Sept., '04] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 241 



Cyphns placidus, a light green Curculionid of an almost 

 glaucous color, a rare insect of Arizona, is one of the beetles 

 defying detection. In September, 1898, I was entomologizing 

 one day with the late Dr. H. G. Griffith, who came here to 

 recuperate. We had collected species of Nemognatha from 

 sunflowers, and Crossidius intermedius from Ludvigia hard- 

 wickii, when of a sudden, on our return to town, with an 

 exclamation of joy and surprise, the doctor picked a placidus 

 from the lappel of his coat, which in brushing through the 

 net had dropped thereon. We made repeated search among 

 the plants examined but could find no more. Subsequently I 

 found the second placidus resting on flowers of Ludvigia hard- 

 wickii, the flower or leaf of which was not protective. Next 

 to it grew a bush of Atriplex torreyi, the color of which in 

 foliage and stem fully agreed with this beetle. I beat the 

 bush vigorously and secured another such Curculionid, and 

 from this time onward have succeeded in taking a few every 

 year or two. I have often tried to discover this beetle on 

 bushes from which it was obtained by beating, but very seldom 

 succeeded. This Curculionid clings to the glaucous stem, 

 which is of the same tint as the entire insect, and also agrees 

 with the color of the leaf. 



Ludvigia hardwickii is an evergreen shrub in this valley, 

 producing yellow flowers at the point of each branch. This 

 flower, appearing in dense masses is the host of Crossidius 

 intermedius, a longicorn of a buff color with a black stripe 

 between the elytra. This beetle is hidden between the closely 

 appressed flowers, so that only its head and antennae appear 

 above the level of the flowerhead. The long antennse serve 

 to recognize this insect, which, on account of color and method 

 of concealment, is rarely observed by anyone except an entomol- 

 ogist. The red cup-shaped flower of Sphccralcea ambigua, grow- 

 ing in desert arroyos, is the host of Trichodes omata, a beautiful 

 red and black beetle. The environment is quite protective in 

 every sense to this finely colored insect, a variety of which is 

 black and yellow in ornamentation. 



The disk of the ubiquitous sunflower is a favorite place 

 for species of Nemognatha, especially litridus, and Gnathium 



