44 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Alcathoe caudatum, Harris. — -This unique species is the sole repre- 

 sentative of its genus. It was described by Harris in vol. xxxvi. of 

 Silliman's Journal. His description has been copied by many authors 

 and nothing added. This is evidently due to the fact that the insect is 

 rare. A number of working entomologists have assured me that they had 

 never taken it. The latter part of August, leSg, three examples were 

 seen by me visiting blossoms of Mileolotiis on the Ohio State University 

 grounds ; two males were captured, the third, a female, escaped. 



Harris describes the forewings of the male as " transparent from the 

 base to the middle." In both of my specimens there are only clear 

 streaks, one on either side of the median vein ; indeed, when first taken 

 these lines were scarcely perceptible. The coxae and femora are black ; 

 tibiae orange, with more or less perfect black rings at base and apex of 

 second and third ; tarsi tawny orange, with first joint of last pair 

 surrounded by a heavy band of orange hairs and a few black ones out- 

 wardly at the base ; the palpi are light, bright orange below, darker 

 above, whilst the antennae are of the same shade as the upper surface of 

 the palpi, but having the double row of fringes blackish. The caudal 

 appendage, which is fully as long as the abdomen, is bright orange ; the 

 caudal tufts are black and orange. Harris gave the black currant as the 

 larval food-plant. Henry Edwards, in Transformations of N. A. Lepi- 

 doptera, mentions the stems of Clematis also. I have not been able to 

 find the larva in either of these plants. 



Bembecia marginata, Harris. — This species occurs everywhere about 

 Columbus in the native blackberry. Thus far I have not heard that it 

 has given trouble to the cultivator. The moths may be taken in Septem- 

 ber resting on the foliage of plants near the food of the larva. 



Podosesia syringce, Harris. — As the specific name implies the larval 

 food-plant is the lilac. If it would confine its attention to this old- 

 fashioned ornament of lawn and garden it would have far less economic 

 interest. But, unfortunately, it attacks and destroys the white and 

 the European ash, as well as the mountain z.%\i, Pyi-iis Americana. Large 

 numbers of them were found in the trunks of the last in April, 1891 ; 

 several trees on the Ohio State University campus were found greatly 

 damaged by them. It may, therefore, yet be found to injure other and 

 more valuable rosaceous trees in cultivation. 



Satmina exitiosa, Say. — The ^gerian peach-tree borer is far too 

 abundant wherever the peach is cultivated. Central Ohio is not an 

 exception. 



