctatus australis Marshall, new subspecies
(Malachiidae). _ 35
Coreopsomela Monros, new genus (Chrysomelidae). _ 55
Graphicallo Monros, new genus (Chrysomelidae). _ 57
Pseudatialus texensis Marshall, new species (Malachiidae). _ 45
Tanaops lobulatns Marshall, new species (Malachiidae). _ 40
DATES OF PUBLICATION Volume 9, 1955
No. 1 (pp. 1-16), June 20, 1955 No. 2 (pp. 17-32), June 20, 1955 No. 3 (pp. 33-48), October 19, 1955 No. 4 (pp. 49-64), January 16, 1956 No. 5 (pp. 65-80), March 1, 1956 No. 6 (pp. 81-96), April 25, 1956
' A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF BEETLES
The Coleopterists^Bulktin
Volume IX
February, 1955
n
6
ICi
No. 1
—
Published bimonthly beginning with February by the DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, SAINT JOHN FISHER COLLEGE, Rochester 18, New YhrB." ’T-ernas of subscription: $4.00 per year, both domestic and foreign, payable in advance. Bach- Ruinbers ' are- available.
The general policies of The Coleopterists’ Bulletin are determined 'oh- the. recommendation of the following Advisory Board: Dr. Ross H. Arnett, Jr., Head, Department of BfotogV, St. John Fisher College; Dr. Henry Dietrich, Professor of Entomology, Cornell University; Dr. J. Gordon Edwards, Professor of Entomology, San Jose State College; Dr. Eugene J. Gerberg, Insect Control and Research, Inc., Baltimore, Md. ; Dr. Melville H. Hatch, Professor of Zoology, University of Washington, and Mr. George B. Vogt, Entomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Edited by Ross H. Arnett, Jr.
NOTES ON DENDROCTONUS BECKERI THATCHER IN
CENTRAL MEXICO1
By J. P. Perry, Jr,2
In February, 1954, the author was investigating an extensive beetle- kill in a mixed stand of Finns rudis Endl. and Finns leiophylla Sch. &
Figure I. Beetle-killed pines in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Mexico City.
1 Journal Series Paper No. 22 of the Mexican Agricultural Program of The Rock- feller Foundation.
Administrative Assistant, Mexican Agricultural Program of The Rockefeller Foundation.
Mali
ttffllj
2
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IXT No. I
Chem. near the Sierra Nevada range of mountains not far from Mexico City. It was suspected that the bark beetle, Dendroctonus mexicanus Hopk., was the insect responsible for the damage, and examination of a few dead trees proved this to be the case. The infestation apparently died out as the fringes of the pine stand were reached, leaving a few* scattered, living tres (Figure 1). Among these trees two were found which had been recently attacked (Figure 2). Both belonged to the species P. rudis, the species constituting the major part of the stand killed (Figure 3).
Figure 2. Pinus rudis attacked by bark beetles.
Some years ago, the author found this same type of infestation pattern in P. leiophylla, i.e. the primary attack by D. mexicanus on the upper stem, with a subsequent attack by Dendroctonus valens LeC. at the ground line.3
While collecting specimens of D. valens, the author discovered a num¬ ber of large black beetles having a superficial resemblance to D. valens. Further investigation revealed that the pattern of gallery construction in these beetles was entirely distinct from that of D. valens.
The author was fortunate in being able to show this infestation to Mr.
3Perry, J. P., Jr., 1951. Bark Beetles of Central Mexico. Unasylva Y (4) : 159-165.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
3
0
C
C
ID
_0
0
0
_Q
( 0 _Q
c
t_
0
-4-
-4- •
Q_ <D -i* O
2 • 3 Q
o'.
(D
0)
i/>
o
0
<D 0 _Q <- 0
0 0 _Q 'C 0
>-= _Q 0 O'
w (1)
0 cn
<-+- i_
.c _0
>- 0 ~ _n > h- 0
<D .
J5 3 L-
-C ix CL 3 O C *0 Q-
^ O
“O 00
Sg
Irt
1 1
o
_£Z lO to
3
C
Q_
“O
d
0
T3
0
0
i_
3
4
THE COLEOPTERISTS’ BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. I
o ,5>
3 >-
i_ CD -I- — to
C <0
o cr> u
cr> <D O'1 «- © ©
5 cr>
c
to • —
.® o
_© |
cn o
o
>-
cr> —
i- © © >
•E ®
© Q
CT1
_© ."t ~© ^
o
©
-f'H
•— 3
© i- O © © _Q »-+-
5 ©
E
i_ ■
©
-Q O
<- CL © 3 tz
c ©
• — LO
O
c O
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
5
R. L. Furniss, who collected a few specimens for identification. Mr. Furniss4 recently advised the author that the specimens had been identi¬ fied as Dendroctonus beckeri Thatcher, a new species recently reported from Guatemala.5
Since no information is available at present for this species regarding range, host, biology and associated insects, the following should be of interest :
Specimens were collected during February and March, 1954, from Finns rudis at an elevation of 2600 meters in the Sierra Nevada range of mountains near the boundary between the states of Mexico and Tlaxcala. The insect excavates large, winding, and sometimes branched, egg gal¬ leries through the inner bark (Figures 4, 5 & 6). Although no larvae were found, it is believed that they mine the inner layers of bark and transform to pupae in separate cells in outer bark. In the two trees examined, D. beckeri was found only in a two and one half (2.5) meter section of stem from the ground line upward. It was found in association with D. mexicanus, D. parallelocolis Hopk. and D. valens.
Specimens have been deposited in the collections of the Ofieina de Estudios Especiales, S.A.G. in Chapingo, Mexico and in the collection of Mr. Furniss.
4Personal correspondence with Mr. B. L. Furniss, Div. of Forest Insect Investiga¬ tions, U.S.D.A., Portland, Ore.
5Thateher, T. O., 1954 — The Coleopterists’ Bulletin VIII (l) : 3-6.
News
O. L. Cartwright, United States Na¬ tional Museum, and Dr. Henry F. How- den, Department of Zoology and Ento¬ mology, University of Tennessee, are re¬ vising the North American species in the genus Ontliopliagus (Scarabaeidae) .
Knox Walker, entomologist with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at College Station, is completing the lab¬ oratory aspects of a life history study of the red-cross beetle, Collops balteatus, to determine its importance in controlling cotton insects. In brief, his findings to date may be summarized as follows:
Eggs are deposited among soil debris but always concealed, particularly in hol¬ low grass straws and usually in groups of 15 to 30. These hatch in 6-8 days into
larvae which are agile sufficiently to catch almost any close-by insect. As a rule these larvae are associated with soft-bodied insects, especially Collembola, and, in the laboratory, also fed upon any dead insect or insect larva; they dwell strictly upon the floor of the earth. On the average, 65 days, with 5 moults, are required to reach the imaginal stage, including a 15-day pupal period. After emerging from the pupa, the insects require 30-40 days to attain sexual maturity, as indi¬ cated by oviposit.ion. Each female de¬ posits an average of 300 eggs. There are three generations per year; hibernation occurs in all stadia but predominantly in the larval form. The adults act more as scavengers than as predators, preferring dead coccineillids to live aphids, but they will feed upon the aphids both in the lab¬ oratory and the field. — L. S. Dillon.
6
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. I
CREPUSCULAR HABIT OF ANOPLOCEPHALUS CRIBRIFRONS
(SCARAB AEIDAE :DYNASTINAE)
On August 1, 1952, Mr. J. W. Green and I were camped at the end of the road up Madera Canyon, at 6,000 feet in the Santa Rita Mountains, central northern Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Just at dusk one of us (H.B.L.) was seated in a glade a quarter of a mile above the camp, staring hopefully at a juniper tree outlined against the sky, in case a Plusiotis gloriosa was about.
Suddenly there was a hurried scratching amongst dead leaves at the foot of a nearby ash, the whirr of a heavy beetle flying, and a light thud as it landed on the tree about eight feet above the ground. The flashlight beam picked out a dark brown scarabaeid running quickly up and down the trunk. Soon it was joined by others, some of which seemed to come from the litter at the base of the tree. The beetles were constantly active, taking flight and returning. They stayed out of reach, yet readily tumbled into a net held over or just below them. Considering their rather heavy and typical scarabaeid form, the interesting thing was the speed at which they ran up and down and around on the vertical tree trunk. No doubt their remarkably long slender tarsi are very suitable for this activity. Of the 14 taken on this tree in a period of 20 minutes, only one was a female ; the entire flight and activity lasted but half an hour. Although a Coleman lantern was set upon a white sheet immediately afterwards, not one of them was attracted to it. They were identified as Anoplocephalus cribrifrons.
Anoplocephalus cribrifrons was described as a new genus and species by Schaeffer (1906. Trans. American Ent. Soc., 32:259-260), with the locality “Huachuca Mts., Arizona.” The California Academy of Sciences collection con¬ tains 4 males labeled Huachuca Mts., Ariz., C. R . Biederman ; 4 males, Huachuca Mts., Ariz., July 5 to 19, 1912, J. R. Slevin; 1 female, Ramsey Cn., Huachuca Mts., Ariz., July 20, 1912, J. R. Slevin; 1 male, Miller Can., Huachuca Mt., Ariz., July 1910, H. A. Wenzel. Biederman lived for some 40 years, starting in the 1880’s, in Carr Canyon (his land and old house are now owned by Major Haley). In 1912 Mr. Slevin was camped in nearby Ramsey Canyon, just to the north; he tells me he often walked over to visit Biederman, and collected with him.
In addition the Academy has 5 males, 1 female, from the Chiricahua Mountains, [Cochise County], collected on various dates during July and early August, 1908 and 1916, by Y. W. Owen; and 1 male labeled Phoenix, [Maricopa County], R. E. Kunze. In series the specimens from the three isolated mountain ranges differ in facies, and males can be separated by minor characters of the genitalia. Material from other mountains in southern Arizona, and presumably from ad¬ jacent Mexico and New Mexico, may show that definable subspecies are involved. It is peculiar that of the 31 examples recorded above only three are females. The fact that one was taken with the males on the ash tree at Madera Canyon shows that both sexes have the same habit; perhaps females are more numerous a little later in the season.
Hugh B. Leech, California Academy of Sciences
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
7
THE TYPE LOCALITY AND HABITAT OF HYDROPORUS DIXIANUS FALL
(COLEOPTERA: DYTISCIDAE)1
By Frank N. Young
Hydroporus dixianus was described by H. C. Fall (1917) from a series of six specimens collected by Dr. J. Chester Bradley in Spring Creek, Decatur County, Georgia, in August 1913. This distinctive little species has remained very rare in collections, and practically nothing is known about its biology or distribution. The only additional published record since the original description seems to be that for Torreya State Park, Liberty County, Florida (Young, 1954).
In reply to a query as to the exact place at which the types of Hy¬ dro porus dixianus were collected, Dr. Bradley replied as follows : 1 ‘ In August 1913 we spent some days in camp on the banks of Spring Creek at a place that must have been where, or approximately where Georgia State Highway No. 253 crosses Spring Creek. The environs have been so changed that I cannot be exactly sure. ... We camped at the crossing of a piney- woods road by means of a cable-ferry across the creek; there were no houses there, but a small frame shelter had been erected for hunting purposes at the spot, and we camped in it. The name Reynolds- ville, shown on current Rand McNally Road map sounds familiar, and was I think the name of a turpentine still located perhaps a mile west of the ferry by which we camped. ’ ’
The above leaves little doubt that Spring Creek below the Georgia Power and Light Company dam at Georgia Highway 253 is the only remnant of the possible type locality of dixianus. Above this point the water is deep and unsuitable for beetles of lotic habitat preferences; farther downstream the empoundment of the Jim Woodruff Dam has already flooded into the marginal swamps where they have not been cleared,
It was decided in 1953 that Spring Creek near Georgia Highway 253 should be studied intensively as a distinctive type of major habitat in the area to be flooded when the Jim Woodruff Dam is completed. Funds were made available for a study of the aquatic beetles through the Florida State Museum as part of a general survey of the area supported by the U. S. National Park Service.
Spring Creek at this point is a large, deep stream with steep banks. It is largely fed by overflow from the present dam, but receives some wa¬ ter from small seepage springs. The water is clear, and the pH is prob-
1Contribution No. 599 from the Zoological Laboratories of Indiana University, aided by a grant from the Florida State Museum.
8
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. I
ably high (over 7.0 as tested with Nitrazine Paper). The banks are com¬ posed of a marly limestone and sand, over which small seepage springs trickle into the main channel at several points. The edges are thinly lined with cypress trees which were not included under the contracts for clear¬ ing the basin.
Mr. Sylvester N. Brown and the writer spent the evenings of June 7 and 8 and the morning of June 9 collecting aquatic insects in this area. An attempt was made to explore every recognizably distinct minor habitat represented. The following minor habitats, each with a distinc¬ tive assemblage of aquatic beetles, were tentatively recognized along the margin of the stream :
A. Marginal situations exposed to current of stream
1. “Hard” sand beach without vegetation
2. Silty-sand beach with some emergent vegetation and algae
3. Limestone exposed at margin with no vegetation except algae
4. Marl with some vegetation at margin where seepage springs enter main channel
5. Roots mats around exposed bases of cypress trees
B. Marginal situations partly protected from current of stream
1. Silt in backwaters behind dense aquatic vegetation {Ludwigia sp.)
2. Silt or silty-sand at outer edge of backwaters, partly protected by emergent vegetation ( Ludwigia sp.)
3. Silt or silty-sand areas without vegetation between bases of cypress trees
4. Mats of roots with algae at water level between bases of cypress trees — mostly along steeper banks
It was obvious that the nature of the bottom, the amount of vegetation, and the degree of exposure to the current of the stream affected the num¬ ber and kind of aquatic beetles in each of these situations. Hydroporus dixianus occurred sparingly in A-2, A-3, A-4, B-2, and B-3 ; it reached maximum abundance in B-4 which seems to be one of the most natural minor habitat along the stream. Hydroporus vittatipennis G. and II. was present in greatest abundance in B-2, but was more abundant than dixianus in other situations as well. It was least abundant in A-l, and neither species was taken in B-l nor in the marginal seepage areas, small temporary pools along the shore, nor in the main stream channel. In A-2, vittatipennis outnumbered dixianus about 100 to 1 ; in B-2 about 5 to 1. In B-4, a semi-quantitative sample contained 495 vittatipennis and 107 dixianus.
In B-4, the floating root mat between the bases of cypress trees, both vittatipennis and dixianus could be seen coming to the surface and diving
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
9
among the tangled roots and algae. Both species seemed to be commonest along the inner edge of the mats where sand, marl, or silty sand made a small “ beach” beneath the roots. Both could be driven out into the open water only with difficulty, and immediately swam back toward the shore. It was noticed that in nearly all places along the shore small fish were common and would dart inshore toward any insect which was displaced into the deeper water. This suggests that the amount and kind of vegeta¬ tion affects the abundance of the water beetles only indirectly.
Other beetles associated with the floating root mats were : Hydropores elypealis Sharp, H. lobatus Sharp, Bidessus lacustris (Say), Coptotomus interrogates obscures Sharp, Helochares maculicollis Mulsant, Enochrus ochraceus (Melsh.), and adults and larvae of Dubiraphai quadrinotata (Say).
It seems probable that situations similar to B-4 are the characteristic minor habitat of Hydropores dixianes in streams where predators are abundant. It was later found in much the same situation in Spring Creek at U. S. Highway 84 (Decatur County, Georgia). No similar mats could be found along the Apalachicola Biver at U. S. Highway 90, but several specimens of dixianes and vittatipennis were found beneath a few roots of willows dangling in the water. Dixianes was not found in the Chatta¬ hoochee River at Butler’s Landing nor at Florida Highway 2 (Ga. 91). Intensive collecting in smaller streams in the area often produced vittati¬ pennis but not dixianes. Vittatipennis was taken in large numbers in the sandy and silty margins of springs (now submerged) along the Flint River in 1953, but no mats similar to those in Spring Creek were noted.
Literature Cited
Fall, H. C. 1917. New Dytiscidae. Jour. New York Ent. Soc., Vol. 25, pp. 173-174. Young, F. N. 1954. The water beetles of Florida. Univ. of Florida Studies, Biological Science Series, Vol. 5. p. 85.
A DERMESTID IN POISON IVY
Apsectus hispidus (Melsh.) is an addi¬ tional record to the lists published in this Bulletin by authors interested in insects feeding on poison ivy and its allies, Toxicodendron — section of the genus Rhus. LeConte and Horn (1883, Smithson. Misc. Coll. 507, p. 143, probably quoting Jayne) state: “Apsectus has but one
species, found in the Atlantic States; one specimen in my possession was hatched from a tumor on a stem of Rhus radicans.’ ’ I can find no other record in the literature that might help to clarify this observation. — S. D. Hicks, Sys¬ tematic Entomology Unit, Entomology Division, Canada Department of Agricul¬ ture, Ottawa.
10
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. I
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Dr. Henry Dietrich, of the Department of Entomology, Cornell University, in¬ forms me that the types of Hydroporus dixicmus Fall and Hydroporus gaudens Fall are missing from the Cornell collec¬ tion. Since they are not in the Fall col¬ lection at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, they may have been loaned by Dr. Fall to some fellow entomologist.
The type of Cymhiodyta vindicata Fall and those of several other species of Hydrophilidae are also missing from the Fall collection at the M.C.Z. Since there are several undescribed species in the vindicata- fimbriata group, it is important that the type of vindicata be located.
Any information concerning the pres¬ ent location of these types would be greatly appreciated. — Frank N. Young, Indiana University, Bloomington, In¬ diana.
INTERSPECIFIC CANNIBALISM IN BRENNUS MOTS. (CARABIDAE)
On the evening of July 2, 1948, while I was collecting moths with a coleman lantern on the floor of Bixby Canyon, Monterey County, California, I noted a specimen of Brennus running rapidly across the sandy ground lighted by the lantern. It was carrying a large object in its mandibles. Curious, I picked it up and placed it in a cpiart glass jar. It was then seen that the object it carried was the body of another Brennus, dead and partly eaten. The victor finished its repast in the jar. The following morn¬ ing, it was umned with the elytra of the victim pinn ' 1 below on the same pin. It will be remembered that these beetles have the elytra sutured together along the median line, as are those of Eleodes. Examination of the survivor shows it to be Brennus striatopunctatus (Chd.). The
elytra of the victim seem to belong to a specimen of Brennus cristatus (Harr.). The latter is a trifle the smaller, to judge from the relative sizes of the elytra. Members of Brennus are widely reputed to eat snails and slugs, but apparently are not averse to other prey, even con¬ geners, if convenient. — J. W. Tilden, San Jose State College, Calif.
BRADYCELLUS HARPALINUS SERV. IN NORTH AMERICA
A male and female of the Palaearctic Brady cellus (s. str.) harpalinus Serv. from Vancouver, B. C., has been submit¬ ted to me by Mr. G. Stace Smith, adding another to the notable list of introduced Carabidae in North America and in the Pacific Northwest. In the literature liar- palinus is recorded from Ireland, Scot¬ land, Shetland Islands, southern Nor¬ way, southern Sweden, and Saarema Island (Estonia) to Portugal, Spain, Al¬ geria, Tunis, Sicily, Greece, Ukraine, and Caucasus, also Madeira Islands. It is about the size and general appearance of B. fenderi Hatch (Bull. Brooklyn Ent. Soc. XLVI, 1951, p. 120, Beetles of the Pacific Northwest I, 1953, p. 180), from Depoe Bay, Ore., but is distinguished from that species by the presence of hind wings, which are absent in fenderi, and the shape of the aedeagus, which is simply acute at the apex in harpalvnus, more elongate and distinctly sinuate to¬ wards the apex in side view in fenderi. Fenderi appears to belong in the sub¬ genus Bradycellus s. str. along with harpalinus, rather than in the subgenus Stenocellus as originally described. Bra¬ dycellus s. str. is distinguished from our species of Stenocellus by its rounded pos¬ terior pronotal angles. — Melville1 H. Hatch, University of Washington, Se¬ attle, Wash.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
1 1
ABUNDANCE OF SEVERAL SPECIES OF COLEOPTERA IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
By S. D. Hicks1
During June and July, 1953, I collected beetles at Mission City and other localities in the lower Fraser Valley. This section of British Colum¬ bia was having the wettest season in 50 years, especially in the first two weeks of June. June and July of 1952 had been extremely dry. These facts may have some bearing on the striking abundance of several species of beetles.
The first twTo weeks of June at Mission City were so extremely wet that collecting was limited almost entirely to water beetles and beetles under cover of bark and debris. The European ground beetle Pterostichus ( Omaseus ) melanarius (Ill.) is well established along the lower Fraser Valley. It has been known in the west since 1927 and has been reported from northwestern Oregon, eastern and western "Washington, and the Victoria and Vancouver districts of British Columbia (Brown, 1950). It is evidently spreading in that province, at it has recently in the east. It is said to be abundant and very widely distributed in Europe and Siberia (e.g., Jeannel, 1942, pp. 784-785).
In early June, a snout beetle, Rhynchites bicolor wickhami Ckll., occurred in thousands on the tender crown leaves of the thimbleberry, Rubus pariflorus Nutt., which is very abundant in the lower Fraser Valley. The feeding holes of the adult were very noticeable in the un¬ folding tops of this broad-leafed species of Rub us. The western form has a black head and beak. The common eastern form, ‘‘the rose curculio of the Transition Zone” (Leonard, 1928), has a red head and a black beak. From 1937 to 1941, I noticed it as a pest of rose bushes in gardens throughout the Niagara Peninsula, but during 1942 I was unable to find it (Hicks, 1942, p. 244).
Possibly the most abundant beetle of the lower Fraser Valley is the alder flea beetle, Haltica ambiens ambiens Lee. The alder tree, Alnus rubra Bong., attains considerable size, and there are numerous seedlings everywhere. The feeding of the larvae was strikingly evident by the holes in the leaves. Another species of flea beetle, Haltica tombacina tom- bacina Mann., occurred commonly everywhere on fireweed, Epilobium angustifolium L. Near Harrison Mills an estimated population of two hundred beetles was observed on one plant.
At a large peat bog near Pitt Meadows in the lower Fraser Valley, a remarkable number of coccinellids was observed. There were few species, those represented in abundance being Coccinella trifasciata
Systematic Entomology Unit, Entomology Division, Canada Department of Agri¬ culture, Ottawa.
12
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. I
subv ersa Lee., Coccinella calif ornica Mann., and Cycloneda munda (Say) The vegetation in the rows of the bog where the peat is nnent is a dense mat of many kinds of plants with a species of fern predominating ; there were thousands of adult and pupal coccinellids on the plant leaves. There was also a small click beetle, Megapenthes caprella caprella Lee., which could be seen anywhere on plant foliage, and by sweeping with a net one could easily have obtained hundreds in a short time. However, this species was not nearly so abundant as it was along Diamond Head Trail, which leads into Garibaldi Park from Squamish. From 2200 ft. to 3300 ft. on the sides of the trail it was possible to collect thousands of specimens with little effort from the flower heads of pearly everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea (L.) C. B. Clarke, and the occasional shrub of ocean spray, Holodiscus discolor (Pursh) Maxim.
Perhaps most impressive was the abundance of Cantharis fulva Scop. This European species had been known in America only from Abbots¬ ford, B. C., seven miles south of Mission City, where it was found abun¬ dantly in 1948 (Brown, 1950). The beetles were observed at Miller's Slough, a short distance from MacGillivray Creek, the nearest post office being Chilliwack. As the name suggests, the area is low-lying and marshy, with large sandy areas, and there is a noticeable predominence of thistles, giant poplar trees and their seedlings, willows, and alders. Thousands of these beetles were scattered everywhere on this vegetation, resting on the leaves, mating, and flying. At one particular spot there was a large group of willows, and dozens of beetles were flying in and out of the branches at a height of 15 feet. Tiger beetles were common on all the sandy areas, but not as abundant as on a large, sandy, marshy area a few hundred yards to the east. I have never seen so many beetles run¬ ning over a ground at one time. The species represented were Cicindela oregona Lee. and Cicindela repanda Dej.
The total number of species collected during the summer was dis¬ appointingly small. Having collected in other Canadian regions, I would have expected a much more diversiled coleopterous fauna in view of the varied flora of the Fraser Valley.
Literature Cited
Brown, W. J. 1950. The extralimital distribution of some species of Coleoptera. Canadian Ent., vol. 82, pp. 197-205.
Hatch, M. H. 1949. Studies on the fauna of Pacific north-west greenhouses (Isopoda, Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Orthoptera, Gastropoda). Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol.
57, pp. 141-165.
Hicks, S. D. 1942. In The Canadian Insect Pest Review, vol. 20, p. 244. Canada, Dept. Agr., Ottawa, (processed)
Jeannee, R. 1942. Coleopteres Carabiques. Dieuxieme partie. Faune de France 40. Leonard, M. D. 1928. A list of the insects of New York. With a list of the spiders and certain other allied groups. Cornell Univ. Agr. Expt, Sta. Mem. 101.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
13
NEW DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT RECORDS OF N.A. COLEOPTERA
By D. G. Kissinger1
The following are notes on the distribution and general habits of some rather interesting N.A. beetles. The names are used and arranged as in the Leng Catalogue and its supplements.
BUPRESTIDAE
Taphrocerus agriloides Cr. was found in moderate numbers at Knott Is. and Bell Is. along the Northeastern coast of North Carolina. During May 8 to 10 the series was swept from fine swamp grass. Previously recorded from Georgia, Alabama, and Texas.
Mastogenius subcyaneus (Lee.) occurs sparingly on dogwood leaves near Reading, Penna, My specimens were found during late June and early July.
COLYDIIDAE
Mychocerus depressus (Lee.) is represented in my collection by a single specimen from Takoma Park, Md., XII-16-50, found under oak bark and one from I Mi. N.W. Bristol, Md., III-30-52, under maple bark. Mr. G. H. Nelson and I collected at the latter locality during the middle of July. He found another under the bark of the same tree, and although we nearly denuded the tree we failed to find another.
Euxestus (—Hypodacne Lee.) punctata (Lee.) I have three examples from Takoma Park, Md., XII-2-50 that were found in a recess under the bark of a damp oak stump. Recorded in Leng from “Ind.”
ABLE CULID AE
Lobopoda oculatifrons Csy. was taken sparingly at light at Brunswick, Ga., VI-5-1952. Recorded in Leng from “Tex,”
TENEBRIONIDAE
Phellopsis obcordata (Kby.) A single specimen was found near Sperry- ville, Rappahannock Co., Va., during November, under bark. Recorded in Leng from “Pa., N.H., and Nfld.”
Araeoschizus fimbriatus Csy. Four examples determined as such by Dr. Ross Arnett, Jr. were found under a small stone with numerous, small red ants near mouth of Pecos River, Tex., 1-13-1953. Listed in Leng from “Cal. and Ariz. ”
department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Md.
14
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. f
SCARABAEIDAE
Dialytellus humeralis (Lee.) Four examples in deer dung from Jerrys Run, Augusta Co., Ya., III-3'1-51. The elevation here is between two and three thousand feet. In Leng listed as “Mich, and Md.”
Acanthocerus aeneus MaeL. A single specimen was found at Bruns¬ wick, Ga., VI-5-1952 by beating a dead limb, thus definitely recording this fine species from that state.
CERAMBY CID AE
Curius dentatus Newn. Represented in my collection by two specimens. One from Deep Creek, Ya., VII-19-1952, by beating a dead maple branch, and the other from Knott Is., N. C., VII-18-1952, by beating dead wax myrtle ( Myrica cerifera L.). Recorded only from Florida by Leng.
ANTHRIBIDAE
Gonotropis gibbosus Lee. A series of nearly thirty examples of this otherwise rare species was found near Reading, Penna., during the latter part of August, by beating the dead limbs of fallen hemlock trees. These trees are of large size, no doubt hundreds of years old. Probably the only reason they escaped destruction by man is because they are on an irregular sloping hill side. Now they are too big and too old to success¬ fully withstand the ravages of the weather. The savage ice and wind storms of recent years have caused many of this small group of trees to fall, thus furnishing abundant food for an otherwise rare beetle. Recorded previously from Colo., Mich., H.B.T., Me., and Mass.
CURCULIONIDAE
T achy g onus lecontei Gyll. Two specimens were found on hickory leaves at Takoma Park, Md., X-8 and IX-23-51. Recorded previously only on oak.
T achy g onus gracilipes Csy. A limited number of examples from near Reading, Penna, during June, taken from elm leaves, some mating. Recorded before from “Ind., 0., and D. C.”
Paragraphus setosus Blateh. A single example of this unusual weevil from Collier City, Fla., V-30-1952, was found under low growing plants near the beach.
N otaris bimacidatus Fab. One specimen of this was taken by Dr. N. M. Downie at Dunes State Park, near Chicago, Ill. He states in a letter that it was walking on the sand, and since the prevailing wind there is from the Northwest it is possible it was blown in from Wisconsin,
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
15
the easternmost point mentioned by Buchanan in his review of the genus (Bull. Brook. Ent. Soc., 22: 38).
Smicronyx profusus Csy. A small number of specimens were taken at about 50 mi. N. Saltillo, Coah, MEX., 1-16-53 under the loose outer bark of a yucca tree. Specimens were compared with Casey’s types from Arizona.
Pseudanthonomus hamamelidis Pierce was locally in moderate abun¬ dance at Takoma Park, Md., IV-30 to VI-1-51 on witch hazel ( Hamamelis virginiana L.) feeding and mating. The dates are of interest because Pierce in his description (Proc. Nat. Mus., 34:180) mentions only the latter part of August.
Pseudanthonomus rufulus Dietz occurred in moderate numbers near Reading, Penna., VI-24 to VII-51, on the leaves of Betula lenta L.
Desmoglyptus crenatus (Lee.) A single example from wild grape near Reading, Penna., VI-27-53, extends the northern range of this singular insect.
Ampeloglypter longipennis Csy. was found in small numbers on Vir¬ ginia creeper ( Parthenocissus quinquefolia L.) at New Market, Va., dur¬ ing May.
Cryptorhynchus apiculatus Gy 11. Four examples were found at Knott IS., N. C., VII-18-52, by beating dead wax myrtle ( Myrica cerifera L.) Listed in Leng from ‘ ‘ Fla. ’ ’
Allomimus dubius Horn occurs sparingly in the bark of the tulip tree (. Liriodendron tulipifera L.) at Takoma Park, Md. Most of my specimens were dead when I found them. Attempts to rear larvae found in the bark have so far failed.
Mesites rufipennis Lee. 2 females and a male were found under a board along the beach at Cape May Point, VIII-24-50, in New Jersey. Leng records it from “Ga. and Fla.”
Tomolips quercicola (Boh.) Nearly a hundred examples were taken from the soft wood surrounding a flying squirrel nest in a felled tulip tree at Takoma Park, Md., XII-16-50. In the same spot about thirty specimens of Stenoscelis andersoni Buch. were found.
16
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. I
Projects Collecting Notes
Mr. E. J. F. Marx is engaged in writ¬ ing a review of the clirysomelid genus Donacia, conducting part of his studies at the American Museum of Natural History.
(M. Cazier)
Mr. J. C. Pallister, the American Museum of Natural History, has just completed a paper on the Tenebrionidae collected on the David Rockefeller Mexi¬ can Expedition in 1947.
(M. Cazier)
Dr. Robert R. Dreisbach of 301 Helen Street, Midland, Michigan, is working up all the insects of Michigan, and hopes to publish the beetles of Michigan with keys similar to Blatcliley’s Coleoptera of Indiana.
Dr. M. Y. Marshall, Veterans Hos¬ pital, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has been helping Middle Tennessee State College to build up a collection of Coleoptera.
Dr. Melville H. Hatch, University of Washington, expects to complete Part 2 of his work on Staphyliniformia by the end of next summer.
(P. O. Pitcher)
Mr. Benard Benesh, Burrville, Ten¬ nessee, is working on a monograph of the lucanid genus Pycnosiphorus and in addition is describing several new species of Lucanidae from the Philippine Islands.
Dr. W. J. Chamberlin, Department of Entomology, Oregon State College, is working on an annotated list of the Scolytidae of Oregon with special ref¬ erence to the type of galleries. He plans to include keys to the species by means of morphological characters, hosts, and gal¬ lery types. (P. 0. Pitcher)
Mr. Dennis Boddy, working under Dr. Melville Hatch at the University of Washington, is completing a study of northwestern Tenebrionidae. He would appreciate seeing any material from that
(P. O. Ritcher)
Dr. W. J. Chamberlin, Department of Entomology, Oregon State College, noted that the ambrosia beetle, Monartlirum scutellare (Lee.) appeared for the first time at Corvallis and Dallas, Oregon, in the summer of 1953. Another new Ore¬ gon record is Agrilus fulminans Fisher taken for the first time in Josephine county in southern Oregon.
(P. O. Ritcher)
Dr. Louis Gentner, Oregon State Col¬ lege, has collected several specimens of Polycaon siouti (Lee.) in the vicinity of Medford, Oregon. This bostricliid is fre¬ quently reported in furniture imported from California. It appears that the spe¬ cies is now established in Oregon.
(P. O. Ritcher)
A supposedly rar* species of Pleocoma, PJeocoma minor Linsley, has been found in large numbers in the Hood River Val¬ ley of Oregon by Dr. P. O. Ritcher and Vernon Olney of Oregon State College. Larvae of the insect are injuring the roots of apple trees. The male flight period extended from mid-November through December in 1953.
Mr. N. L. Rumpp, .China Lake, Cali¬ fornia, has taken over twenty specimens of the very rare AmblycTieila schwarzi W. H. in the Argus Mountains. This more than doubles the number of known specimens. (M. Cazier)
Drs. A. C. Cole and IT. F. Howden, University of Tennessee, have discovered a colony of the flightless Geotrupes vXkei Blanch, in the Chilhowee Mts., 30 miles east of Knoxville. Previously this species has been taken only in Virginia and Ala¬ bama. There is also a questionable North Carolina record. Another interesting bee¬ tle, Clielonarium lecontei Thom., has been taken in June in Shelby Forest State Park, Shelby Co., Tenn.
(H. F. Howden)
area.
A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF BEETLES
The Coleopterists7 Bulletin
Volume IX April, 1955 No. 2
Published bimonthly beginning with February by the DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, SAINT JOHN FISHER COLLEGE, Rochester 18, New York. Terms of subscription: $4.00 per year, both domestic and foreign, payable in advance. Back numbers are available.
The general policies of The Coleopterists’ Bulletin are determined on the recommendation of the following Advisory Board: Dr. Ross H. Arnett, Jr., Head, Department of Biology, St. John Fisher College; Dr. Henry Dietrich, Professor of Entomology, Cornell University; Dr. J. Gordon Edwards, Professor of Entomology, San Jose State College; Dr. Eugene J. G'ferberg,, Insect- Control and Research, Inc., Baltimore. Md. ; Dr. Melville H. Hatch, Professor of Zoology, University of Washington, and Mr. George B. Vogt, Entomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Edited by Ross H. Arnett, Jr. #1 „
/fsta
THE PROPER NAME FOR THE TRIBE CALOSPASTINI AND A CORRECTION OF GENERIC SYNONYMY (Meloidae)
By Richard B. Selander1
■
‘ w wo
In connection with the publication at this time of a correction of erroneous synonymy in the tribe Calospastini, it is desirable to take up the problem of the proper name for the tribe.
In 1862, LeConte (p. 274) proposed the name Eupomphae for a “Group” in the subtribe Lyttini (genuini) containing only the genus Eupompha. Another group, Phodagae, was proposed on the same page for the genus Phodaga, Eupomphae having ine priority. Wellman (1910, p. 221) introduced four additional names for “groups” of genera now included in the Calospastini : Cordylospastides, Calospastides, Gynae- comelodides, and Cysteodemides. These groups were originally proposed in the order listed here.
Van Dyke (1928, p. 400) brought together the genera Calospasta, Tegrodera, Eupompha, Phodaga, Pleuropasta, Cordylospasta, Brachy- spasta, Gynaecomeloe, Cysteodemus, Megetra, and N eg alius under the tribal name Calospastini. In 1952, Dillon (p. 373) erected the tribe Tegroderini for Tegrodera, Phodaga, Eupompha, Pleuropasta, and N eg alius.
Selander (1954, pp. 11-12) reaffirmed Van Dyke’s definition of the tribe Calospastini and sank Eupompha as a junior synonym of Calospasta. Dr. Lawrence S. Dillon (in litt.) has called my attention to the fact that Eupompha has priority over Calospasta. Consequently, the synonymy must be reversed. The CORRECTED SYNONYMY is as follows:
Eupompha LeConte, 1858, p. 21 =Calospasta LeConte, 1862, p. 273
lUniversity of Illinois, Urbana.
18
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 2
Provisions 43 to 58 of the ‘ ‘ Copenhagen Decisions on Zoological Nom¬ enclature, ’ ’ adopted by the Fourteenth International Congress of Zoology (1953, pp. 32-37), deal with the names of categories between the generic and ordinal levels, i.e., family-group names. According to Provision 46 (p. 33), family-group names are coordinate for purposes of priority, re¬ gardless of the category in which they .were originally proposed. Pro¬ vision 53 (1) (p. 36) states that a family-group name dates from its first fisage, regardless of the; termination emploj^ed, “ provided that it is clear that the term concerned was used to denote a suprageneric category and was not employed merely as a plural noun or adjective.” Provision 54 (1) (a) (p. 36) states that a family-group name is not to be changed when the type genus is found to be a junior synonym.
The problem of the correct name for the tribe centers first on the question of whether Eupomphae and Phodagae of LeConte are available under Provision 53 (1). If they are, it would seem appropriate to select Eupomphini, rather than Phodagini, as the tribal name. In the event that they are not considered available, the status of the group names of Wellman must be considered. If these are available, the name Calospas- tini could be retained, dating from Wellman rather than Van Dyke. Under Provision 54 (1) (a), the name Calospastini need not be changed because of the synonymy proposed above. If Wellman’s group names lack availability, the name Calospastini, dating from Van Dyke, it is to retained.
In the opinion of Mr. C. W. Sabrosky, whose advice was solicited in this problem, and myself, the “Group” names of LeConte (1862) are available as family-group names. As Mr. Sabrosky has pointed out (in lift.), the formal organization of the publication and the fact that some of the groups proposed in the same work contain more than one genus make it evident the names were introduced as formal group names and not merely as plural nouns. Also, the groups Phodagae, Eupomphae, and two others were referred to as “natural groups” (op. cit., p. 272). Similarly, there can be little doubt that the group names of Wellman (1910) are also available. In view of the above discussion, the following synonymy is proposed :
EUPOMPHINI (LeConte, 1862)
^Phodagae LeConte, 1862 = Cordylospastides Wellman, 1910 =:Calospastides Wellman, 1910 r=Gynaecomelodides Wellman, 1910 = Cysteodemides Wellman, 1910
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
19
:=Colospastini [sic] Van Dyke, 1928 =Tegroderini Dillon, 1952 = Calospastini, auct.
Provision 45 (p. 33) of the “Copenhagen Decisions” outlines a pro¬ cedure whereby current usage of a famly-group name may be maintained if in conflict with the strict application of priority, but I do not believe it is necessary to invoke this procedure in the present case.
I want to thank Dr. Dillon for informing me of my error concerning the generic synonymy and allowing me to publish the correction. I am grateful to Mr. Sabrosky for his generous assistance with the problem of tribal nomenclature.
Literature Cited
Dillon, L. S. 1952. The Meloidae (Coleoptera) of Texas. American Midland Nat., vol. 48, pp. 330-420, 3 pis.
Fourteenth International Congress of Zoology, 1953. Copenhagen decisions on zoological nomenclature. International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature,
x { ' +
London, xxix + 135 pp.
LeConte, J. L. 1858. Catalogue of Coleoptera of the regions adjacent to the boundary line between the United States and Mexico. Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, ser. 2, vol. 4, pp. 9-42, pi. 4.
— - - . 1861-1862. Classification of the Coleoptera of North America. Smith¬
sonian Misc. Colls., vol. 3, art. 136, xxv + 278 pp.
Selander, R. B. 1954. Notes on the tribe Calospastini, with description of a new sub¬ genus and species of Calospasta (Meloidae). Coleop. Bull., vol. 8, pp. 11-18, 1 pi. Van Dyke, E. C. 1928. A reclassification of the genera of North American Meloidae (Coleoptera). . . . Univ. California Pubis. Ent., vol. 4, pp. 395-474, pis. 15-19. Wellman, F. C. 1910. On the classification of the Lyttidae (Meloidae s. Cantharidae auctt. [sic]). Ent. News, vol. 21, pp. 211-222.
News
Mrs. Patricia Yaurie, The American Museum of Natural History, is complet¬ ing a paper on the North American beetles in the genus Trox.
Dr. Carl T. Parsons, Burlington, Ver¬ mont, is revising the family Lagriidae for North America and is also continuing his studies in the family Nitidulaide.
The University of Washington has re¬ cently purchased Kenneth M. Fender’s collection of Coleoptera, exclusive of the Lycidae, Lampyridae, Phengodidae and Cantharidae, for the use of Prof. Mel¬
ville Hatch in his study of the Coleop¬ tera of the Pacific Northwest. The collec¬ tion consists of over 22,000 specimens of mounted beetles plus a greater number of unmounted ones. It is richest in material from the vicinity of McMinnville, Ore¬ gon, and is, in general, the best collection of Oregon Coleoptera in existence. It adds greatly to the University’s already important collection of northwestern beetles.
Mr. Fender announces that he will start another general Oregon behtle col¬ lection. — M. H. Hatch.
20
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 2
CURRENT LITERATURE SECTION
Compiled by J. Gordon Edwards
The following thirty persons have been selected as Contributing Editors for this section of the Bulletin. Each contributor is responsible for report¬ ing bimonthly on all articles printed in certain assigned periodicals to which they have access. In this manner it is hoped that a nearly complete coverage of all coleopterological literature in the world will be made easily available to readers of the Bulletin. The reports
bv these editors are submitted on 3 x 5 */
cards in a uniform fashion, so that they can be placed in a single master file of references dealing with beetles. Within reasonable limits this file will be at the disposal of any subscriber of the Bulle¬ tin. As soon as the bimonthly reports have been received by the Current Literature Editor, he will assemble the data in manuscript form for inclusion in the next issue of the Coleopterists’ Bulletin. Some articles which are deemed to be too limited in their scope to be of much value to our readers may be omitted from the published list, but will still be included in the master file for future reference. The Current Literature Editor, at present, is J. Gor¬ don Edwards, of San Jose State Col¬ lege, California, and inquiries concern¬ ing this section should be mailed direct¬ ly to him. If an article is overlooked by our Contributing Editors it will be appreciated if the author (or any other interested person) will call it to the editor’s attention so that it may be included in this section.
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS:
William H. Anderson, Dept. Ent., U.S.
Nat’l. Museum, Washington, D. C.; William F. Barr, Dept. Ent., Univ. of
Idaho, Moscow, Idaho ;
Frank M. Beer, Agriculture Hall, Ore¬ gon State College, Corvallis, Oregon;
W. J. Brown, Div. of Ent., Science Service, Canadian Dept, of Agricul¬ ture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;
Donald DeLeon, 16 Oviedo Ave., Coral Gables, Florida;
Henry Dietrich, Comstock Hall, Cor¬ nell Univ., Ithaca, New York;
Lawrence S. Dillon, Dept, of Biology, Texas A. & M., College Station, Texas ;
J. Gordon Edwards, Dept, of Nat. Sciences, San Jose State College, California ;
Eugene J. Gerberg, Insect Control & Research Inc., Johnnycake Rd., Baltimore, Maryland;
J. Linsley Gressitt, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii;
Melville H. Hatch, Dept, of Zoology, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, Wash¬ ington ;
Henry F. How’den, Dept, of Zoology, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, Ten¬ nessee ;
P. Jolivet, Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles, Belgium ;
Edwin W. King, Dept, of Biology, Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa;
Merton C. Lane, P. 0. Box 616, Walla Walla, Washington;
W. Harry Lange, Dept, of Entomolo¬ gy, University of California, Davis, California ;
Ira La Rivers, Dept, of Biology, Univ. of Nevada, Reno, Nevada;
Carl H. Lindroth, Zoological Institute, Lund, Sweden;
Borys Malkin, Dept, of Anthropology, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, Wash¬ ington ;
( Concluded on page 26)
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
21
TWO FORMS OF BLEPHARIDA RHOIS (FORST.)
By S. D. Hicks1
Blepharida rhois (Forst.) is represented in the Canadian National Collection by a few specimens from many localities in North America. Leng (1920) lists one specific name and two synonyms for the forms of the genus in the United States. This synonymy, like that of other recent authors, follows Rogers (1856, p. 29). The usage of these names has been questioned by some workers. Recently, two series collected in eastern Ontario have suggested a possible solution to this problem.
Specimens obtained in eastern Ontario at Marmora and Belleville all have reddish-brown lines instead of blotches on the elytra. There are other specimens of the striped form in the Canadian National Col¬ lection bearing the labels “eastern Ontario” and “Deseronto, Ont.
In the New York State Museum are striped specimens collected near Albany and New York. These are the only locality records of the striped form known to the writer.
The blotched form is widely distributed. In the Canadian National Collection specimens are recorded from southern Ontario at Caradoc, Strathroy, London, and Ojibway, one specimen from Medicine Hat, Al¬ berta, and specimens from the United States as follows: a locality near New York City; New Jersey; Kansas; Gardens Corner, South Carolina; Cloudland State Park, Georgia ; Florida ; Davis Mts., Texas ; and Boulder, Colorado.
The striped form, which appears to have only a northern distribution, consistently shows two color characters. The elytra are yellowish with only moderately variable reddish-brown stripes, and the first four anten¬ nal segments are pale, the remainder dark.
The blotched form has variable color characters. There seems to be no definite pattern on the elytra, which show a blotchy combination of yellow and reddish-brown and which vary geographically ; the antennae are not constant in color. Northern specimens have pale antennae ; Florida specimens have the first four segments pale, the remainder dark. The antennae of specimens from intermediate localities vary in color and are intermediate between the northern and southern forms. In the south, the antennal differences in the blotched form suggest geographical races.
Male genitalia of the two forms were compared and no character was found to separate them.
Systematic Entomology Unit, Division of Entomology, Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa.
22
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 2
According to the literature, Blepharida rhois restricts its feeding to plants of the genus Rhus. Host labels on specimens and collectors’ ex¬ periences confirm this. There are records of the striped form on fragrant sumac, Rhus aromatic a Ait., and of the blotched form on staghorn sumac, Rhus ty pinna L.
The names rhois (FoPster, 1771, p. 21) and meticulosa (Olivier, 1807, p. 531) apply to the striped form. The name stolida (Fabricius, 1792, p. 318) is available for the blotched form, unless it applies properly to a Central American species as suggested by Olivier (1807, p. 526). Jacoby’s descriptions (1885, pp. 385-389; 1891, supplement, p. 306) sug¬ gest that there is no species known from Central America like either of these forms. Frolich (1792, p. 129) used the name virginica for a form from Virginia. His description seems to apply to neither form. Further study may show that two taxonomic entities, specifically or subspecifically distinct, are concerned.
I am indebted to Dr. J. A. Wilcox of the New York State Museum for the loan of specimens. __
j . ^
References
Fabricius, J. 1792,. Entomologia systematica. Tom. 1 [pars. 1]. Hafnia. Forster, J. R. 1771. Novae species insectorum. Centuria 1. London.
Frolich, J. A. 1792- Bemerknngen fiber einige seltene Kafer aus der Insect- ensammlung des Herrn Hofr. und Prof. Rudolph in Erlangen. Naturforcher 26 : pp. 68-165.
Jacoby, M. 1880-1892. Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Coleoptera, vol. 6, part 1. Phytophaga (part).
Jacoby, M. 1888-1892. Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Coleoptera, vol. 6, part 1, suppl. Phytophaga (part).
Leng, C. W. 1920. Catalogue of the Coleoptera of America, north of Mexico. Mount Vernon, New York.
Olivier, A. G. 1807. Entomologie. Coleopteres, 5. Paris.
Rogers, W. F. 1856. Synopsis of species of Chrysomela and allied genera in¬ habiting the United States. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 8, pp. 29-39.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS’ BULLETIN
23
COLLECTING ACMAEODERA IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
By J. W. Tilden1
The mountains both east and west of the Santa Clara Valley are good collecting areas for members of this genus. The dry chaparral-covered region east of Mt. Hamilton and the dense scrub oak near its summit are the choicest spots in which to seach for them. June is the best month, though some may be taken earlier. After the first of July, the collecting fades rapidly due to the dry conditions.
Beating, sweeping and inspection are the methods of collecting that are usually most productive. However, netting individuals as they fly to plants is the best method on certain days when many of them are on the wing. It requires a little practice to know an Acmaeodera in flight, but once the cut of body and wings, as well as the peculiar hovering hab-
r
it, is known, it is distinctive. This method has the advantage of not dis¬ turbing the natural behavior of the beetles. On favorable days one can stand in one spot and take a series. Some of the species are attracted to flowers, but unfortunately, in this area those that behave in this way are usually members of very common species.
To date, eighteen species have been taken in the county, but some of these are represented by but one to a few specimens. No doubt other species remain to be detected. There follows an enumeration of the known species for the area, together with the plants with which they are associated, insofar as this is known. coquilletti Fall
Taken on and in association with Scrub Oak ( Quercus dumosa Nutt.) Very common here, although in some places rare. plagiaticauda Horn
One only, taken on Mt. Hamilton, by beating from Manzanita ( Arcto - staphylos sp.) This species seems to be rare. jocosa Fall
Not common. Found east of Mt. Hamilton on Chamise Brush ( Adeno - stoma fasciculatum H. & A.) angelica Fall
General on both sides of the valley and also east of Mt. Hamilton. Very common, found on many kinds of scrub brush. Perhaps the most com¬ mon species in the region. nexa Fall
Scarce. Three specimens to date, all taken on Mt. Hamilton, in beat¬ ings, plant not noted.
1San Jose State College, California.
24
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 2
dolorosa Fall
Scarce. Two, Mt. Hamilton, in beatings, plant not noted. hephurni Lee.
Common on both sides of the valley and east of Mt. Hamilton. At¬ tracted to many kinds of flowers, but especially to Eriophyllum spp. (Compositae) . I have dug adults from twigs of Ceanothus spp. in Santa Cruz County. quadriseriata Fall
Rare or overlooked. One only, Mt. Hamilton, in sweepings. acuta Lee.
Fairly common on both sides of the valley. On flowers of many sorts, especially Eriophyllum. This is at times the commonest species. connexa Lee.
Oddly, this common species is either rare or overlooked in this region. One only, Silver Creek Hills, May 26, 1940, on Yarrow or “Queen Anne’s Lace” ( Achillea millefolium L.) vandykei Fall
Not common, but widely distributed. Found on both sides of the valley. Usually taken by beating on Ceanothus spp. prorsa Fall
Locally common in two widely separated localities, Stevens Creek, on
the west side, and just beyond the summit of Mt. Hamilton, on the east
side. Found flying around Scrub Oak and at times resting on the tips of
Manzanita.
simidans Van Dvke
«/
A good series was taken at Isabel Creek, east of Mt. Hamilton, June, 1951, but has not been taken before or since. guttifera Lee.
Not common. Taken east of Mt. Hamilton, mostly on the Arroyo Bayo, in June, on Rhamnus crocea Nutt. (Redberry) sinuata Van Dyke
This striking species is not common. Most of the ones I have seen have been taken in flight around Buck Brush ( Ceanothus cuneatus (Hook.) Nutt. This species is distinctive-looking in flight because of its bright pattern of coloration. adenostomae Cazier
Found on both sides of the valley, in chaparral areas where Adeno- stoma grows. Fairly common in June. perlanosa Timberlake
I have not personally taken this species in this county, but have been
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
25
in the field when it was taken by other collectors. It has been found in the Stevens Creek Area on Eriodictyon calif ornicum (H. & A.) Greene. This species is fairly common in the Panoche Valley in San Benito Coun¬ ty, and near Atascadero and in the Pine Mountains (La Panza Range) in San Luis Obispo County. In these areas it is taken on Eriodictyon crassifolium Benth. gemina Horn
Apparently scarce. Two only, both taken June 30, 1951, on the Arroyo Bayo east of Mt. Hamilton. They were flying in hot sunlight at mid-day, over Tar Weed ( Madia sp.) in a dry open field.
I am indebted to Mr. Jacques Heifer for checking determinations of this genus in my collection.
BEETLE PEST CONDITIONS
During the first quarter of 1954 the Economic Insect Survey Section received several notes of interest to coleopterists. Although the majority of the reports were for the 1953 season, they still deserve mention.
Lesser clover leaf weevil ( Hypera nigrirostris (F.)), which was reported in Nebraska for the first time in 1952, was found general in eastern areas of the State during 1953, where it damaged red clover. Sweetclover weevil ( Sitona cylindricollis Fahr.) was determined from two collections from Atchinson and New Madrid Counties, Missouri last year, thereby establishing statewide occur¬ rence. Reports from that State indicate that this insect and clover root curculio (S. hispidida (F.)) may be responsible for the serious decline in sweetclover acreage in Missouri during the past three years. Western corn rootworm (Dia- brotica virgifera LeC.) damage in Kansas in 1953 was greater than in any previous year.
The dermestid, Trogoderma granarium Everts, was reported from Arizona for the first time early in February. Specimens were taken from a flour and feed mill in Phoenix. In connection with the attention being given this pest and stored grain insects in general in California, there have been found among mis¬ cellaneous collections specimens of a grain beetle ( Lophocateres pusillus (Klug) ) and a flour beetle ( Palorus ratzburgi Wissm.). Both of these are first records for California.
As an example of the importance of the heavy infestations of boll weevil ( Anthonomus grandis Boh.) in some of the southeastern states in 1953, North Carolina estimated that the insect caused approximately 25,000,000 dollars loss to the State’s cotton growers.
Smaller European elm bark beetle ( Scolytus multistriatus (Marsh.)) was found in Nebraska for the first time in 1953 according to reports. Specimens were collected from a declining elm in Omaha. Coleopterous conditions in the Nation’s forests were covered in detail in the summary of the more important forest insects in 1953, released through the Cooperative Economic Insect Report in February 1954 by the Division of Forest Insects Research, Forest Service.
Joseph W. Gentry, U.S. Department of Agricidture
26
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 2
( Concluded from page 20)
Edward J. F. Marx, 115 Plymouth Place, Merchantville, New Jersey; Vaughan F. McCowan, Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. Research Center, Cen- tralia, Washington;
F. Monros, Instituto Miguel Lillo, Tucuman, Argentina;
Eduardo Navajas, Instituto Biologico, Sao Paulo, Brasil;
P. Francisco Silverio Pereira, C.M.F., Dept, of Zoology, Sao Paulo, Brasil; Milton W. Sanderson, Illinois State Nat. Hist. Survey, Urbana, Illinois; T. J. Spilman, Division of Insects, U. S. National Museum, Washing¬ ton, D. C.
H. F. Strohecker, Dept, of Zoology, Univ. Branch, Coral Gables, Florida; Theodore M. Telsch, 6020 North “A” Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; T. 0. Thatcher, Dept, of Entomology, Colorado A. & M., Fort Collins, Colorado ;
J. Theodorides, 21 Blvd. de Grenelle, Paris 15e, France;
Frank N. Young, Dept, of Zoology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
It is anticipated that changes in this staff must be made, and persons who would be willing to report on beetle articles in scientific periodicals for this section are urged to notify the Cur¬ rent Literature Editor of that fact. These names will be kept on file until a vacancy on the staff occurs, at which time the volunteer will be contacted to determine whether or not he is still in¬ terested in contributing to the section.
At present there is a critical gap in our literature coy^r&ge, due to the lack of any volunteer from the British Isles to report on those important scientific periodicals which are published there. The editor would be highly pleased if British coleopterists who have access to some or all of these publications and who are willing to devote a few minutes each month to writing the references on file cards would notify him of that fact. Detailed instructions and 3x5 cards will be mailed to such volunteers immediately. There is also a need for a South American contributor who has access to entomological periodicals of Argentina, because Dr. Wittmer will soon be unable to continue his support of this section. Kindly address all correspondence concerninng the Cur¬ rent Literature Section to J. Gordon Edwards. During the summer his ad¬ dress is : Headquarters, Glacier Na¬ tional Park, Montana. After Septem¬ ber this correspondence should be ad¬ dressed to Dr. Edwards at San Jose State College, California.
Members who have questions con¬ cerning coleopterological publications are encouraged to ask this editor for the information. For example, if a reader desires a key to the species of a certain genus of beetles and does not know if such a key has ever been pub¬ lished, it is one of the functions of this section to make that information avail¬ able to our subscribers. The response to your inquiries will be as rapid as possible.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
27
PLANT ASSOCIATION DATA FOR A FEW ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO COLEOPTERA (CLERIDAE, MELOIDAE, CHRYSOMELIDAE,
CERAMBYCIDAE)
By Hugh B. Leech and J. Wagener Green1
k. v
The following- records were obtained during August, 1952. We are
responsible for the identifications, unless they are otherwise credited.
Dr. Thomas H. Kearney of the California Academy of Sciences was so
kind as to name the plants for us.
CLERIDAE
Enoclerus brmaculatus Skinner — Adults on a dying oak ( Quercus sp.). Top of road up Madera Canyon, 6,200 ft. elev., Santa Rita Mts., Santa Cruz Co., Ariz., August 1.
MELOIDAE
Tetraonyx fulva LeConte — On flowers of Spheralcea angustifolia var. cuspidata Gray. Shumway, Navajo Co., Ariz., August 24.
Zonitis punctipennis (LeConte) [det. J. W. MacSwain] — On flowers of Verbesina encelioides (Cav.) Benth. & Hook. 3.5 mi. SW. of Portal, 3,000 ft. elev., Chiricahua Mts., Cochise Co., Ariz., August 12.
.•>4
CHRYSOMELIDAE
Lema balteata LeConte — Adults and larvae feeding on Solarium sp., probably S. nodiflorum Jacq. Floor of Carr Canyon, 5,400 ft. elev., Huachuca Mts., Cochise Co., Ariz., August 9.
Babia burner alis (Fabricius) — In numbers on leaves of Rubus neomex- icana Gray. Rustler Park, 8,000 ft. elev., Chiricahua Mts., Cochise Co., Ariz., August 17.
Leptinotarsa violascens Stal — Adults and larvae feeding on Solarium sp., probably S. nodiflorum Jacq. Floor of Carr Canyon, 5,400 ft. elev., Huachuca Mts., Ariz. August 9 ; 2.5 mi. W. of Harshaw, Patagonia Mts., Santa Cruz Co., Ariz., August 2.
Zygospila conjuncta pallida (Bland) [det. F. Monros] — Feeding on Aster tanacetif olius H.B.K. Whitewater Canyon, 4 mi. NE. of Glenwood, Catron Co., N. Mex., August 20.
Calligrapha multiguttata Stal [det F. Monros] — On Heliopsis parvifolia Gray. Top of road up Madera Canyon, 6,200 ft. elev., Santa Rita Mts., Santa Cruz Co., Ariz., August 1.
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco 18.
28
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 2
Longitarsis repandus LeConte [det. L. G. Gentner] — On Senecio longi- lobus Benth. Floor of Carr Canyon, 5,400 ft. elev., Huacliuca Mts., Ariz., August 9 ; Shumway, Navajo Co., Ariz., August 24.
Attica brisleyi Gentner [det. L. G. Gentner] — On Gaura parviflora Dougl. Shumway, Navajo Co., Ariz., August 24.
Octotoma marginicollis Horn — Very numerous on Monarda menthaef olia Graham. Top of road up Madera Canyon, 6,200 ft. elev., Santa Rita Mts., Santa Cruz Co., Ariz., August 1.
Pentispa suturalis Baly — On a small low shrub, Baccharis sp. Floor of Carr Canyon, 5,400 ft. elev., Huachuca Mts., Ariz., August 9.
CERAMBYCIDAE
Ophistomis laevicollis var. ventralis Horn — On flower-heads of Baccharis
glutinosa Pers. Double Adobe Hidalgo Co., N.Mex., August 15
ORGANIZATION OF THE BULLETIN
Your attention is called to the pres¬ ent organization and publication of The Coleopterists' Bulletin. The Bulletin now bears the imprint of the Department of Biology, St. John Fisher College. This means that it is published with the approval of the ad¬ ministration of St. John Fisher Col¬ lege. Office space and office facilities are generously provided by the College.
However, the Bulletin is ENTIRE¬ LY dependent upon subscription fees and donations for its publication. The receipts are deposited with the College and the Bulletin thus is non-profit. Any donation to the Bulletin is tax exempt.
The administration organization of the Bulletin is as follows : Editor and Manager: Ross H. Arnett, Jr. Ad¬ visory Board : Dr. J. Gordon Edwards, Dr. Henry Dietrich, Dr. Eugene J. Gerberg, Dr. Melville H. Hatch, Mr. George B. Vogt, and Dr. Ross H. Arnett, Jr.
In addition, the following persons are designated as Associate Editors : NEWS — Dr. Henry F. Howden, CURRENT LITERATURE — Dr. J.
ranch, 5,500 ft. elev., Animas Mts.,
Gordon Edwards, and ECONOMIC COLEOPTERA — Dr. Eugene J. Ger¬ berg. Typescripts falling in any of these categories, News, Current Litera¬ ture, or Economic Coleoptera should be directed to these associate editors. All other material may be sent directly to the editor.
At the present writing there is need¬ ed typescripts of a revisionary nature. Please consult the notice to authors on the fly leaf of current volumes for directions.
Editor
CODING BIOLOGICAL TAXONS
A preliminary meeting was held re¬ cently to explore the possibility or ad¬ visability of developing a uniform sys¬ tem for use in coding biological taxo¬ nomic entities. Participants at this exploratory meeting were from the Library of Congress, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Smith¬ sonian Institution, and the Chemical- Biological Coordination Center of the National' Research Council.
It is known that several laboratories are entering the results of their ex-
( Continued on page 30)
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS’ BULLETIN
29
ON THE HABITS OF BEETLES OF THE GENUS CATOPS
By Allen H. Benton1 and John Wilcox2
The beetles of the genus Cat ops are widely known as fungus feeders, and because they are sometimes found on dead mammals they have been considered to be carrion feeders. There is, however, some evidence that members of this genus, like small beetles in the related families Leptinidae and Platypsillidae, may be casual or accidental ectoparasites of small mammals.
There is strong evidence that these beetles feed on hair and other wastes from small mammals. Blatchley (Coleoptera of Indiana, 1910) recorded Catops terminans (Lee.) from the nests of mice, and C. basilaris Say from the nest of a short-tailed shrew. Leonard (List of Insects of New York, 1928) reported, on the authority of Leng and Davis, that C. terminans had been taken from owl pellets on three occasions. Since owl pellets consist entirely of bones, hair and bits of undigested tissue, it seems evident that the beetles were feeding on such materials. From eating such waste in nests and owl pellets, it is a short step to feeding directly on the mammal itself. Jameson (Journal of Mammalogy, vol. 31(2) :141, May, 1950) recorded C. basilaris from short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) but assumed it to be a carrion feeder.
In extensive trapping operations in 1952 and 1953, four beetles of this genus were removed from mice or mouse nests. The total of these specimens is greater than the total number of Leptinus americanus, a true parasite of shrews, of which three specimens were taken during this period. Specimens of Catops taken were : Catops terminans — Bushnells- ville, Greene county, N. Y., June 4, 1952, from Clethrionomys gapperi, the red-backed mouse ; C. basilaris — Town of Berlin, Rensselaer county, N. Y., July 29 and August 11, 1953, from the red-backed mouse; C. alsio- sus Horn — Albany, Albany county, N. Y., March 16, 1953, from nest on Microtus pennsylvanicus, the meadow vole.
The external similarity between Catops and Leptinus is striking. This similarity may not be significant with regard to similarity of habits, but it seems worthy of note.
The above evidence indicates that some members of this genus, found of freshly killed mammals and in mammal nests, may actually occur at times on living animals. Whether these occurrences are accidental, or whether this is a case of incipient or actual ectoparasitism, has not been established. The habits of these beetles might well be subjected to further study.
JNew York State College for Teachers, Albany, New York.
2New York State Museum, Albany, New York.
30
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 2
( Continued from page 28) periments on machine or hand-sort punch cards and that at least a few are listing the species of plants or animals tested by means of a code on these punch cards. In order to facilitate the exchange of information between vari¬ ous laboratories, it would seem to be highly desirable for these research groups to use a uniform taxonomy cod¬ ing system. If the need or usefulness of uniformity is confirmed by sufficient biologists, a start on the formation of a standardized code should be made as soon as possible so that the conversion from individual codes can be accom¬ plished with a minimum of effort.
The interested persons who have been informally discussing the project do not want to set plans in motion for the actual codification unless there is a real or potential need for it. Our im¬ mediate problem, therefore, is to de¬ termine what areas of biology could be usefully served by a standard taxo¬ nomic code. We are, therefore, request¬ ing that those who have worked out or adopted a system for coding taxonomic entities, or who may be conducting work which might benefit from such codification, submit their opinions con¬ cerning a standardized biological tax¬ onomy code.
Letters should be addressed to :
Dr. G. Congdon Wood Chemical-Biological Coordination Center National Research Council 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W. Washington, D. C.
Reviews
INSECTS AS HUMAN FOOD
By F. S. Bodenheimer. Dr. W. Junk, Publishers. The Hague, 1951. 352 pp. Dutch Guilders 10.
The entomological literature is full of many articles and references to the use of insects as human food, but never before have these notes been brought together in one volume. This book, written in the English language by the well known Biologist, Dr. F. S. Boden¬ heimer, is a thorough survey of the worlds literature on the practice and importance of insects as an item of diet among the people of the world, both present day and the past. The sub¬ title “A chapter of the ecology of man” aptly describes the contents. There are many references to beetles as well as many other forms of insect life. Most readers will be surprised to learn of the importance and extent of entomo- phagy even today. The lack of a sub¬ ject index is regretted, but the exten¬ sive bibliography will prove useful to those who wish to persue this subject further.
R. H. Arnett, Jr.
CURRENT LITERATURE1 General
- -SLU. J . : i
Cobos, A. 1953. Especies nuevas de Coleopteros de la provincia de Almeria (Spain). Archivos del Instituto de Aclimatacion, vol. 1, pp. 127-134; Essig, E. O. 1953. Edwin Cooper Van Dyke (in memoriam). Pan-Pac. Ent., vol. 29(2), pp. 73-88, 1 pi.; Hatch, M. H. 1953. The beetles of the Pacific North-
- - - ^ 10*’
^Compiled this month by Dr. William F. Barr and Or.- J. Gordon Edwards.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
31
west, Part I, (Introduction and Adephaga). Univ. Wash. Publ. Biol., vol. 16, PP- 1-340, 37 pis. (contains keys to all species of Adephaga known from that area) (price $5.00).; Leech, H. B. 1953. Entomological bibliography of Edwin C. Van Dyke. Pan-Pac. Ent., vol. 29(2), pp. >89-97.; Pennack, R. W. 1953. Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States. "769 pp., 470 figs, (keys to many aquatic beetle adults and larvae included) Ronald Press, N. Y. ($14.00).; Van Dyke, E. C. 1953. The Coleoptera of the Galapagos Islands. Occas. Papers Calif. Acad. Sci., No. 22, 185 pp., 7 pis. ($3.50).; Van Dyke, E. C. 1953. New Coleoptera from western North America. (Carabidae, Throscidae, Curculionidae, Melasidae, Buprestidae) . Pan-Pac. Ent,, vol. 29(2), pp. 98-107.; Valurie, P. 1953. Collecting in Sonora, Mexico, including Tiburon Island. Jour. N. Y. Ent. Soc., vol. 61, pp 79-91.
Buprestidae
Cobos, A. 1951. Una observacion biologica sobre el genero Elaphocera Gene. Boletin Real Sociedad Espanola Hist. Nat., vol. 49 (1, 2 & 3), pp. 85-92.; Cobos, A. 1953a. Mission Cientifica J. Mateu al Sahara Frances. Buperestidos. Tamuda, Ano I Semestre I, pp. 9-24.; Cobos, A. 1953b. Notas sobre el genero Anthaxia Esch., Y descripciones de especies nuevas de la fauna paleartica. Bol- lettino Societa Ent. Italiana, vol. 83 (7 & 8), pp. 99-104.; Cobos, A. 1953c. Revision de los Buprestidos de Canadias. Archivos Instituto de Aclimatacion, vol. 1, pp. 93-125. ; Cobos, A. 1953d. Nota acerca de la presencia del Buprestis (Cypriacis) splendens F., en Espana. Y de la Validez. Bollettino Associazione Romana Ent., vol. 8(2), pp. 27-33.; Figg-Hoblyn, J. P. 1953. A new species of Acmaeodera from western Nevada. Pan-Pac. Ent., vol. 29(4), pp. 219-221, 1 fig. ; Heifer, J. R. 1953a. Two new Hippomelas Pan-Pac. Ent., vol. 29, pp. 34-36.; Heifer, J. R. 1953b. A new species of Trachykele blondeli (cupreo- marginata). Pan-Pac. Ent., vol. 29(3), pp. 176-178.
Cantharidae
Fender, K. M. 1953. New species of Podabrus from western North America. Pan-Pac. Ent., vol. 29(3), pp. 170-175, 2 figs.
Carabidae
Lapouge, G. V. de. 1953. Genera Insectorum, Fasc. 192: Carabidae sub¬ family Carabinae, with 9 pis.
Cerambycidae
Gressitt, J. L. 1951. Longicorn Beetles of China. Longicornia (Paris), vol. 2, pp. 1-667, 22 pis., 1 map. ($14.50).; Gressitt, J. L. 1953. Notes on nomenclature and relationships of some palearctic and nearctic Lepturinae. Pan-Pac. Ent., vol. 29(4), p. 207.
Cicindelidae
Cazier, M. A. 1954. A review of the Mexican tiger beetles of the genus Cicindela. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 103, pp. 227-310, 223 figs., 3 pis.
Colydiidae
Malkin, B., 1953. African species of the genus Machlotes. Rev. Zool. & Bot. Africa, vol. 48(1 & 2), pp. 149-161, 21 figs.
Cossonidae
Van Dyke, E. C. 1953. A new cossonid beetle from California, probably introduced. Pan-Pac. Ent., vol. 29(2), pp. 107-108.
Cupesidae
Edwards, J G. 1953. The morphology of the male terminalia of beetles
32
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 2
belonging- to the genus Priacma. Inst. Royal Sci. Nat. Belgique, Bull., vol. 29(28), pp. 1-8, 2 figs.
Curculionidae
Gilbert, E. E. 1953. Sexual dimorphism and synonymy in Anthonomus. Pan- Pac. Ent., vol. 29, p. 41; Vaurie, P. 1954. Revision of the genera Anchylo- rhynchus and Petalochilus of the Petalochiliiiae. (South American). Amer. Mus. Novitates, No. 1651, 58 pp., 4 figs.
Elateridae
Arnett, R. H., Jr. 1952. A review of the nearctic Adelocerina. Wasmann Jour. Biol., vol. 10, pp. 103-126.
Endomychidae
Strohecker, H F. 1953. Genera Insectorum, Fasc. 210: Endomychidae., 140 pp., 64 textfigs., 5 pis. (includes keys to genera of world).
Meloidae
Linsley, E. G. and J. W. MacSwain. 1952. Notes on the biology and host relationships of some species of Nemognatha. Wasmann Jour. Biol., vol. 10, pp. 91-102, 2 pis. ; MacSwain, J. W. 1952. A synopsis of the genus Gnathium, with description of new species. Wasmann Jour. Biol., vol. 10(2), pp 205-224, 2 pis.; Selander, R. B. 1953. A new species of Calospasta from Utah. Pan- Pac. Ent., vol. 29, pp. 47-48
Passalidae
Doesburg, P. H. 1953. On some neotropical Passalidae. Pan-Pac. Ent., vol. 29(4), pp. 203-205.
Staphylinidae
Malkin, B. 1953. New ’records of Oxyporus from Arizona. Pan-Pac. Ent., vol. 29(4), p. 218.
NOTICES
Wants, exchanges, and requests for information, but not advertisements for the sale of specimens and equipment, will be published here provided it pertains to beetles. This service is free. Notices will be published as space permits. Paid advertisements will be accepted.
CHRYSOMELIDAE, CERAMBYCIDAE : Exchange. Offer Asian, Pacific Coleoptera in various groups; particularly desire Cryptocephalinae, Hispinae, Disteniinae of world. J. L. Gressitt, Bishop Museum, Honolulu 17, Hawaii.
INDIAN COLEOPTERA: Offering for sale South Indian beetles of all families. All specimens with correct data. P. Susai Nathan, Naturalist, Kurumbagaram, P. O., via Karikal, Tanjore District, South India. (Adv.)
CHILEAN COLEOPTERA : Offering for sale beetles from Chile at 5 to 20 cents each in series of 10 to 20 of each species. Write for available material. Tomas Cekalovic K., Casilla 214, Punta Arenas, Magallanes, Chile. (Adv.)
OEDEMERIDAE : New duties now permit me to spend full research time on a monograph of the Oedemeridae of the world. At present I am completing a revision of the Central American species. Will determine North American and Central American species promptly, and will be glad to have specimens of this family from any part of the world at any time for longer studies towards the final monograph. Ross H. Arnett, Jr., St. John Fisher College, Rochester, N. Y.
• I
Not. H»%T.
B
A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF BEETLES
Coleopterists’
Volume IX June, 1955
Published bimonthly beginning with February by the DEPARTMENT 0m IOLO SAINT JOHN FISHER COLLEGE, Rochester 18, New York. Terms of subscription4:*$^.00 per ^ year, both domestic and foreign, payable in advance. Back numbers are available. *.. >
The general policies of The Coleopterists’ Bulletin are determined on the recommendation of the following Advisory Board: Dr. Ross H. Arnett, Jr., Head, Department of Biology, St. \FoKn Fisher College; Dr. Henry Dietrich, Professor of Entomology, Cornell University; Dr.' J. Gofftpfcv Edwards, Professor of Entomology, San Jose State College; Dr. Eugene J. Gerberg, Insect Control 'f> and Research, Inc., Baltimore, Md. ; Dr. Melville H. Hatch, Professor of Zoology, University oi° Washington, and Mr. George B. Vogt, Entomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Edited by Ross H. Arnett, Jr.
CERAMBYCID ON BOX-ELDER TWIG
Fig. 1. Synaphoeta guexi (LeConte). (2X) This photograph of a live woodboring beetle illustrates the manner in which they cling to box-elder twigs upon which they are often found. These insects are common from California to British Columbia and they vary from 15 to 23 mm in length. In spite of their relatively large size they are usually difficult to see, because their olive-green, yellow, and black colors blend so well with their environment that they are easily overlooked. The adults seldom fly except at night, and are not then attracted to lights, consequently most specimens in collections have been found by careful inspection of twigs or by chop¬ ping them from branches or trunks of box-elder and other favored hosts. The larvae bore about in dying parts of box-elder, maple, buckeye, laurel, poplar, cherry, and many other kinds of trees. Pupation occurs in cavities eaten in the wood by those larvae, and in early spring the adults begin to eat their way out of the sapwood of branches which have been dead for about a year. If the bark on the under side of such branches is shaved off at that time, the openings of the burrows may be exposed, often re¬ vealing the beetle’s head blocking the exit. Normally the bark would be penetrated in a few more days and the mature beetle would emerge from the burrow to mate.
J. Gordon Edwards, San Jose State College, California.
34
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 3
Reviews
RECENT PAPERS ON CARABIDAE
Several important papers on Carabidae have come to my attention. These are all by the well known Carabidologist, Dr. Carl H. Lindroth, Zoological Institute, University of Lund, Sweden.
The recent paper in this Bulletin, 1 1 Carabidae Common to Europe and North America’ ’ sets the keynote to this recent series. Dr. Lindroth, who is in¬ terested in the circumpolar distribution and taxonomy of Carabidae, spent con¬ siderable time in this country studying types and collections of Carabidae. He has been able to straighten out a fan¬ tastic amount of difficult nomenclature as a result. Much of this work is documented in these papers.
The greatest amount of changes in synonymy is found in “Random notes on North American Carabidae.” The Kirby and Dejean types of North Ameri¬ can Carabidae are discussed in two pa¬ pers (1953, 1955). A revision of two circumpolar genera, Diachila and Ble- thisa, with discussion of Elaphrus larvae was published in 1953. The remaining three papers deal with the carabids of Laborador (1954), Nova Scotia (1954), and Newfoundland (1955). The latter paper is available from the Entomologi¬ cal Society, Zoological Institute, Lund, for $3.50 (17 Swedish Crowns).
Any student of North American carja- bids will find this series a most valuable and carefully done piece of work. I be¬ lieve it represents a tremendous advance in our knowledge and should set an ex¬ ample for other workers by leading the way and pointing out what needs to be done before our beetle nomenclature in the new world begins to settle down.
The complete citations to these papers
follow:
1953 (Oct.) A revision of Diachila Motsch. and Blethisa Bon. with re¬ marks on Elaphrus larvae (Col. Cara¬ bidae), Kgl. Fysiogr. Sallsk. Handl. (n.s.) vol. 65, 28 pp.
1953 (Oct.) Kirby’s types of North American Carabidae (Coleoptera), Proc. Royal Ent. Soc. London (Ser. B.), vol. 22, pp. 167-177.
1954 (Mar.) Random notes on North American Carabidae (Coleopt.), Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. Ill, pp. 117- 161.
1954 (June) Carabidae common to Eu¬ rope and North America, Coleopt. Bull., vol. 8, pp. 35-52.
1954 (July) Carabid beetles from Nova Scotia, Canadian Ent., vol. 86, pp. 299- 310.
1954 (Aug.) Carabid beetles from East¬ ern and Southern Labrador, Canadian Ent., vol. 86, pp. 364-370.
1955. The carabid beetles of Newfound¬ land including the French islands, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Opusc. Ent., suppl. 12, 160 pp., 58 figs.
1955. Dejean’s types of North American Carabidae (Col.), Opusc. Ent., vol. 20, pp. 10-34.
R. H. Arnett, Jr.
COLEOPTERORUM CATALOGUS SUPPLEMENTA
Several new parts of this series have recently appeared as follows : Pars 5 (Editio secunda), Cupesidae, Paussi- dae, by Em. Janssens, 84 pp. (Issued June 3, 1953). Dutch Guilders 21. Pars 144 and 110, Curculionidae : Oxycoryninae, Belinae, Archolabinae, Attelabrinae, Apoderinae, by E. Voss, 34 pp. (Issued Noverber 30, 1953). Dutch Guilders 18. Pars 102, Anthri- bidae, by P. Wolfrum, 63 pp. (Issued December 21, 1953). Dutch Guilders 14.50.
R. H. Arnett, Jr.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
35
STUDIES IN THE MALACH 1 1 DAE — VI
By M. Y. Marshall1
The purpose of the present paper is to present descriptions of new species and subspecies of Malachiidae which have come to light during the past year in the course of identifying material in that family for several museums and colleges, as well as observations on already known species which I hope will contribute to the better understanding of those species. Most of the material on which the paper is based has been referred to me by the following institutions : U. S. National Museum, American Museum of Natural History, University of Arizona, Univer¬ sity of Arkansas, University of California, University of Idaho, Uni¬ versity of Utah, Ohio State University and Cornell University.
COLLOPS Erichson Collops bipunctatus (Say)
(Figure 1)
In 1951, and again in 1952, I noted the occurrence of a southern form of this species in the neighborhood of Mexico City but refrained from describing it as a subspecies due to the large area of overlap between this and the northern form and the lack of information concerning the species in the area between Durango City and Mexico City. A series of 85 specimens, collected by C. and P. Vaurie of the David Rockefeller Mexican Expedition of 1953 in the states of Zacatecas, Aguascalientes and Guanajuato, covers the greater part of the latter area and further consideration of the subject convinces me that the southern form is deserving of subspecific rank.
Collops bipunctatus australis, new subspecies
(Figure 2)
Male. Differs from the nominate subspecies in the coloration of pronotum, legs and antennae. The two thoracic spots, which in the nominate subspecies are small and round and at times are reduced to mere points, are markedly dilated, so as to cover almost one-half of the pronotal surface. The spots are roughly tri¬ angular, with the median edges parallel and separated by a narrow median red line. They almost attain the anterior thoracic margin and extend about two-thirds of the distance from the center to the basal and lateral margins, the lateral edges of the spots roughly paralleling the lateral thoracic margins. The legs and antennae are entirely black, except the first antennal segment and the proximal tip and upper surface of the second segment, the first segment with a narrow dorsal piceous streak. The frontal pale area is reduced to a small triangular spot at the center of the frontal margin.
Female. Similar to the male, except for the usual secondary sexual characters in the antennae and terminal sternite. Length, male and female, 7.0 mm.
1Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
36
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 3
Holotype, male and allotype, female, “Mexico, D. F., 3 Sept., 1928. G. Lassmann, collector,” in the author’s collection. 13 paratypes, one “15 mi. e. Aguacalientes, Agnas, Mex., VIII-12-53” and 12 “San Miguel Allende, Guan., Mex. YIII-12- 53,” all collected by C. and P. Vaurie. Paratypes in the author’s collection and in that of the American Museum of Natural History.
These paratypes, including the series of 45 specimens from the Dis¬ trito Federal, show a slight variation in the size of the thoracic spots, which is the main distinguishing character of the subspecies, but none which would give rise to any doubt as to whether the specimen should be assigned to the northern or the southern subspecies. The new sub¬ species thus easily conforms to the 75 percent rule ; in fact, it would still conform if the 75 percent were raised to 100 percent.
The hybrid population in the zone of overlap, as described by me in 1952, contains a mixture of intermediate forms and specimens which could be referred to either one or the other of the two subspecies. Thus the specimens from Zacatecas, as well as the large series perviously noted from Chihuahua and Durango (1952), should be labeled Collops punctatus punctatus X australis. The zone of overlap or hybridization is quite extensive, but no more so than the similar zone between Cicin- dela flavopunctata flavopunctata and Cicindela flavopunctata rectilatera, as illustrated by M. Cazier in his Review of the Mexican Species of Cicindela (1954), p. 276. Lastly, it is noted that the variation in ques¬ tion is not continuous as one progresses from the north toward the south, i.e., a cline, but is discontinuous or abrupt at the limits of the zone of hybridization, i.e., northern Chihuahua and southern Zacatecas.
Collops arizonensis Marshall
Three females, which obviously belong to this species, from Ruby, Arizona, have the prothorax entirely rufous. Typical specimens, in which the prothorax is black with the lateral margins rufous, have also been taken in the Iluachucha Mts., Arizona. The specimens from Ruby closely resemble females of C. tricolor Say, but in this species the elytra are more finely punctured and the lateral and sutural marginal beads of the elytra are more or less rufous.
ATTALUSINUS Leng
C. W. Leng, in 1918, established this genus, in the following short paragraph.
* 1 Attalusinus submarginatus Lee., which was not recognized when Dr. Horn’s revision was written (1872), has been found by Dr. Schwarz at Catalina Springs, Arizona. It is, however, not an Attains, but represents a new genus, nearer to Chaetocoelus than to Attains, which may be called Attalusinus.”
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
37
In 1948, pp. 122 and 124, I discussed this genus, giving the generic characters which I had taken from specimens in the U. S. National Museum, and stated that the National Museum contained eight speci¬ mens belonging to the genus, including the series of five collected by Dr. Schwarz at Catalina Springs, none of which were believed by Mr. Barber to belong to submarginatus Lee. In 1951, p. 86, I recorded from Yuma, Arizona a female of submarginatus, the only other specimen of the species known at that time, which I had been able to compare with Leconte’s unique female type in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Now, through the kindness of Drs. Chapin and Blackwelder formerly
of the National Museum, I am enabled to study the above mentioned material from that institution.
The eight specimens included undoubtedly represent two, and possibly three, distinct species. Unfortunately, complete examples of both sexes are not present from any one of the three localities represented, there being one male from Panamint Valley, California, two males from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, three females and two incomplete males from Catalina Springs, Arizona. One of these incomplete males has only the antennae missing; the other is minus the entire head and prothorax. The male from Panamint Valley I believe to belong to Leconte’s species, A. submarginatus, and propose to describe it as the allotype of that species, missing for the past 103 years; the two males from Nuevo Leon appear to be conspecific with the Catalina Springs specimens, which are un¬ questionably distinct from A. submarginatus. I would like to have chosen one of the males from Catalina Springs as the holotype of the new species, due to the fact that both sexes are represented in the material from that locality, but have chosen instead one of the males from Nuevo Leon, since it is a complete specimen. The five specimens from Catalina Springs are therefore designated as paratypes. If addi¬ tional material should prove them to be specifically distinct from the Mievo Leon population, the error could easily be corrected. Material in
this genus is so scarce, however, that this may not happen for another 103 years.
For the convenience of my readers, I give here a translation of Leconte’s short description of Ebaeus submarginatus (1852), which is not easily obtainable.
Elongate, aeneous black, thinly pubescent, thorax slightly alutaceous, not trans¬ verse, narrowed toward the base, obsoletely rufescent, elytra scarcely dilated, de¬ pressed, obsoletely rugose, shorter than the abdomen. Length .06. One female speci¬ men, Colorado River, California. The antennae and tibiae are testaceous at base.”
38
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 3
Attalusinus submarginatus (Leconte)
(Figure 4)
Male. Elongate oblong, parallel, the elytra slightly widened posteriorly; color piceotesaceous, somewhat paler than the female, slightly aeneous ; pronotum, anterior portion of frons, genae, palpi, tibiae, tarsi and first three or four antennal segments testaceous, the pronotal disc clouded with piceous. Head short, broad, 1.5 times wider than long, the eyes small but prominent; head barely wider than prothorax, t e entire front moderately excavated anterior to the middle of the eyes and more shallowly in a semicircle extending from the interocular line to the occiput, a small, shining, blunt tubercle at the middle of the interocular line. (Fig. 4) Antennae long, almost reaching the tips of the eyltra, feebly serrate from the fourth segment, the pubescence long and conspicuous, first segment slightly enlarged, second small, spherical, third and fourth cylindrical, about as long as the first, segments 5 to 10 slightly longer, subequal, eleventh slender, 1.5 times as long as tenth, cylindrical. Prothorax 1.5 times wider than long, strongly narrowed behind, scarcely sinuate n front of the posterior angles, basal margin strongly reflexed, surface finely aluta- ceous, no pubescence visible. Head and elytra are minutely, sparsely punctulate, with short, fine pale pubescence. Elytra finely rugulose, 2.15 times the length of the prothorax, leaving three tergites exposed ; apices evenly and separately rounde , not at all truncate, apex 1.2 times wider than base. Ventral surface shining, finely and sparsely punctulate and pubescent. The protarsi in the type are not visible.
Length 1.5 mm. ,,
Allotype, male, “Panamint Yy. April 91 K., A. Koebele, collector,
in the U. S. National Museum. No parallotypes.
Attalusinus mexicanus, new species (Figure 3)
Male. Elongate, parallel, the elytra not perceptibly widened posteriorly. Color testaceous, anterior half of frons, genae and basal margin of pronotum ivory white, the elytra paler toward the apices and lateral margins. Head short, broad, 1.3 times wider than prothorax, a small, rounded tubercle, piceous in color, at center of mter- ocular line. Behind this is a semicircular depression, extending on to the occiput and joining at either end with a lateral depression which reaches the orbit on either side. The portion of the front anterior to the tubercle forms a raised, pentagonal area, which contains a deep, rounded depression immediately anterior to the tubercle ; (Fig. 3), surface shining, punctuation and pubescence sparse and extremely fine. Antennae moderately long, attaining terminal third of elytra; pubescence fine, not conspicuous; filiform, first segment moderately enlarged, second small, spherical, third and succeeding segments about as long as first, eleventh slightly longer; third segment spoon shaped, with entire anterior face flattened and excavated. Prothorax 1.1 times wider than long, strongly narrowed behind, rather strongly sinuate m front of posterior angles; base strongly reflexed; surface shining and finely aluta- ceous; punctuation and pubescence as on the head. Elytra finely rugulose, 2.15 times the length of prothorax, leaving three tergites exposed, apices separately rounded, indefinitely truncate ; pubescence fine, pale and sparse, but more conspicuous than on’head and pronotum. Ventral surface shining, finely and sparsely punctulate and pubescent. Second protarsal segment projecting in a free lobe over the third, with its tip narrowly black. Length 1.5 mm.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS’ BULLETIN
39
Female from the type locality unknown.
Ilolotvpe, male, labeled “Sabinas Hidalgo, N. L., Mex. 49: 8/9/42. Grassland, overgrazed. M1598.”
Six paratypes, one male with the same data as the holotype; two males and three females, labeled “Catalina Springs, Arizona. 15-4. Hubbard-Schwarz Collection. Roots of Riddellia. ’ ’ Holotype and four
paratypes in the U. S. National Museum; two paratypes in the author’s collection.
The male paratype from Nuevo Leon is identical with the holotype, except that one antenna and one elytron are missing. One of the males fiom Catalina Springs, with only the antennae missing, appears to be identical with the holotype, except for darker coloration. The parts that are testaceous in the holotype are piceous in the paratype and the parts that are ivory white in the holotype are testaceous in the paratype. Certain minor differences in the sculp turation of the head, practically
undescribable, appear to be well within the limits of intraspecific varia¬ tion.
The three female paratypes are all darker than the holotype, two having the ground color piceous, as in the male paratype from the same locality ; one with the ground color piceotestaceous. In one the elytra are entirely whitish testaceous, except for a piceous scutellar area. They are all more elongate than the male, have the frons unmodified, antennae shorter, reaching the middle of the elytra, which are short,
l.lo times as long as the prothorax and squarely truncate, leaving six tergites exposed.
The males of this species can be easily separated from the same sex of A. submarginatus by the characteristic frontal excavations, the wider head, the shorter less pubescent antennae, with the peculiar deformity of the third antennal segment, and the parallel elytra. The females can be separated from those of A. submarginatus by the short, parallel elytra, which are squarely truncate at the apex and leave six tergites exposed, whereas the elytra in the females of A. submarginatus are much longer, leaving only three tergites exposed, and are definitely widened at the apex and evenly rounded.
TANAOPS Leconte
Tanaops rostratus (Horn), new combination Attalus rostratus Horn, Trans. American Ent. Soc., 4 :121. Fall, ibid., 43 :87. Marshall, Proc. California Acad. Sci., 4th series, 27 :116.
Tanaops neglectus Marshall, Canadian Ent., 78 :185. (new synonymy) One problem which has puzzled students of the Malachiidae for many years is the proper identification of Horn’s species, Attalus rostratus ,
40
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 3
described by him in 1872 from a single female specimen. Fall (1917) stated that it was more than likely that this species would prove to be a Tanaops when the male was discovered and surmised that it might be his T. angusticeps. In 1946 I described Tanaops neglectus, from a series of two males and seven females, giving the distinguishing characters which separate it from T. angusticeps , to which it is most closely related ; but did not discover until later that my collection contained two female specimens of this species under the name Attains rostratus, a fact which I reported in 1951, when reviewing the genus Attains , mentioning also that I had seen a female specimen of T. neglectus, identified by F. Blanchard as A. rostratus.
Recently I sent a female of T. neglectus to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, for comparison with Horn’s type of A. rostratus and Mr. Harold J. Grant, Jr., the Assistant Curator of Entomology, who kindly made the comparison, informs me that, in his opinion, the two specimens are conspecific. The only difference between the two worth mentioning, according to Mr. Grant, is that the prothorax of Horn’s type is rufous, whereas that of the specimen of T. neglectus is black, with the posterior angles rufous. The color of the prothorax is notoriously variable in Tanaops, several of the species occurring with either black or rufous prothorax, or various combinations of black and
rufous.
Tanaops lobulatus, new species
Male . Oblong, parallel, elytra slightly widened posteriorly. Piceous black, ventral surface of first two antenal segments, distal half of clypeus, genae, base of mandi¬ bles, mouth parts (except palpi), pronotum (except pronotal discal spot), elytral apices and margins (except basal), pro- and mesocoxae, all the trochanters and all the abdominal sternites testaceous. Head moderately elongate, 1.2 times longer than wide, biimpressed between the eyes; surface shining, punctures and pubescence extremely fine. Antennae moderately long, passing the pronotum by almost three segments, feebly serrate, pubescent, the intermediate segments not sinuate. Pronotum quardate, 1.1 times wider than long, all the angles broadly rounded, the posterior slightly flattened, the sides parallel, the anterior margin feebly produced; a piceous pronotal discal spot, extending from just behind the anterior margin seven-eighths the distance to the posterior margin and from the center two-thirds the distance to the lateral margins. The anterior and lateral borders of the spot are irregularly crenulate ; the posterior border is produced into three lobes, the median lobe about twice as long as the lateral lobes. Surface of pronotum glabrous, shining, no punctures or pubescence visible. Elytra black, shining at the base, becoming gradu¬ ally duller toward the apex; surface minutely, transversely rugulose, punctures and pale pubescence very fine and dense, the erect black setae numerous and evenly dis¬ tributed, apices broadly pale, posterior half of sutural margins more narrowly pale, lateral margins very narrowly pale, with a dilation of the pale margins just anterior
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
41
to the middle. Ventral surface and legs finely and densely punctured and pubescent, the tarsi slightly paler. Abdominal pits moderate in size, narrowly coalescent, those on the fifth sternite larger. Length 3.0 mm.
Female. Similar to the male except as follows. The clypeus and anterior part of the front, to the anterior ocular margins, are pale. The front is more deeply im¬ pressed, the impression ending posteriorly in a sharp, arcuate line at the midocular level, the area immediately anterior to this line more coarsely punctured. Antennae shorter, scarcely serrate. Discal pronotal spot narrower, but posteriorly lobulate as in the male. Posterior coxae piceotestaceous, all the abdominal sternites piceous black, with the posterior margins very narrowly pale. Abdominal sternites and pro- tarsi simple. Length 3.5 mm.
Holotype, male and allotype, female, “7 mi. west of Westward Pass, Inyo Co., Calif. J. W. MacSwain, collector. VI-24-53.” Three para- types, one male and one female same data; one female same locality but collected by W. D. McLellan, VI-26-53. Holotype and allotype in the collection of the University of California, at Berkelej^, California, para- types in the author’s collection.
The male paratype shows no difference from the holotype worth men¬ tioning, except that the discal pronotal spot is somewhat narrower, as in the allotype. Both female paratypes have the front biimpressed, as in the holotype. In one the first three abdominal segments are pale in the central portion and in the other the dilation of the lateral elytral pale margins is more feeble than in the other four specimens.
This species runs to couplet “00” in my 1946 key to the genus Tanaops, which couplet contains T. sierrae Marshall and T. nunen¬ macheri Marshall. It differs from both species in having the abdomen pale in the male, black in the female ; in T. sierrae the abdomen is pale in both sexes and in T. nunenmacheri it is black in both sexes. Further, the antennae are much more feebly serrate than in either of the above species, or in any of the related species. The pronotum in both T. sier¬ rae and T. nunenmacheri is usually black, but it may be black with the basal angles pale, or pale with or without a dark discal stripe, but not with the clearly lobulated discal spot of the present species. Lobulatus resembles T. nunenmacheri more closely than any other species and, in fact, the female collected by Mr. McLellan has been in my cabinet for some time, identified as T. nunenmacheri. The error was not apparent until I examined the series of four specimens collected by Mr. MacSwain.
PSEUDEBAEUS Horn Pseudebaeus bicolor LeConte
A series of six specimens of this species, all males, collected by Dr. M. H. Hatch in Oregon and Washington, show a variation which should be recorded, as it is apt to cause difficulty in identification.
42
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 3
The variation consists of the presence of a blackish piceons spot or stripe, occupying about the central third of the pronotal disc, which is uniformly pale in typical specimens. This spot is wider toward the pos¬ terior end and in one is enlarged so as to cover the greater part of the pronotum. Almost surely specimens will eventually be found in which the entire pronotum is piceous in color.
Consideration might be given to designating this form as a sub¬ species, except that typical specimens of P. hicolor have been reported from California, Oregon and British Columbia (Marshall, 1951) and presumably occur also in Washington. Also, a reexamination of the eastern specimens in my series of P. hicolor shows a definite tendency to this variation in many of the specimens.
ATTALUS Erichson Attalus humeralis LeConte Attains pettiti Horn (new synonymy)
Observations on these two species were recorded in 1951, pp. 107 and 108, and in 1953, p. 828. The Brownsville, Texas specimens mentioned in 1951, under A. humeralis, were incorrectly identified and the differ¬ ences noted between the two species, under A. pettiti, were based on that misidentification. In 1953, the discovery of intermediate specimens of A. pettiti, from Ohio and Illinois, with reduced apical spots on the elytra, and some in which the apical spots were entirely absent, con¬ vinced me of the correctness of the above synonymy, but I refrained from describing the Brownsville specimens as new, due to the lack of an opportunity at that time to study LeConte’s type of A. humeralis.
Recently I sent two specimens to Dr. P. J. Darlington, Jr., at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, one from Illinois, agreeing with typi¬ cal A. pettiti in every respect, except that the apical spots were wanting, and one of the Brownsville specimens. Dr. Darlington kindly compared these with LeConte’s type of A. humeralis and he informs me that the Illinois specimen corresponds with that type. The Brownsville species is herewith described as Attalus scapularis.
Attalus scapularis, new species (Figure 5)
Male. Oblong-oval, elytra rather strongly widened and rounded posteriorly, be¬ ginning at anterior third, convex. Color rufotestaceous, paler at junction of anterior and middle thirds of elytra, which are faintly transversely impressed at this point; faintly washed with piceous on disc of posterior third of elytra; a small humeral spot, antennae (except three basal segments), tips of mandibles, terminal segment of maxillary palpi, tips of femora, tibiae and tarsi piceous. Head broad, 1.3 times wider than long, an ill-defined piceous spot at center of front, a row of about eight long, black setae at posterior third of clypeus; surface shining, punctures and
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
43
pubescence barely visible. Antennae of medium length, passing pronotum by about two segments, feebly serrate, rather densely pubescent. Prothorax transversely oval, 1.2 times wider than long, strongly convex, all margins and angles broadly rounded, anterior portion of disc faintly washed with piceous; surface shining, punctures and pubescence as on head. Elytra densely and rather coarsely punctured, punctures (in middle third) separated by not more than their diameters; somewhat dull; pubescence pale, short, dense, uniform, semierect, no erect black setae present; a faint carina from the humeral umbo parallel to lateral elytral margin, about half-way to the tip. Ventral surface and legs finely and sparsely punctulate and pubescent, the legs more densely so. Lobes of second protarsal segments parallel, as wide as the segment, reach about the tip of third segment, are piceotestaceous in color, with a very narrow black edge. Pygidium large for the genus, hirsute, triangular, the apex narrowly truncate, entire. Length 2.5 mm.
Female. Paler than male, the central third of elytra being almost a sulphur yellow. Elytra more shining, the pubescence inconspicuous (probably abraded). Antennae almost as strongly serrate as in male. Two abdominal tergites exposed ; pygidium with a deep, narrow apical notch, last sternite with a minute apical notch and a small semicircular depression at the base. Length 3.0 mm.
Holotype, male, “Brownsville, Tex. VIII-8-37. D. J. and J. N. Knull collectors” and allotype, female, “Brownsville, Texas, V-26-03,” no collector’s label. One male paratype, same data as holotype, except col¬ lected on Y-31-39. Holotype in the collection of Ohio State University, allotype and paratype in the author’s collection.
The male paratype is slightly darker than the holotype, the pale trans¬ verse elytral depression at the basal third showing as a poorly defined fascia. No other differences are noted.
This species resembles typical A. humeralis closely as to color and runs to this species in my 1951 key to the species of Attalus. It is how¬ ever, more oval, with the elytra less shining and much more densely and coarsely punctate. It can be easily separated by the pygidium, which is entire in the male, deeply and narrowly emarginate in the female, as in A. tucsonensis Marshall, while in A. lmmeralis (Figure 6) the pygidi- um has a small triangular apical notch in both sexes.
Attalus limonis Marshall
This species was described in 1951, from Tamaulipas, Mexico and has been recently collected, by Dr. Mont A. Cazier, in Jim Wells County, Texas. This locality is in southern Texas, less than 100 miles north of Brownsville, across the Rio Grande from Tamaulipas, so that its occur¬ rence in our territory was rather to be expected. It will probably be found in other collections, mixed with A. rufiventris Horn, which it superficially resembles. It should be added to our lists.
Attalus bicolor Marshall
The unique male type of this species, recently described (1953), was
44
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 3
labeled merely “ Texas. ” Three females of the species, collected by Dr. J. N. Knull at Corpus Christi, Texas, not only fix its locality more definitely, but permit the designation and description of the allotype.
Female. Similar to the male, except as follows. Elytra rather strongly dilated posteriorly ; antennae shorter and very feebly serrate ; head piceous black as far forward as the center of the eyes; prothoracic discal spot forming a uniform central stripe reaching from the apical almost to the basal margin; all the legs piceo- testaceous, the posterior femora with a dorsal piceous stripe ; posterior margins of abdominal segments narrowly pale ; apex of pygidium with the same small notch seen in the male. The parts which are clear yellow in the male type are testaceous to pieeotestaceous in the female, so that the contrast between these and the black elytra is less pronounced and the specific name less appropriate. Length 2.5 mm.
Allotype, female, “Corpus Christi Lk., Tex., III-28-52. D. J. and J. N. Ivnull collectors, ’ ’ in the collection of Ohio State University. Two parallotypes, same data, except one collected III-17-52, one in the col¬ lection of Ohio State University and one in the author’s collection.
The parallotypes do not show any variation of consequence, except that the dorsal pronotal stripe is wider than in the allotype.
Attalus mcclayi, new species (Figure 7)
Male. Elongate oval, the elytra gradually and moderately widened posteriorly, from just behind the humeri. Black, elytra faintly iridescent; entire prothorax, inferior surface of first three antennal segments, under surface of head, mouth parts (except palpi and mandibles), ventral surface, including coxae, trochanters and anterior femora, testaceous ; antennae, tibiae, tarsi and center of metasternum piceous; middle femora with the upper surface piceous, the lower surface testaceous; posterior femora piceous, with the proximal ends testaceous. Head moderately elongate, 1.2 times longer than wide, surface rather dull, faintly impressed between the eyes, punctures not evident, pubescence fine, pale, sparse, a few erect black setae on the tempora. Antennae moderately long, passing posterior border of prothorax by three segments (from paratype; antennae defective in liolotype), feebly serrate and finely pubescent. Prothorax subquadrate, 1.1 times wider than long, sides parallel, the anterior margin slightly produced, all the angles broadly rounded, the posterior slightly impressed; surface faintly shining, punctures and pubescence not evident, numerous erect black setae scattered over entire surface. Elytra shining, surface slightly rugulose, punctures dense, extremely minute, pubescence short, white, dense, the erect setae numerous and evenly distributed. Ventral surface moderately shining, punctures and pubescence about as on the elytra, very fine and dense. Legs long and slender. Terminal abdominal segment consists of a pair of black, heavy hooklike processes, round to oval in cross section, turned mediad at right angles at about the center of their length and reach less than half the distance to the tip of the pygidium, which is long narrow, strongly concave from side to side ventrally, with the apex squarely truncate. (Fig. 7) The lobes of the second protarsal segments are elongate, slightly spatulate, narrowly bordered with black and cover about two-thirds of the third segments. Length 3.0 mm.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
45
Female. Similar to the male, except as follows. Slightly broader in proportion to length; antennae more feebly serrate; entire metasternum and terminal sternite piceous black, the latter evenly convex and hirsute ; pygidium rounded at the tip. Length 3.5 mm.
Ilolotype, male and allotype, female, ‘ ‘ Glenwood, New Mexico, VI-22- 47. A. T. McClay, collector,” temporarily in the author’s collection, but to be returned eventually to the University of California. Para- tt pes in the author’s collection and in that of the University of California.
Described from a series of nine specimens, two males, seven females, all with the same data. The single male paratype shows no variation worthy of note, but the abdomen has become so distorted in drying that the structures are not visible. The lateral portions of the metasternum, rather than the central portion, are piceous. The female paratypes are likewise in rather poor condition. They differ from the allotype mainly in showing more piceous coloration of the ventral surface. In all of them the mesosternal side pieces are more or less piceous, as well as the penultimate or fifth sternite and in some this coloration partially in¬ volves also the fourth sternite. The pronotum is uniformly testaceous in all paratypes, as in the types, but in some the black head is faintly visible through the translucent pronotum, giving a false impression of a transverse apical spot.
The species superfically resembles Tanaops mimus Fall, but may be distinguished at once by the generic characters in the male. In my 1951 key to the genus Attains, it runs to nig rip es Horn, to which it is most nearly related, except that the abdomen is not entirely black in the female. The male is easily separated from the same sex of A. nigripes (Figure 8) by the heavy hooklike processes which make up the sixth sternite and which, so far as my experience goes, are unique in the family. These processes in the male of A. nigripes are pale yellow, flattened and triangular in outline, with only the extreme tips slightly directed mediad and the inner margin of each process slightly concave. The male of nigripes also has the pygidium very broad at the base and is almost semicircularly rounded, with a very small notch or emargina- tion at the apex.
The species is named in honor of its discoverer, Mr. A. T. McClay, of the University of California.
PSEUD ATTALUS Champion Pseudattalus texensis, new species
Female. Ovoid, broadly widened posteriorly. Black, the head, antennae, prothorax, anterior two pairs of coxae, trochanters and legs testaceous. Head small, slightly narrower than the pronotum, 1.3 times wider than long, the occiput and labrum
46
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 3
piceotestaceous, front unimpressed, surface glabrous, shining, no pubescence visible except on the labrum. Antennae 9 -segmented, not appreciably serrate, short, reaching to about the posterior third of the pronotum, very finely pubescent. Pronotum trans¬ versely oval, 1.3 times wider than long, all the angles broadly rounded; surface shin¬ ing, glabrous, pubescence extremely fine and visible only in an oblique light. Elytra strongly widened posteriorly, nine-tenths as wide as long, the apices separately rounded, exposing the pygidium and a portion of the propygidium; surface shining, the punctures extremely fine, rather sparse, pubescence a pale golden yellow, thin but rather long and semierect, conspicuous when viewed obliquely; no erect black setae present. Ventral surface piceous black, very finely and rather sparsely punc¬ tured and pubescent; terminal sternite broad, short, depressed in the center, Pygidium much wider than long, the apex evenly rounded. Posterior tibiae slightly arcuate, with a long, straight apical spur, which about reaches the end of the first tarsal segment. The left tarsus in the liolotype is deformed (it has evidently been broken off and an attempt made at regeneration) ; the spur is smaller than on the right, but still plainly visible. Length 1.1 mm.
Male unknown.
Holotype, female, “ Hidalgo Co., Texas. III-26-54. D. J. and J. N. Knnll, collectors,” in the collection of Ohio State University. One fe¬ male paratype, same data, except collected V-28-51, in the author s collection.
The paratype shows no noteworthy variation from the type, except that the front is faintly and transversely impressed and the pubescence on the head just visible. The pygidium is slightly truncate at the apex and the metasternal side pieces are piceotestaceous in color. The tibial spurs are not visible, due to the way the insect is mounted.
The genus Pseudattalus has been previously reported from Guatemala, Panama and Colombia. My collection contains one male and four fe¬ males of P. armatus Champion, from Vera Cruz, Mexico. The present species agrees with P. armatus in the presence of the posterior tibial spurs in the female, which are absent in the other two species, P . mini¬ mus Erichson and P. punetatus Gorham. These are all minute in¬ sects which strongly resemble our Attains granularis Erichson, but which are separated at once by their 9-segmented antennae, a very rare character in the Malachiidae. P. armatus differs from the present spe¬ cies in being uniformly black throughout.
The following distributional records are supplementary to those con¬ tained in Leng’s Catalogue (1920) and Supplements and Nos. Ill, IV and V (1951, 1953, 1954) of the present series of Studies and Cham¬ pion’s paper (1914) on the Mexican Species.
Collops parvus Schffr., California; C. punetatus Lee., Chihuahua, Mex. ; C. dux Fall, Nyarit, Mex. ; C. flavicinctus Fall, California, Utah ; C. viftatus Say, Idaho, Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, Mex.; C. punctu- latus Lee., Guanajuato, Mex. ; 0. insulatus Lee., Chihuahua, Mex. ; C.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
47
texanus Schffr., Chihuahua and Sonora, Mex.; C. tibialis Schffr., Chi¬ huahua and Aguascalientes, Mex. ; G. balteatus Lee., Arkansas; C. blan- dus Er., Nyarit and Colima, Mex., C. paradoxus Champ., Michoacan, Mex.; Tanaops complex Fall, Chihuahua, Mex.; T. sierrae Marshall, Idaho ; T. nunenmacheri Marshall, Idaho ; Antho comus biguttulus Horn, New Mexico, North Dakota ; A. falli Marshall, Idaho ; Attains zebriacus Blatch., Maryland ; A. rusticus Fall, Chihuahua, Mex. ; A. marginipennis Blatch., Texas; A difficilis , Lee., Texas, Sinaloa, Mex.; A. nigripes Horn, North Dakota, A. scincetus Say, D. F., Mex. ; A. dilutimargo Fall, Texas; A. sappkirinus Gorh., Fla.
Literature Cited
Cazier, Mont A. 1954. A Review of the Mexican Tiger Beetles of the Genus Cicindela. Bull. American Mus. of Nat. Hist., 10, (article 3) : 231-309.
Champion, G. C. 1914. Revision of the Mexican and Central American Malachiidae and Melyridae. Trans. Entom. Soc. of London pp 13-127.
Fall, H. C. 1917. Short Studies in the Malachiidae. Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., 43:67-88.
Horn, G. H, 1872. Synopsis of the Malachiidae of the United States.
Trans. American Ent. Soc., 4 :109-127.
LeConte, J. L. 1852. Catalogue of the Melyrides of the United States.
Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 6 :163-171.
Leng, C. W. 1918. Notes on Some Changes in List of Coleoptera. Jour. New York Ent. Soc., 26 :201-211.
1920. Catalogue of the Coleoptera of America, north of Mexico. John D. Sherman, Jr., Mt. Yernon, N. Y.
Marshall, M. Y. 1946. Studies in the Malachiidae. Canadian Entom. 78:183-195.
1948. Studies in the Malachiidae II. Ent. America., 26, 4 :113-144.
1951. Studies in the Malachiidae III. Proc. California Acad, of Sciences. (4th series), 27, 4:77-132.
1952. The Malachiidae of North Central Mexico. American Mus. Novitates, No. 1584.
1953. Studies in the Malachiidae IV. American Midi. Nat., 49, 3 : 825-831.
19o4. Studies in the Malachiidae V. Bull. Brooklyn Ent. Soc., 49,
3 :66-80.
48
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 3
Fig. 1. Pronotum of Collops bipunctatus (Say). Fig. 2. Pronotum of C. bipunc- tatus australis n. subsp. Fig. 3. Head and first four antennal segments of Attalusinus mexicanus n. sp., Male. Fig. 4. Head and first four antennal segments of Attalusinus submarginatus (Lee.), male. Fig. 5. Pygidium of Attains scapularis n. sp., female. Fig. 6. Pygidium of A. humeralis (Lee.), female. Fig. 7. Terminal sternite of Attalus mcclayi n. sp., male. Fig. 8. Terminal sternite of Attains nigripes Horn, male.
otO |\fdl-
■at
A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF BEETLES
The Coleopterists’ Bulletin
Volume IX August, 1955 No. 4
Published bimonthly beginning with February by the DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, SAINT JOHN FISHER COLLEGE, Rochester 18, New York. Terms of subscription: $4.00 per year, both domestic and foreign, payable in advance. Back numbers are available.
The general policies of The Coleopterists’ Bulletin are determined on the recommendation of the following Advisory Board: Dr. Ross H. Arnett, Jr., Head, Department of Biology, St. John Fisher College; Dr. Henry Dietrich, Professor of Entomology, Cornell University; Dr. J. Gordon Edwards, Professor of Entomology, San Jose State College; Dr. Eugene J. Gerberg, Insect Control and Research, Inc., Baltimore, Md. ; Dr. Melville H. Hatch, Professor of Zoology, University of Washington, and Mr. George B. Yogt, Entomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Edited by Ross H. Arnett, Jr.
A NOTE ON THE GENUS DIPHOTUS BARBER 1941 (COLEOPTERA; LAMPYRIDAE.)
By Frank A. McDermott1
The genus Diphotus was established by the late Herbert S. Barber (1941) for a series of lampyrids encountered in the Jamaican collec¬ tions of Dr. John B. Buck, giving as distinctive from Photinus:
“Sternites 6 and 7 not apparently luminous in either sex; sternite 8 well developed and conspicuously the source of light. ”
Diphotus bucki was named as the tj^pe species. In addition to the type species, Barber described the following new species; D. flavomarginatus,
D. lucivolans , D. montanus, D. ornicollis, D. mutchleri, and D. semifus- cus. He further found that Photinus unicus Mntchler (1923), P. glau- cus (G. A. Olivier, 1790), and P. pantoni E. Olivier (1907) also belonged in Diphotus. Since the above publication by Barber, an opportunity has been provided through the courtesy of the entomologists of the Museum Nationale de l’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, to examine a paratype of Olivier’s Photinus pantoni which proved to be identical with Barber’s Diphotus mutchleri, and the latter therefore becomes Diphotus pantoni (E. Oliv.) The identification of Mntchler ’s Photinus unicus with Buck’s specimens was marked as questionable by Barber ; the writer ’s exami¬ nation of specimens in the collection of the Institute of Jamaica leaves him with no doubt of their identity. To the above species, Buck (1947) added Diphotus dahlgreni, D . darlingtoni, and D. masti as new species.
A study of the original descriptions, and examinations of specimens in the U. S. National Museum and the Museum of Comparative Zoology, has shown that a number of other Antillean lampyrids previously de¬ scribed as Photinus are properly Diphotus ; these are shown on table I.
1Wilmington, Del. THf mm Of TH£
MNP? \m
49
50
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 4
Table I. — Additional Antillean Diphotus
|
SPECIFIC NAME: |
AUTHORITY: |
LOCALITY: |
REASON* 2 : |
|
albicollis |
Chevrolat (1858) |
Cuba |
M.C.Z. |
|
apoplecticus |
E. Olivier (1899) |
Cuba |
Description |
|
cubanus |
Leng & Mutchler (1922) |
Cuba |
U.S.N.M. |
|
dubiosus |
Leng & Mutchler (1922) |
Puerto Rico |
Description |
|
infernus |
E. Olivier (1912) |
Martinique |
U.S.N.M. |
|
lengi |
Mutchler (1923) |
Haiti |
Description |
|
limbipennis |
J. Duval (1857) |
Cuba |
U.S.N.M.3 |
|
lutzi |
Leng & Mutchler (1922) |
Dominica |
Description |
|
magnus |
Mutchler (1923) |
Cuba |
M.C.Z.4 |
|
nanus |
E. Olivier (1912) |
Cuba |
U.S.N.M. |
|
nefarius |
E. Olivier (1912) |
Cuba |
U.S.N.M. & M.C.Z.5 |
|
pygmaeus |
E. Olivier (1899) |
Cuba |
M.C.Z. |
|
quadrimaculatus |
Castelnau (1840) |
Hispaniola |
U.S.N.M.6 |
|
simplex |
E. Olivier (1912) |
Dominica |
U.S.N.M.7 |
|
singularis |
Leng & Mutchler (1922) |
Cuba |
Description |
|
sublateralis |
Mutchler (1923) |
Cuba |
Description |
|
triangularis |
E. Olivier (1912) |
Puerto Rico Hispaniola ; |
U.S.N.M.8 |
|
vittatus |
G. A. Olivier (1790) |
Puerto Rico |
U.S.N.M. |
|
vittiger |
Gyllenhal (1817) |
Martinique |
U.S.N.M.8 |
-for placing in Diphotus. The descriptions frequently leave no question as to the
genus.
3Heterophotinus E. Olivier, 1907.
4Bears a superficial resemblance to our common Photinus pyralis.
°quadrinotatus by label on specimen in U.S.N.M.
6Has also small lateral pale spots on 7th sternite, possibly luminous organs.
7Mucli like specimens of Rabopus decorus (Klug) Mots., but smaller.
8Marked as Diphotus by H. S. Barber.
In addition to the above, a specimen labeled Photinus marginipennis in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History, is also Diphotus; it does not answer the description of P. marginipennis by Lucas (1857). It apears that species properly included in Diphotus are rather widely distributed throughout the West Indies, and if the speci¬ men of P. marginipennis referred to above was collected in Brazil, Lucas’ locality, they may also be found in South America. The foregoing list is therefore probably by no means complete, and collectors having speci¬ mens of “Photinus” from South America, and possibly also from Cen¬ tral America and Mexico, may find it desirable to examine them to de¬ termine if they really belong in that genus.
Barber’s rather brief characterization of Diphotus may be expanded
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
51
to give a differentiation from Pkotinus. The most obvious distinction from Pkotinus is the presence of the luminous organs on sternite 8 only ; none on sternite 6, and doubtfully on sternite 7 in one case, noted above. In Diphotus the 7th sternite is frequently black; the mandibles tend to be proportionately larger and the labial palpi smaller than in Pkotinus species of corresponding body size. The characters are given in Table II.
|
Table |
II. — Characters of Diphotus |
AND Photinus |
|
Luminous organs • |
Diphotus Lateral on 8th ab¬ dominal sternite in both sexes. |
Photinus Usually the entire ventral surfaces of sternites 6 and 7 in the S ; median on sternite 6 in the 9. |
|
Antennae |
Filiform, not com¬ pressed ; not more than y2 total length of insect. |
like Diphotus. • |
|
Aedeagus |
See Buck (1947) for drawings and description. |
See Barber (1941) for general descrip¬ tion. |
|
Tibial spurs |
Very small, fre¬ quently indistin¬ guishable from hairs, or apparent¬ ly absent. |
Pronounced ; pat¬ tern 0-2-2. |
The majority of the species of Pkotinus have well-developed luminous organs, which in the species that have been studied, are used in a specific flashing signal system for the mating of the sexes, while in Diphotus the luminosity consists of long steady glows; how species distinction is recognized in the latter genus is unknown.
The question has been raised as to whether Diphotus is synonymous with Motschulsky ’s Rabopus. Leng and Mutchler (1922, p. 436) put what they believed to be Rabopus roseicollis Mots, in Lucidota as L. decorus, because of the strongly serrate antennae. In the absence of any possibility of examining Motschulsky ’s type at this time, and Leng and Mutchler ’s placing of his Rabopus roseicollis in Lucidota , it seems
52
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 4
best to consider Barber’s Diphotus as valid, unless and until indis¬ putable evidence to the contrary can be adduced.
Incidentally, Leng and Mutchler’s name Photinus simplex for E. Olivier’s P. vitiosus var. simplex, is preoccupied by P. simplex Gorham (Biol. Cent. Amer., 1881, p. 42), but as the former species is here trans¬ ferred to Diphotus a new specific trivial name is not necessary.
Literature Cited
Barber, Herbert S. 1941. Proc. Rochester Acad. Sci., Vol. 8, pp. 1-13. Buck, John B. 1947. Proc. U. S. National Museum, Vol. 97, No. 3210, pp. 59-79.
Leng, C. W., and A. J. Mutchler. 1922. Bull. American Mus. Nat.
Hist., Vol. XLVI, Art, VIII, pp. 413-499.
Mutchler, A. J. 1923. American Mus. Novitates, No. 63.
Olivier, G. A. 1790. Entomologie, Vol. 2, p. 13; PI. 1, Fig. 4. Olivier, E. 1907. Wytsman’s Genera Insectorum, Fasc. 53.
Olivier, E. 1910. Junk-Schenkling Coleopterorum Catalogus, Pars. 9. Olivier, E. 1912. Lampyridae of the Antilles. Rev. Sci. Bourbonnaise, Vol. 25, pp. 18-34.
ORR'S RECORDS OF BEETLES EATEN BY THE PALLID BAT
Many species of beetles and other insects have been recorded in literature deal¬ ing with the food of animals, birds, reptiles and fish. Most of these reports seem to be unknown to systematic entomologists, though they are often well docu¬ mented and give ecological data and locality records.
Orr1 found remains of the following beetles (determined by E. C. Van Dyke) beneath a pallid bat roost along San Juan Creek, 9 miles west of Simmler, San Luis Obispo Co., Calif.: Polyphylla probably decimlineata, Romaleum simplici- colle , Prionus calif ornieus , Eleodes acuticauda . He also cites records by others: at Glendora, Los Angeles Co., Calif., Prionus calif ornieus, Ligyrus gibbosus (by Mrs. Grinnell) ; at Mission San Antonio de Padua, Monterey Co., Calif., Polyphylla decimlineata (by Hatt) ; near Albuquerque, N. Mex., “large June bugs, and one large ground beetle” (by Borell) ; at Indian Springs in southern Nevada. Burt saw the bats “. . . frequently alighting on a lawn to capture June beetles ( Polyphylla ) . . .”.
The bats must have come to the ground to get the flightless Eleodes ; indeed heavy wingless Jerusalem crickets ( Stenopelmatus spp.) are a common food for this species, which catches lizards too.
Hugh B. Leech, California Academy of Sciences
iORRi, Robert T. 1954. Natural history of the pallid bat, Antrozous pallidus (LeConte). Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., (Ser. 4), Vol. 28 (No. 4) pp. 165-246, 28 text figs. Published January 7, 1954. (Insects, pp. 231-232).
vi A; ' : v.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
53
ON SOME NEW GENERA OF NEARCTIC CHRYSOMELINAE
(CHRYSOMELIDAE)
By F. Monros1
Before a revision of the genus Calligrapha can be attempted, it is necessary to restrict it to such a degree as to retain in it only those species which agree with the genotype in the majority of their critical characteristics. It is another problem, not dealt with here, to analyze the relationships of Calligrapha and to define its generic differences, if there are such, with the Zygogramma-Zygospila complex.
There is no satisfactory definition of Calligrapha and the comparison of the critical species with the genotype, namely Calligrapha polyspila Germar, from Southern Brazil and Eastern Argentina is still the most I reliable way to elucidate their taxonomy. By this method, several well- known North American “ Calligraphae” need to be removed from that genus and to be placed in some other unrelated ones.
There will be probably some objections to changing a familiar name such as Calligrapha similis, as listed in the catalogues and in most collec¬ tions, into an almost unknown one such as Bidensomela hidenticola. The reason for taking some species out of Calligrapha and considering them as belonging in independent genera is not, however, the fun of creating names and making taxonomy more difficult, but the aim to attain more homogeneous units and the better understanding of the rela¬ tionships of the insects studied.
An explanation of the fact that several Nearctic species were wrongly placed in Calligrapha and are still in this genus, in spite of being fairly common and well known may be the circumstances that most of the older species of “Calligrapha” were described as Chrysomela olim. When this last genus became restricted to a smaller unit, these species were transferred to Calliagrapha merely because they are yellow with dark markings, but they were not compared with the typical Cal¬ ligrapha of Central and South America ; thus, the meaning of the genus Calligrapha became more and more confused by not keeping the danger of misplacing genericly different species in mind.
It is to be noted that, while typical Calligrapha from Central and South America feed on Malvaceae, most of the species approaching the northern limits of the genus feed on quite unrelated plants. An ecologi¬ cal difference may thus be added to the purely morphological ones con¬ sidered in the present paper.
1 Fundacion Miguel Lillo, Tucuman, Argentina.
54
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 4
All the new genera here described present the following characters and belong in the tribe Doryphorini :
Epipleurae ciliated at apex; anterior coxal cavities open behind; anterior pro- sternal margin without oral prolongation; pronotum without swollen lateral margin; claws simple and separated; antennae colored.
BIDENSOMELA new genus (Figure 1, 2, 29, 30)
Type species : Chrysomela similis Rogers Craneal sutures visible. Antennae somewhat dilated and pubescent from 7th seg¬ ment. Elytra with IOMj rows of punctures; rows 6 and 7 somewhat irregular in the middle. Elytral pattern consisting of dark longitudinal bands on yellow ground. Median lobe of male genitalia with a short spicula on each side and a short median prolongation.
This genus seems rather closely allied to Calligrapha but may be dis¬ tinguished by the different type of male genitalia and elytral punctures and pattern.
Its only known species feeds on Compositae and I consider it to con¬ sist of two subspecies as follows :
Discal elytral band only with lateral notch. From the North and West _
_ _ _ _ _ 1 _ ___B. bidenticola bidenticola
Discal elytral band including a yellow longitudinal one in space' between rows 4 and 5. From the South _ : _ _ _ B. bidenticola meridionalis
Bidensomela bidenticola subspecies bidenticola (Brown)
(Figure 1)
Chrysomela similis Rogers, 1854:35, pi. 1, f. 13; Suffrian, 1858:275, pi.
2, f. 13; Stal, 1865:258 (nec Muller, 1776).
Calligrapha similis Crotch, 1873:48, 49; Linell, 1896:198.
Polyspila similis Weise, 1916:43.
Polyspila similis v. intermedia Achard, 1923 :69.
Polyspila similis v. hilaris Achard, 1923 :69.
Calligrapha bidenticola Brown, 1945 :122.
Known from Canada and United States.
Bidensomela bidenticola meridionalis new subspecies
(Figure 2)
Differs from typical race in the elytral pattern which is of same color as head and pronotum and with a longitudinal yellow band in space between rows 3 and 4, as shown in figure.
Florida : Enterprise (holotype and 6 paratypes Hubbard & Schwarz leg. in USNM and Monros), Crescent City (1 paratype in USNM). Less typical specimens from Jacksonville and Capron (USNM). — Specimens from Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and some ones from Virginia and Maryland represent an intermediate form between the typical race and the present one.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
55
COREOPSOMELA new genus
(Figures 3, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24)
Type species: Calligrapha elegans ssp. calif ornica Linell Frontal suture obliterated, clypeal ones poorly marked. Mandibles moderately projecting and little angular at external margin. Last segment of maxillary palpi shorter and thinner than proceding one. Antennae somewhat dilated and pubescent from 6th segment. Elytra with 10*4 well impressed rows of punctures, the 6th and 7th somewhat irregular. Without denticle between claws. Elytral pattern consisting of black longitudinal stripes on yellow ground. Median lobe of male genitalia with¬ out lateral spiculae; its apex subtruncate and with a median prolongation.
This monobasic genus is found in Southern Canada and United States ; its only species feeds on Compositae.
The combination of characters described distinguishes it from all other known Chrysomelinae. From Calligrapha it may be separated especially by the different type of male genitalia, the shape of the mandibles, the obliterated frontal suture, the elytral punctures and pattern and the general facies, as well as a different host. Although I do not attempt to establish its relationships in the present paper, it does not seem to be closely allied to Calliagrapha-Zygogramma complex. Two geographic races may be distinguished, as follows:
Discal band of elytra entire or weekly notched. From the East _
- C. californica coreopsivora
Discal black band divided by an oblique yellow transversal one. Known only from Los Angeles County, California - , - - - C. californica californica
Coreopsomela californica subspecies californica (Linell)
(Figure 4)
Calligrapha elegans ssp. californica Linell, 1896 :198.
Polyspila elegans ab. californica Weise, 1916 :39.
Coreopsomela californica ssp. coreopsivora (Brown)
(Figure 3)
Chrysomela elegans Olivier, 1807 :532, pi. 6, f . 92 ; Rogers, 1854 :35, Suf- frian, 1858:276; Stal, 1865:259 (nec Gmelin, 1789).
Calligrapha elegans Crotch, 1873:48; Linell, 1896:198.
Polyspila elegans Weise, 1916:39.
Calligrapha californica coreopsivora Brown, 1945 :122.
ACALLIGRAPHA new genus
(Figures 5, 11, 20, 27, 28)
Type species : Chrysomela praecelsis Rogers.
Only clypeal sutures visible. Antennae somewhat dilated and pubescent from 7th
56
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 4
segment. Sides of pronotum subparallel, slightly constricted behind middle. Elytra more convex than in allied genera, with lO1/^ well impressed rows, the space between 4 and 8 occupied by irregular punctures. Claws with a small denticle between them. Elytral pattern consisting of longitudinal brown bands on yellow ground. Median lobe of male genitalia without lateral spiculae and with a projecting median process.
This monobasic genus differs from Calligrapha especially by the shape of the male genitalia and the elytral pattern and punctures as well as the general facies.
Acalligrapha praecelsis (Rogers)
(Figure 5)
Chrysomela praecelsis Rogers, 1854:35, pi. 1, f. 14 — Suffriaan, 1858:276, pi. 2, f. 14; Stal, 1865:259.
Calligrapha praecelsis Crotch, 1873:48; Linell, 1896:198; Brown, 1945: 123.
Polyspila praecelsis Weise, 1916:42.
Occurs in Canada and Central United States and Brown mentions it on Convolvulaceae.
CALLIGRAMMA new genus (Figures 6, 10, 19, 21, 31, 32)
Type species : Chrysomela cephalanti Schwarz.
Craneal sutures visible but not deep. Antennae somewhat dilated from 6th seg¬ ment, pubescent from 7th. Elytra with 10 regular and deep rows of punctures and without shortened scutellar one. Without denticle between claws. Pattern consisting of alternate brown and yellow bands. Male genitalia with a small spicula on each side, obliquely directed backwards; its apex subacute.
Differs from Calligrapha in the elytral punctures and pattern and the lack of scutellar row. From Zygogramma-Zygospila it may be distin¬ guished by the separate claws and from Desogramma by the absence of denticle between the claws. From all the allied genera it is easily dis¬ tinguished by the absence of shortened scutellar row of punctures.
Calligramma cephalanti (Schwarz)
(Figure 6)
Chrysomela cephalanti Schwarz, 1878:366.
C alligrapha cephalanti Linell, 1896 :198.
Polyspila cephalanti Weise, 1916 :39.
Known only from Florida (Capron, Coral Gables, Homestead, Tampa). Achard (1923) suggests that this species may represent nothing but a minor variation of Bidensomela bidenticola, from which it differs, however, in several important characters.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
57
GRAPHICALLO new genus (Figures 7, 8, 9, 25, 26)
Type species : Chrysomela lunata Fabricius.
Craneal sutures visible. Antennae somewhat dilated and pubescent from 6th seg¬ ment. Elytra with 10% rows, of which 5 to 8 confused and irregular. Claws with¬ out denticle. Elytra! pattern consisting of dark longitudinal bands on yellow ground. Median lobe of male genitalia with a median apical short projection and a short spicula on each side at apex.
I base the present genus on the type species which seems closely allied to Calli graph a but differs in the shape of the male genitalia and the elytral punctures and pattern.
The species may be split in two geographical races, as follows :
Discal brown band of elytra with a single yellow inclussion immediately outside 4th row; punctures between rows 9 and 4 completely irregular. Eastern subspecies _
0 |una|a |unafa
Discal brown pattern consisting of three more or less parallel longitudinal bands sepa¬ rated by yellow ones. Punctures, between rows 9 and 4 tending to be arranged in rows. Northern and Western subspecies _ G. lunata hybrida
Graphicallo lunata subspecies lunata (Fabricius)
(Figure 7)
Chrysomela lunata Fabricius, 1787:69; Gmeliu, 1790:1677; Olivier, 1790:699; Fabricius, 1792:318; Fabricius, 1801:435; Olivier, 1807: 517, pi. 6, f. 75; Stal, 1865:260.
Chrysomela brunnea Thuuberg, 1787 :43, f. 7.
C alligrapha lunata Crotch, 1873:48; Linell, 1896:198.
Polyspila lunata Weise, 1916 :40.
C alligrapha lunata mediorupta Achard, 1923 :69.
Calligrapha lunata bowditchi Achard, 1923 :69, footnote.
Calligrapha lunata medionota Schaeffer, 1933 :478 (nomen nudum)
C alligrapha lunata lunata Brown, 1945 :122.
Graphicallo lunata subspecies hybrida (Say)
(Figure 9)
Chrysomela hybrida Say, 1825:449; Rogers, 1854:34, pi. 1, f. 11; Suf- frian, 1858:272, pi. 2, f. 11.
Calligrapha lunata v. latevittata Achard, 1923:69.
Calligrapha lunata v. lativittis Schaeffer, 1933:478.
Calligrapha lunata hybrida Brown, 1945:122.
Short key to distinguish Calligrapha and allied genera
■I. Claws connate- Claws separated
2
3
58
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 4
2. Elytral punctures regular _ _ _ Zygogramma Chevrofat
Elytral punctures irregular (like Calligrapha) _ _ _ Zygospila Achard
3. Elytra with scutellar row of punctures _ l _ _ _ 4
Elytra without scutellar row _ _ _ Calligramma new genus
4. Median lobe of male genitalia without lateral spiculae _ _ 5
Median lobe with lateral spiculae _ &
5. With denticle between the claws; elytra more convex than pronotum _
_ Acalligrapha new genus
Without denticle between the claws; elytral convexity follows pronotal one _
_ 1 _ , - Coreopsomela new genus
6. Median lobe acute at apex and without apical truncate projection _ _ _
_ Calligrapha Chevrolaf
Median lobe with an apical projection _ 7
7. Spiculae on apical projection _ Graphicallo new genus
Spiculae on sides of median lobe itself _ Bidensomela new genus
Figs. 14 to 17. Mouth parts of Coreopsomela calif ornica. Fig. 18. Antenna of Coreopsomela calif ornica. Fig. 19. of Calligramma cepha- lanti. Fig. 20. of Acalligrapha praecelsis. Fig. 21. Tarsi of second pair of legs of Calligramma cephalanti. Fig. 22. of Coreopsomela calif ornica. Figs. 23 to 24. Median lobe of male in Coreopsomela calif ornica, lateral and superior. Figs. 25 and 26. Graphicallo lunata. Figs. 27 and 28. Acalligrapha praecelsis, lateral and under side. Figs. 29 and 30. Bidenso¬ mela hidenticola. Figs. 31 and 32. Galligramma cephalanti. Figs. 33 and 34. Calligrapha polyspila.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
59
(For explanation of figures, see page 60)
60
THE COLEOPTERISTS’ BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 4
Literature Cited
Acfiard, J. Fragments entomologiqnes.
Brown, W. J. Canadian Ent. LXXVII :117-133.
Crotch, G. R. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia XXV:19-83 (48-50). Fabricius, J. Ch. 1787, Mantissa Insectornm 1.
1792, Ent. Syst. I.
1801, Syst, Elenth. I.
Gmelin, J. F. ed. IV (Linnaeus Syst. Nat.).
Linell, M. Ij. Journ. New York Ent, Soc. IV :195-200 (198-200). Olivler, A. 1790. Encyel. Meth.
1807, Entom. V.
Rogers, AV. F. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia VIII :29-39 (31-35). Say, Th. Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia III.
Schaeffer, Ch. Journ. New York Ent. Soc. XLI :457, 480.
Schwarz, E. B. Proc. American Philos. Soc. XVII :353-469 (366-367). Stal, C. Monogr. Chrysom. Amerique I-III :l-365.
Suffrian, F. Stett. Ent. Zeit. XIX:237-278 (253-266).
Thunrerg, C. P. Mus. Nat. Acad. Upsala IV :l-50.
Weise, J. (In Junk-Schenkling ) — Col. Cat. LXVIII :l-255 (38-44).
Fig. 1. Bidensomela bidenticola (Brown). Fig. 2. B. b. meridionalis n. ssp., typical specimen from Enterprise (Florida). Fig. 3. Coreopso- mela calif ornica coreopsivora (Brown). Fig. 4. C. c. calif ornica (Linell), holotype in USNM. Fig. 5. Acalligrapha praecelsis (Rogers). Fig. 6. Calligramma cephalanti (Schwarz), holotype in USNM. Fig. 7. Graphi- callo lunata (Fabricius). Fig. 8. Another elytral pattern. Fig. 9. G. lunata hybrida (Say). Fig. 10. Head and cephalic sutures in Calli¬ gramma cephalanti. Fig. 11. in Acalligrapha praecelsis. Fig. 12. in Coreopsomela calif ornica. Fig. 13. in Calligrapha polyspila Germar, type species of the genus Calligrapha.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
61
CURRENT LITERATURE
Edited by J. Gordon Edwards
General
Hatch, M. H. 1954. The broader implications of the development of ento¬ mology in the Pacific Northwest. (Mention of Coleopterists.) Proc. Ent. Soc. British Columbia. 50:7-15. Hemming, F. 1954. Notice of proposed suspension of the Rules in certain cases for the avoidance of confusion in the validation of current nomenclatorial practice (A.,N.S., 18). Pan-Pac. Ent. 30(3) :179-80. Swezey, O. H. 1954. Forest entomology in Hawaii — an annotated check-list of the insect faunas of the various components of the Hawaiian forests. B. P. Bishop Museum Spec. Publ. 44:1-266, 32 figs. Trissot, A. N. et al. 1954* A brief history of entomology in Florida. (Mentions several Coleoptera special¬ ists.) Florida Ent. 37(2) :51-71. Richmond, H. A. 1954. Forest insect surveys. Proc. Ent. Soc. British Columbia 50:28-30. Spencer, G. J. 1954. Two decades of household pests in Vancouver, B. C. (A summary of inquiries.) Proc Ent Soc. British Columbia 50:32-37, 1 chart. Weber, N. A. 1954. Insect fauna of an Iraq oasis, The City of Baghdad. (Short paragraph on beetles.) Ent. News 65(8) :203-206.
Anthribidae
Sleeper, E. L. 1954. New Rhynchophora, I. (Gymnognathus, Ischnocerus, Stenocorus, & Ormiscus.) Ohio Jour. Sci. 54(2) :117-25, 7 figs.
Buprestidae
Cobos, A. 1953. Revision de las Ectinogonia Spinola s. str. (key to spp. on 51-54.) R^ev. Chiliena Hist. Nat. 3:41-68, 4 figs., 1 pi., 1 map. Davis, J. J. 1954. Insects of Indiana in 1953. (Economic status of some Agrilus & Chrysobothris.) Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 63:152-56. Heifer, J. 1954. A new Hippomelas from California. Pan-Pac. Ent. 30(2) :117-18. Knull, J. N. 1954. Five new species of Buprestidae. (Acmaeodera, Agrilus, Chrysobothris, & Taphrocerus.) Ohio Jour. Sci. 54(1) :27-30, 12 figs. Olave, O. 1953. Una nueva especie Chilena de Buprestidae, Curis (Cylindrophora) iricolor n. sp. Rev. Chiliena Hist. Nat.
3: p. 22. Olave, O. 1953a. Buprestis novemmaculata L. en Chile. Rev. Chiliena Hist. Nat. 3:74.
Cantharidae
Fender, K. M. 1954. On some Malthodes. (no keys) Pan-Pac. Ent. 30(2)- 131-32. v ' *
Cerambycidae
Cerda, G-. 1953. Cerambicido de Europa colectado en Chile. Rev. Chiliena Hist. Nat. 3: p. 116. Cerda, G. 1953a. Nuevos Cerambicidos chilenos. (no keys.) Rev. Chiliena Hist. Nat. 3:135-39. Cerda, G. 1953b. Contribucion al estudio de los Cerambicidos chilenos. Rev. Chiliena Hist. Nat. 3:180-81. Leech, H. B. 1954. Leptidiella brevipennis (Mulsant) reared from Tovon. Pan-Pac' Ent. 30(2) :p. 158.
Chrysomelidae
Davis, J. J. 1954. Insects of Indiana in 1953. (Economic status of some Ceratoma, Chaetocnema, Epitrix, & Galerucella.) Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 63: 152-56. Gould, G. E. 1954. Is the potato flea-beetle becoming resistant to
62
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 4
DDT ? Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 63:143 (abstract). Monros, F. 1953. Revision sistematica de las Clytrinae de la Argentina, Paraguay, Uraguay, & Chile, (keys to tribes, genera, spp., & subspp.) Acta Zool. Lilloana 14:5-2^4, 404 figs. Monros, F. 1954. Notes and synonyms in Chrysomelidae. (10 genera.) Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 56(1) :23-26, 3 figs. Monros, F. 1954. Megalopus jacobyi, nueva plaga de Solanaceae en el nor-oeste Argentino, con notas sobre biologia y taxonomia de Megalopinae. (no keys.) Rev. Agron. Noroeste Argentino 1(2) :167-79, 18 figs.
Coccinellidae
Tissot, A. N. et al. 1954. A brief history of the introduction of Crypto- laemus montrouzieri in Florida. Florida Ent. 37(2) :54, 69.
Curculionidae
Davis, J. J. 1954. Insects of Indiana in 1953. (economic status of Brachy- rhinus ovatus, Hypera punctata, & Lixus concavus) Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 63:152-56. Pereira Filho, T. 1954. Fauna do Distrito Federal. XI: Sobre a genitalia de Entimus imperialis (Forster 1771). Rev. Brasileira Biol. 14(3): 263-67, 12 figs. Rings, R. W. 1954. Comparative effectiveness of five radio¬ isotopes in studying dispersal of Conotrachelus nenuphar. Ohio Jour. Sci. 54(4) :231-36, 1 fig. Sleeper, E. L. 1954. New Rhynchophora. I. (Myrmex, 6 spp., Neotylopterous, 1 n. sp., & Thysanocnemis, 2 n spp.) Ohio Jour. Sci. 54(2) :117-25, 7 figs. Sleeper, E. L. 1954a, New Rhynchophora. II. (1 n. sp. of : Anchonus, Centrinogyna, Conotrachelus, Erethistes, Eulechriops, Gerstaeck- eria, Paracamptus, Pentarthrinus, Pseudacamptus, Rhyssematus, & Smicraulax, and 2 n. spp. of Trichobaris) Ohio Jour. Sci. 54(3) :180-86, 6 figs. Vaurie, P. 1954. New spp. of Calendra from Mexico, with notes on others. (2 n. spp.) American Mus. Nov. No. 1681, pp 1-8.
Dermestidae
Davis, J. J. 1954. Insects of Indiana in 1953. (Economic status of Attagenus piceus) Proc, Indiana Acad. Sci. 63:152-56.
Elateridae
Davis, J. J. 1954. Insects of Indiana for 1953. (Economic status) Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 63:152-56. Dobrovsky, T. M. 1954. Laboratory observa¬ tions on Conoderus vagus Candeze. (Biological) Florida Ent. 37(3) :123-31.
Elmidae
Chandler, H. P. 1954. New genera and species of Elmidae from California. (Atractelmis, Optioservus, & Rhiselmis) Pan-Pac. Ent. 30(2) :125-31, 3 figs. Sanderson, M. W. 1954. A revision of the Nearctic genera of Elmidae (ConPd from Jour. Kans. Ent. Soc. vol 26). (no keys in this part). Jour Kansas Ent. Soc. 27(1) :1-13, 19 figs., 1 pi.
Hydrophilidae
Travassos, L. 1954. Contribuigao para o conhecimento dos Nematodeos para- sitos de Coleopteros aquaticos. (especially the parasites of Hydrophilus ater) Rev. Brasileira Biol. 14(2) :143-51, 6 figs.
Meloidae
Selander, R. B. 1954. Notes on Mexican Meloidae. (host plant records for 35 spp., key to 2 spp. of Linsleya on p. 89) Jour. Kansas Ent. Soc. 27(3): 84-97, 14 figs., 1 pi.
J955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
63
Melyridae
Moore, I. 1954. Notes on Endeodes LeConte, with a description of a new species from Baja California, (key on p. 196). Pan-Pac. Ent. 30(3) :195-98, no figs. Wittmer, W. 1954. Malacodermata Neotropicales ; Contribucian a su conocimiento. (synonymical notes on some Silisogaster, Polemius, Lentieornis, Sills, Tucumaniusm, & Attalus). Neotropica 1:29-31.
Paussidae
Pallister, J. C. 1954. Homopterns hondurensis Darlington from Yucatan Mexico. Bull. Brooklyn Ent. Soc. 49(1) :27-28.
Pselaphidae
Borgmeir, O. F. M. 1954. Zur Ivenntniss der termitophilen Pselaphiden Bra- siliens. (genera Syrmocerus, Hamotocellus, Hamotus, Apharus, Termitotyrus n. gen., & Neotyrus) Rev. Brasileira Biol. 14(2) :201-14, 39 figs., 10 refs. Park, 0. 1954. The Pselaphidae of South Bimini Island, Bahamas, British West Indies, (keys to all spp,;7 n. spp., 3 n. genn.) American Mus. Nov. No. 1674, pp. 1-25, 22 figs. Scarabaeidae
Davis, J. J. 1954. Insects of Indiana in 1953. (economic status of Popillia japonica). Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 63:152-56. Howden, H. F. 1954. A review of the genus Podolasia Harold, (key to males on pp. 3-4*, 4 n. spp.) American Mus. Nov. No. 1661, pp. 1-11, 15 figs. Martinez, A. 1953. Nuevas especies de Oogenius Solier. (Keys to spp. of subgenera). Rev. Chiliena Hist. Nat. 3:75- 86, 11 figs. Martinez, A. 1954. Scarabaeoidea Neotropica, I. (Vulcania & Pseudepilissus as n. names for Oxyligyrus politus & 2 spp. of Canthon) Neo- tropia 1.27-28, Pereira, F. S. 1953. Notas sinonimicas. (Synonyms of a great many genera & spp.; key to 2 spp. Peltecanthon on p. 399)^Dusenia 4:387-402 12 figs. Pereira, Pe. T. S. 1954. A new myrmeaophilous scarabaeid beetle from the Philippine Islands with a review of Haroldius. Psyche 61(1) :l-8, 1° figs. Polivka, J. B. 1954. The seasonal behavior of the Japanese Beetle in Ohio. Ohio Jour. Sci. 54(1) :59-2. Vaurie, P. 1954. New Synonymy in Diplotaxis. Bull. Brooklyn Ent. Soc. 49(2) :49-54.
Scolytidae
Davis, J. J. 1954. Insects of Indiana in 1953. (economic status of Hylastinus obscura) Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 63:152-56. Smith, R. H. & F. Mergen, 1954.
A bark beetle attacking scions of grafted slash pines. Jour. Forestry 52(11) : 864-6o.
with the brood care and brood rearing instinct of beetles should be of particular interest to anyone concerned with the habits and biology of Coleoptera. The scope of the book is world wide, sum¬ marizing much of the literature on the habits of Coleoptera. Scolytidae, leaf¬ rolling weevils, some Cerambycidae and many of the Scarbaeidae are dealt with at length, with diagrams and pictures of the larvae and brood cells serving as an excellent supplement to the text.
(H. F. Howden)
Review
BRUTFURSORGE — UND BRUT- PFLEGEINSTINKTE DER KAFER
Yon Lengerken, Hanns. 1954. Second edition. 383 pp, 241 illustrations. Pub¬ lished by Akad. Verlagsgesellschaft Geest & Portig. K.-G., Leipzig Cl, Sternwarten- strasse 8, Germany. Price DM 29.
Professor von Lengerken ’s comprehen¬ sive and well illustrated work dealing
64
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 4
THE SOUTHWESTERN RESEARCH STATION OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
The American Museum of Natural His¬ tory lias . announced the establishment of The Southwestern Research Station. It is located on the eastern slope of the Chiricahua Mountains, near Portal, Co¬ chise County, in southeastern. Arizona. The property is within, .theyrlimi-ts. of 'the . Coronado National Forest at an elevation of 5400 feet. r *yn&‘
The station was established for the' purpose of making, available Research facilities for scientists ajid^stuckints -in all branches of science, vvli(fc have- ‘prob-‘ lems that can be investigated through the utilization of the faunal, floral and geological features of the area. It will be open during the entire year.
It is operated by the American Muse¬ um of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York 24, New York and under the direction of Dr. Mont A. Cazier, Chairman and Curator of the Department of Insects and Spiders, to whom all inquiries should be addressed. Anyone interested in the sta¬ tion should write to the above named individual for the booklet which gives the details of the operation and a general description of the area. (M. A. Cazier)
News
This summer the Canadian Depart¬ ment of Agriculture, Division of Ento mology at Ottawa, will send out person nel to collect insects in the following lo¬ calities: Southern California (4 man
party), Baffin Island (2 men), Atlin Lake in northernmost British Columbia (2 men), Vancouver Island (3 men in¬ cluding W. J. Brown), British Columbia (S. L. Wood will study bark beetles), Missouri (E. C. Becker, who will collect beetles for several weeks).
(W. J. Brown)
E. J. Ford, Jr., of Honolulu, is pro¬ gressing in his work on Anobiidae. He now has perhaps the largest collection of Coleoptera from Oahu and has recently given his non-Hawraiian collection to the Bernice P. Bishop Museum. The museum received a gift of 28,000 beetles from Dr. J. L. Gressitt, who is also giving half of the T. C. Maa Chinese collection to the Bishop Museum and half to the California Academy of Sciences.
(J. L. Gressitt) Dr. Milton W. Sanderson, Illinois Natural History Survey, writes that he is at present working on the Phyllophaga occurring in Mexico and thb .Neotropics.
(H. F. Howden) Dr. Floyd Werner, University of Ari¬ zona, has kindly offered to furnish in¬ formation on good collecting sites to anyone making a trip to Arizona. The university staff will have information on the localities where it has rained, what plants are blooming, etc., and should be able to direct the collector to a likely location. (H. F. Howden)
Mr. Frank Parker and D. K. Dun¬ can are working on an annotated list of the Buprestidae of Arizona for publica¬ tion by the university. This is intended to be the first of a series. (F. Werner) Dr. Melville H. Hatch, University of Washington, recently left Seattle with Mrs. Hatch on a 3-month entomological trip. After a few days in the San Fran¬ cisco area and in southern California, they will visit southern Florida, then the museums in Philadelphia. Washing¬ ton, New York, Boston and Rochester. On the return trip they will visit ento¬ mological collections in Canada, especially the Canadian National Collection in To¬ ronto. The primary purpose of the trip is to enable Dr. Hatch to check on types of Staphylinidae and related families, preparatory to the completion of Part II of his series 11 Beetles of the Pacific Northwest.”
(J. Gordon Edwards)
/vs .C UBMRY OF THE
>t(b
r-T
W1AK Jl3 1^6
McdT' liuS ■
A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF BEETLES
UMiVkubih Of iLLUtUJo
Coleopf erists’ Bulletin
Volume IX
October, 1955
No. 5
SAlNTUl'S 'vitb februa,T by the DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY,
FISHER COLLEGE, Rochester 18, New York. Terms of subscription- $4 00 per Jear, bdh domestic and foreign, payable in advance. Back numbers are available.
fTii ?eneraj policies of The Coleopterists’ Bulletin are determined on the recommendation of the following Advisory Board: Dr Ross H. Arnett, Jr., Head, Department of Bio” gy St John Fisher College, Dr. Henry Dietrich, Professor of Entomology, Cornell University; Dr J. Go ion Edwards, Professor of Entomology, San Jose State College; Dr. Eugene J. Gerberg Insect Control and Rmrch, In<t-i Baltimore, Md. ; Dr. Melville H. Hatch, Professor of Zoology, University of b^Rosf^’ ArnettIrjrGe°rge B' ^ °gt’ Entomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Edited
THE PHYLOGENETIC POSITION OF ATRACTOCERUS Palis.
By Edwin W. King1- 2
The genus Atractocerus was described in 1802 by Palisot de Beauvois, and at present contains approximately a dozen species, distributed , throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The species ! have long been recognized by many workers as being a bizarre, unortho¬ dox coleopterous type — Lacordaire, in 1857, expressed well the doubt that has existed concerning them when he wrote “Ces insectes ont plutot les facies de certaines Nevropteres que des Coleopteres. ” But he does not elaborate, and a succession of workers (Paulian, Boving and Craig¬ head, Sharp and Muir, Forbes, Woodworth, Redtenbacher, and Barber) have all placed the genus in the family Lymexylonidae, sometimes with some reservations. It is the purpose of the present paper to re-examine, with special reference to the wing venation and female genitalia, the relationships of this genus to those with which it has been most commonly associated: Hylecoetus, Melittomma (Lymexylon) , and T elegeusis.
The genus Atractocerus (fig. 1) may be briefly characterized as fol¬ lows : head round, eyes holoptic or nearly so ; antennae fusiform ; maxil¬ lary palpi with short flabellate processes, the galea and lacinia reduced to short stubs; labium with mentum and submentum elongate, extending between the bases of the maxillae so that the latter lie outside of the mouth cavity; prosternum with only a narrow strap of scleritization anterior to the coxal cavities, the remainder membranous ; anterior trochantins large ; tarsi pentamerous, elongate, and simple ; elytra greatly
1Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa.
-The writer wishes to acknowledge with thanks the assistance of the following individuals and institutions for specimens and criticism: Dr. W. H. Anderson, of the
TSNM, The Chicago Museum of Natural History, and the staff of the Illinois Natural History Survey.
65
66
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 5
reduced; hind wings not shortened by folding, their venation with no recnrrents and only one crossvein; abdomen with seven visible ventral segments, eight dorsal; male genitalia with lateral lobes forming vari¬ ously shaped antler-like processes; female genitalia with coxites large valvifers reduced.
In the past the assumption has been made that Atractocerus was a bizarre relative of that group of genera which have made up the Lymexy- lonidae and Telegeusidae. Evidence in favor of this view is at best rather indecisive, and evidence contrary to it may have gone somewhat unap¬ preciated. The hypothesis set up here is this : In the course of evolution from some megalopterous type the ancestors of the order Coleoptera lost certain veins of the hind wing, transformed the front wings into elytra, and acquired the power to fold the hind wings in the complex folding patterns common today among beetles. The hypothetically ancestral structures of both larva and adult assumed features which may be and have been deduced from existing forms. However, it is most unlikely that all these changes occurred simultaneously, or were ever all present at one time in a given species. If a form diverged early from the beetle line, before all the basic features of the Coleoptera had become estab¬ lished, one would expect of it three things : a) that it should retain some features of its pre-coleopterous ancestor not shared by other beetles; b) that it should have developed specializations of its own not shared by other beetles; and c) that it should develop certain features in parallel with other beetles when it is exposed to the same selection pressures as they. Atractocerus appears to be such a form.
The Hind Wing
Forbes (1922, ’26), in his excellent papers on coleopterous venation and wing folding, notes the fact that the wing of Atractocerus lacks any transverse folding and that the venation is extremely simple. He regards both conditions as specialized from a more typical coleopterous wing. It seems possible that these facts may have a different explanation, and lead to a different conclusion.
One obviously must begin by working out as accurately as possible the homologies of the veins. The wing venation of Atractocerus sp. is shown in figure 2a ; the enlarged base of the wing in figure 2b. Costa, Subcosta, and Radius present no particular problems. Costa lies in the wing mar¬ gin and is distinguishable only at its base. Subcosta, as in other insects, articulates with the apex of the elongate first axillary sclerite (I). Radius, in the Coleoptera, is the first strong longitudinal vein, and the position, convexity, and basal articulation to the second axillary sclerite (II) all indicate that the vein here labeled R may safely be called Radius.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
67
In the wings of insects in general, Media and Cubitus arise not directly from a primary basal sclerite but from the median plate (m), a sclerotized area distal to the axillaries. The median plate is divided by the base of the cubital furrow, which, when extended into the wing proper, marks with great consistency the separation between the anal and cubital veins. This fold can be traced without difficulty through the median plate in the wing of Atractocerus, and divides the plate into a proximal part (m) and a distal part (nT). However, the fold does not extend far into the wing membrane. Plate m' in Atractocerus is in turn weakened and divided by a membranous area. The vein lying posterior to Radius extends to the base of the wing, and there unites with the anterior part of m\ It cannot, therefore, be the Radial sector, and must be either Media or Cubitus. If it is Cubitus then the next posterior vein, which arises from another part of nT, has three convex branches, and lies entirely anterior to the cubital furrow, must be the 1st Anal of Comstock and Needham. In that case one is forced to acknowledge a three-branched 1st Anal and the complete disappearance of Media. An hypothesis which more satisfactorily fits the facts is that the three-branched vein is Cui + 1st A. In support of this interpretation, the following points may be noted. (1) Cubitus, as well as Media, often articulates with the median plate, as does this vein. (2) Cui is strongly convex, and its branches, when they occur, are also convex. (3) In other Coleoptera (i.e. Cupes, fig. 3a, b) and also in at least a few Megaloptera (Corydalis) , 1st A is associated at its base with the median plate, rather than with the third axillary as are the other anals. Its fusion basally with the base of Cubitus is not difficult to visualize. (4) 1st A is a convex vein; all three branches of the vein in question are strongly convex. (5) Cu2 (1st A in Forbes’ nomenclature) is a notoriously weak vein in all insects. It lies in the bottom of the cubital furrow and disappears often in several orders, including many Coleoptera. (6) The remaining veins of the wing are all concave, all lie distinctly behind the cubital furrow, and all are associated with the third axillary; conditions which seem to mark them as the second and following anals. Unless 1st A forms a branch of the three- branched vein, 1st A is unaccounted for, and the vein here called 1st A does not disappear often. At this point one is forced to assume that 1st A crossed the cubital furrow and united basally with Cui, probably after the atrophy of Cu2.
The second branch of the three-branched vein is distinctly convex, and lies well away from the cubital furrow. Hence it seems unlikely that it is Cu2, and it must, of necessity, be a second branch of Cui — Cuib.
68
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 5
Interpretation of the remainder of the wing is not difficult. The jugal fold is well defined, and between it and the cubital furrow are two con¬ cave veins. There is no reason to doubt their homology with the veins occupying the same region in wings of other Coleoptera. The vein here called 2nd A is the 3rd A of Forbes; normally two-branched, but in this wing reduced to a single vein. 3rd A in fig. 2a may then be considered Forbes’ 4th A. The above interpretation is almost identical to that of Redtenbacher, who came to it without the use of basal sclerites in 1896.
The features of such a venation seem to point to an exceedingly remote ancestry for this genus. Forbes notes, and it has been observed by others, that there is no vein in the Coleoptera which could be considered (Cuib in the terminology used here). If this interpretation is correct, Cuib has been retained in Atractocerus.
The lack of crossveins ( Atractocerus has only one) also seems to indi¬ cate considerable divergence. One would expect the loss of the radial crossvein with the loss of the radial sector, but the loss of the m-cu cross¬ veins and cu-a is less easy to explain if Atractocerus is to be considered close to other forms.
In a recent (1952) paper on the affinities of Telegeusis, H. S. Barber stresses the close relationship of that genus to Atractocerus. The females of Telegeusis are unknown ; the wing of T. debilis is illustrated in figure 4. To quote from Barber : ‘ ‘ The modified alar venation of Atractocerus and Telegeusis appear comparable and derived from the primitive vena¬ tion of Lymexylon, the differences between the first two being such as are necessary for the swift and powerful flight of Atractocerus in con¬ trast with that of the feeble Sonoran form.” The venation of Telegeusis could indeed have been derived as Barber suggests. However, Atracto¬ cerus must have been derived not from Melittomma ( Lymexylon ) which has lost Culb (fig. 5), but from some ancestor of Melittomina ■ which did possess this vein. The wing of Telegeusis is a typical Polyphagous type, with somewhat reduced venation and quite orthodox folding.
As has been mentioned, the wing of Atractocerus lacks any sign of transverse folding. This fact in itself is somewhat remarkable. Wings which have secondarily lost their folding, such as Necydalis , still retain the interrupted venation of a previously-folded wing. The veins of Atractocerus , excepting the r-m crossvein which is crossed by a longi¬ tudinal fold, show no weakening whatever. They are spaced in such a way that folding of the tip of the wing, even in the manner of the Serricornia, is impossible. This evidence alone seems sufficient to suggest that the ancestors of this genus never did fold their wings as did prac¬ tically all other beetles.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
69
To summarize, the evidence drawn from the wings rests on: (1) the retention of Cuib, (2) the lack of crossveins in the Cubital and Anal fields, (3) the absence of interruptions in the tips of the longitudinal veins, and (4) the absence of transverse folding.
The Female Genitalia
In 1927 Tanner reviewed in some detail the anatomy of the female genitalia in 66 families of beetles. He notes a difference between the “compact” Adephagous type and the “elongate” Polyhagous form. Tanner ’s conclusions on phylogeny, insofar as they are pertinent to the present problem, are summarized briefly below:
1. The coleopterous female genitalia consist of parts which may be homologized with little difficulty within the order.
2- The Caraboidea (i.e. the Adephaga exclusive of the Gyrinidae) are “a very primitive group,” since there may be found in the Caraboidea all the parts present in any Polyphagous species.
3. The Caraboid genitalia are compact and complex, with broad, sclerotized coxites, sternites and valvifers, while the Polyphagous fami¬ lies are characterized by their narrow, comparatively membraneous genitalia with all sclerites reduced.
No idence is offered, nor does Tanner claim, that his series Cara¬ boidea were themselves ancestral to the Polyphaga. However, the im¬ plication is made that because all parts of the genitalia are present and recognizable in the Caraboid type the ancestral form must have been of that type. The figures of Caraboid genitalia given by Tanner shov far greater complexity than do those of the more simple, elongate Polyphaga; and Tanner notes this, apparently without being impressed with the possibility of another point of view.
It is suggested that if the earliest female Coleoptera possessed genitalia with all the structures of Tanner’s Caraboid type, but possessed them in a simple, unmodified condition, then that form could have diverged on the one hand to give rise to the complex, compact type now seen°in the Adephaga, and on the other hand to produce the elongate form with its reduced sclerotization which is prevalent among the Polyphaga.
Such an ancestral form may have resembled Brathinus (fig. 6), which is redrawn from Tanner and appears to represent a very simple type. Genitalia of Atraciocerus were not illustrated by Tanner, but he does figure those of Hylecoetus, a primitive Polyphagous type, redrawn in fig. 7. The genitalia of A. brasiliensis (fig. 8), resemble those of Hyle¬ coetus more closely than they do those of any other species figured by Tanner. Differences between the two are readily apparent, but most
70
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 5
Fig. 1. Atractocerus sp. Female. Fig. 2a. Atractocerus sp. Wing. Fig. 2b. Atracto- verus sp. Wingbase I>JI, III, Axillary sclerites; m, m', median plate. Fig. 3a. Cupes concolor. Wing base. Fig. 3b. Cupes concolor. Wing. Abbreviations as in 2b. Fig. 4. Teleguesis delilis. Wing. Fig. 5. Melittomuia sericeum. Wing. Fig. 6. Brathinus
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
71
significant is the retention of the elongate, sclerotized proctiger by Atractocerus. The proctiger of Hylecoetus is reduced to a small button. ^ sio large in Hylecoetus and Brathinus / small in Atractocerus.
It seems reasonable to suggest that both Atractocerus and Hylecoetus must have come from an ancestor in which both proctiger and valvifers were well-developed. Atractocerus then apparently reduced the valvifers and retained unchanged the elongate proctiger, which Hylecoetus re¬ tained elongate valvifers and reduced the proctiger. On the basis of this character the two forms appear to be not closely related.
The Male Genitalia
Little can be deduced from the male genitalia that assists in the present problem. Sharp and Muir (1912) note that the two species of Atracto¬ cerus they studied ‘ ‘ differ from one another and do not approach to any of the trilobe forms.” In this they are certainly quite correct. There seem to be no significant similarities between the genus in question and its putative relatives when the male genitalia are considered.
The Maxillae
One of the features which appears to unite Atractocerus , Melittomma, Hylecoetus, and Telegeusis in a single superfamily is the fact that each genus possesses highly modified, flabellate maxillae. Maxillae of the first three of the above genera are illustrated in figures 9-11 respectively. Their similarity lies in the Y-shaped structure which arises from the third segment of the palpus. The maxilla of Telegeusis does not show the thumblike process common to the other three. Hylecoetus and Melit¬ tomma have four distinct palpal segments ; Atractocerus three indistinct ones. Of the three genera, Atractocerus shows the greatest divergence from what might be called an “ orthodox” maxilla. This is not incon¬ sistent with the idea that it departed from the main line of beetle an¬ cestry at an earlier date than the other two genera. Under this view, the similarity of the maxillary process is a parallelism.
Larvae
The larva of Atractocerus appears neither to support nor refute the hypothesis here presented. It is a woodborer, with the general features of the Polyphaga, and while it is readily separable from the other genera under consideration, there seem to be few characters of phylogenetic significance. Barber notes similarities between Atractocerus and
sp. Female genitalia, redrawn from Tanner. C, coxite; P, proctiger; PP, paraproct;
S, sternite; St, stylus; Yf, valvifer. Fig. 7. Hylecoetus sp. Female genitalia, redrawn from Tanner. Abbreviations as in 6. Fig. 8. Atractocerus brasiliensis. Female geni¬ talia. Abbreviations as in 6. - ’ ' r
72
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 5
Lymexylon, but it is difficult to say whether they indicate a truly close relationship or parallelism in response to the lignivorous habit.
Fig. 9. Atractocerus sp. Maxilla. Fig. 10. Melittomma sericeum. Maxilla. Fig. 11. Hylecoetus sp. Maxilla.
The larval leg has a single claw. The megalopterous ancestor of the Coleoptera very probably had a two-clawed larval leg, as most of the Adephaga larvae do today. The Polyphaga as a group have only one claw, but before Atractocerus is placed with the other polyphagous families on this evidence alone, it should be remembered that the tendency to reduce two larval claws to one is not unknown in other holometabolous groups, notably the Hymenoptera. Such reduction has occurred at least once in the Hymenoptera, and at least once in the Polyphaga. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that it has taken place independently in this genus.
Conclusions
On the evidence of wing folding, venation, and genitalia the point of view appears tenable that the ancestor of the genus Atractocerus di¬ verged from that of the remainder of the Coleoptera after the develop¬ ment of elytra and before the formation of the usually accepted sub¬ orders. In doing so it (1) retained certain venational features, (2) failed to develop wing folding, (3) acquired individual and independent structures of the genitalia, and (4) developed some features of the maxilla and larva in parallel with those of its closest relatives among the
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
73
primitive Polyphaga. The phytogeny here expressed is diagrammed in figure 12.
The designation of the species of this genus as the family Atracto- ceridae, as has been done in the past, appears quite justifiable. Their relationship to the suborders Adephaga, Archostemata, Polyphaga, and Strepsiptera seems to be best shown in designating the genus and family as the new suborder APLICALAE, or Coleoptera in which the wings have remained primitively without transverse folding, and possess the other features already discussed.
OTHER POLYPHAGA
Fig. 12. Relationship of Atractocerus to the Megaloptera-Coleoptera Stem and to the major divisions of the Coleoptera.
74
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 5
References
Palisot de Beauvois, A. M. F. J. 1802. Mem. N. Gen. Ins., 4.
Forbes, W. T. M. 1922. The Wing Venation of Coleoptera. Ann. Ent. Soc. America. 15 :328-351.
1926. The Wing Folding patterns in the Coleoptera. Jonr. New York Ent. Soc. 34 :42-68 ; 34 :92-139.
Lacordaire, M. T. 1857. Hist. Nat. des Insects. 4:501.
Redtenbacher, J. 1896. Vergl. St. uber das Flngelgeader der Ins. Ann.
des K. K. Naturh. Hofm. Wein. 1 :209-221.
Sharp, D. and F. Muir. 1912. The Comparative Anatomy of the Male Genital Tube in Coleoptera. Trans. Ent. Soc. London, pp. 477-642. Tanner, V. M. 1927. A Preliminary Study of the Genitalia of Female Coleoptera. Trans. American Ent. Soc. 53 :5-50.
UNUSUAL ABUNDANCE OF SANDALUS IN SOUTHERN INDIANA
In September, 1954, a Sandalus, tentatively determined as niger Knoch, was found in some numbers in the dry woodlands in the Scott ’s Pond area near Blooming¬ ton, Monroe County, Indiana. Males were observed on the morning of September 25 flying at heights of 4 to 15 feet, but no females were taken in flight. The buzzing of several males attracted our attention to a large female together with two males resting about 12 feet above the ground, on the trunk of a small hickory. Other males were seen to veer in flight and approach this group. Some came to rest and then took off so that the males resting on the trunk seemed to be changing con¬ stantly. By standing beneath the tree it was possible to net the males as they flew to and from the trunk, and nearly a dozen were collected in less than an hour. A smaller female with a smaller coterie of males was found on a tree nearby. Both females and most of the males were very dark; only one male was light brown.
The area in which these beetles were found has been rather thoroughly explored in connection with ecological studies of other insects every year since 1950, but no specimens of Sandalus have been collected or observed before. It thus seems possible that the unusual abundance in 1954 was connected with the emergence of Brood X of the Periodical Cicada ( Magicicada septendecim) which occurred in the general area in 1953. — Frank N. Young, Indiana University
News
Dr. Takehiko Nahane is now editor of the Japanese journal of entomology Akitsu. Volume 4, no. 4 is now in press. Volumes 1-3 were published by the Takeuchi Entomological Laboratory, Kyoto, 1937-1943 and all papers were written in Japanese. The present volume
is published by the Kyoto Entomological Society and includes paper written in English. Volume 4 contains 116 pages in total, of which 45 pages are written in English containing descriptions of new forms of Cerambycidae, Erotylidae, Mor- dellidae, Nitidulidae, Elateridae, Niponi- idae, Carabidae, Dytiscidae, Trogidae, Ciidae, Lycidae, as well as descriptions of a few orders other than Coleoptera. — R. H. Arnett, Jr.
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
75
Reviews
COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE INSECTS OF JAPAN.
COLEOPTERA
Edited by The Kinki Coleoptero- logical Society. Hoikusha Co., Japan, 1955. 228 pp., 68 colored plates. $6.50 USA.
This is a remarkable collection of good colored illustrations of sev¬ eral hundred Japanese beetle spe¬ cies, perhaps the finest and great¬ est number to be published since the Biologia Centrali- Americana, many of them approaching Biolo¬ gia quality. The accompanying text describing the beetles illus¬ trated is entirely in Japanese, ex¬ cept that Latin names are given for the species. Unfortunately there is no index to the Latin names so that those unable to read Japanese will find it difficult to locate the names of the species illustrated.
The book has been issued in two editions. The first edition (dated 1954) contains a few plates of un¬ suitable and exotic species. It also contains descriptions of several new forms (listed below) which are described in English. From the standpoint of the taxonomist then, the first edition is more important because the second edition has been printed omitting the descriptions of the new species, as should be, as well as the unsatisfactory plates. However, five new plates have been added.
The new forms described in the book are : p. 24, Gaurotes thalas- sina var. aureopupurea Hayashi; p. 31, Eustrangalis distenoides ab. anticereductus Hayashi ; p. 33, Leptura latipennis f. trigonata Hayashi ; p. 34, Strang alia shiko- kensis f. kaznoi Hayashi and S. s. f. kii Hayashi; p. 49, Anaglyptus (Anaglyptics) subfasciatus var. rufescens Hayashi p. 52, Molorchus minor f. fuscus Hayashi; p. 54, Molorchus ( Linomius ) mizoguchii Hayashi ; p. 55, Mesechthistatus binodosus f. insularis Hayashi; p. 56, Monochamus subfasciatus var. meridianus Hayashi (all Ceram- bycidae) ; p. 80, Hikohohodemia Nakane and Hayashi (Genotype: Hikohohodemia nomurai sp. nov., allied to Dircaea Fabricius and Ploeotrya Stephens) ; p. 81, Hiko¬ hohodemia nomurai Nakane and Hayashi, Melandrya quadrisignata Nakane and Hayashi, Melandrya fiavipennis Nakane and Hayashi, Melandrya duodecimmaculata Na¬ kane and Hayashi (all Melandry- idae) ; p. 106, Coptoderina osakana Nakane, Ohkura and S. Ueno (Carabidae) ; p. 154, Xanthochroa atriceps subsp. shikokuana Iga and Nakane ; p. 155, Chrysanthia viati¬ ca ab. obscuricolor Iga and Nakane (all Oedemeridae) ; p. 183, Ontlio- phagus japonicus ab. testaceipen- nis Iga and Goto (Scarabaeidae) .
The book is well bound in cloth with a full color illustration of two species of scarabs on the front cov¬ er. The dust jacket also has full
76
THE COLEOPTERISTS’ BULLETIN
Vol. IX, No. 5
color illustrations of additional scarabs, a pair. The book slips into a box which also has full color il¬ lustrations of several species of beetles, a plate on each side of the box.
When one compares the quality of these illustrations with the in¬ sect illustrations that appeared re¬ cently in Life magazine, one won¬ ders how it is possible to produce a book of this nature at the low price of $6.50. We can only conclude that more persons are interested in insects in Japan than in the United States for it appears that such a publication would be impos¬ sible to produce in this country, at least without very heavy subsidiza¬ tion.
Even if you do not read Japa¬ nese, and most of us don’t, a copy of the volume would be useful and can be obtained by writing to : IJoikusha Co., 1-chome, Uchi- kyuhoji-eho, Higashi-ku, Osaka, Japan.
R. H. Arnett, Jr.
CENTRAL ASIATIC CARABUS
By 0. L. Kryzanowskii. [Russian title: ZUZELICY SREDNEI AZII (ROD CARABUS)]. Aka- demia Nauk CCCR. Opredelitye po faunye CCCR isdavanyoye Zoologiteheskim Institutom CCCR no. 52, 132 pp., 110 illus¬ tration, index. Moskva-Lenin- grad, 1953.
This work covers Central Asiatic species of the genus Carabus. First
30 pages are devoted to general morphology, biology, ecology, and biogeography of these beetles, the balance to systematics. Each spe¬ cies or subspecies is described in detail preceeded by quite elongated key made up of 194 dichotomies.
The author points out that the life histories of most Carabus spe¬ cies are very imperfectly known, in spite of their economic impor¬ tance as chief predators on the nematod and trematod bearing Mollusca.
Systematically Kryzanowskii di¬ vides them into two groups : brevi- mandibulate and longimandibulate. He discusses in great length the faunal relationships. Central Asi¬ atic Carabus fauna is remarkable for its endemicity. Out of a total of 97 species and 20 subspecies no less than 89 species are endemic. Only 8 spread outside Central Asia including 3 ( C . granulatus, cica- tricosus , and clafhratus ) into Cen¬ tral Europe. Dzungharia has 62 forms (58 endemic), Western Tian-Shan 16 (13 endemic) and Pamiro-Altai 17 (15 endemic).
Steppes of Kazakstan have only 6.
Two species are described as new : C. grigorjewi and Trachy- carabus mandibularis buchtarmen- sis. Discussing distribution of C. granulatus the author does not seem aware of its introduction and establishment in North America.
The work is entirely in Russian without a summary in any other language. Borys Malkin
1955
THE COLEOPTERISTS' BULLETIN
77
OCYPUS OLENS (MULLER) IN THE UNITED STATES
(STAPHYLINIDAE)
Ocypus olens (Miill.), also known as Staphylinus ( Goerius ) olens (Miill.), is a common species in Europe. In July and August, 1953, I collected two of these hand¬ some beetles from Whittier, California (Los Angeles County). They are rather large, black staphylinids (23 to 25 mm. long) and are sparsely clothed with short, black hairs. Voluminous correspondence has revealed the following information.
Ocypus olens (Miill.) has been recorded from California and Mexico by Black- welder in the Fifth Supplement to Leng’s Catalogue. In his personal collection Blac-kwelder has specimens from: Los Angeles, California (5 January 1930, collected by Morris Ojena) ; Coatepec, Mexico (15 May 1929, collected by O. Fulda) ; and Tejupilco, Mexico, D. F. (August 1932, probably collected by Hinton and Usinger).
Dr. W. Dwight Pierce, Curator of the Entomology Collection of the Los Angeles County Museum, reports specimens from Los Angeles collected on the following dates: February 1925 (larvae); 5 October 1931; 17 June 1935; 22 February 1936; 14 January 1938 (larvae); September 1940; and July 1944. On one occasion Dr. Pierce received reports that members of this species made themselves unpopular by biting the toes of people sitting around a swimming pool in Hollywood.
Di. E. C. Van Dyke (1945 Pan-Pacific Ent., vol. 21, p. 10) also records this beetle from Hollywood, collected 16 April 1936, and from west Los Angeles, in November 1940. He states that it has been found in abundance near the University of Cali¬ fornia’s Los Angeles campus.
Hugh B. Leech, Curator of the Entomological Collection at the California Academy of Sciences, cites three specimens of Ocypus olens taken in Golden Gate Park (San Francisco) in February 1945 and May 1947 (P. Raven,