294 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



Mr. Banks exhibited a specimen of Tetragonophthalma 

 dubia Hentz, collected in the District of Columbia, which brings 

 a new family of spiders into our local fauna. 



Mr. Schwarz showed the seeds of the sea grape of Florida, 

 Coccoloba uvifera. Hitherto no beetles were known to affect 

 this plant, but Mr. Hubbard has recently bred Pseudomus inflatus 

 from the seeds at Miami, in semi-tropical Florida. Mr. Schwarz 

 showed specimens of this weevil. Mr. Swingle remarked that 

 the sea grape will shortly become of economic importance. 



Mr. Swingle further announced that the plant-lice in the 

 greenhouses of the Division of Vegetable Pathology of the De 

 partment of Agriculture are now being very extensively para 

 sitized by Aphidians. The process of oviposition can be readily 

 observed. 



The first paper of the evening was by Dr. J. B. Smith, and 

 consisted of a discussion of recent papers on Hemipterous mouth- 

 parts by Dr. Leon and Dr. Heymons. Dr. Smith discussed both 

 of these papers at length, showing how, in his opinion, the points 

 brought out by these writers substantiate his position that the 

 Hemipterous beak is a maxillary structure, although both authors 

 worked on the assumption that it is labial. This paper was briefly 

 discussed by Messrs. Cook, Banks, Howard, and Gill, all taking 

 issue with Dr. Smith's conclusions. 



Mr. Banks read the following paper : 



TARSONEMUS IN AMERICA. 

 By NATHAN BANKS. 



The genus Chironemus was erected in 1875 by Canestrini and 

 Fanzago for some soft-bodied mites found in colonies on leaves 

 after the manner of Tetranychus. The name being preoccupied, 

 the authors changed it the following year to Tarsonemus. The 

 forms have considerable resemblance to certain Tyroglyphids, 

 but differ from that family in the possession of tracha3, and in 

 having a clavate projection between the legs of the first and second 

 pairs. In 1877 these authors made the genus the type of a new 

 family, placing in it the genus Pediculoides (Heteropus) and 

 some allied forms. These genera have marked sexual differences, 

 but not a very remarkable life-history. In Tarsonemus, the 

 female has a long elliptical body, and the fourth pair of legs is 

 very slender, tipped with two long hairs, and destitute of claws. 

 In the male the body is truncate behind, and the fourth pair of 

 legs is stout and armed at the tips with two stout curved spines. 



