32 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [Feb., '2O 



The history of Eumerus strigatus in this country is a brief 

 one, the first written record being by C. W. Johnson in 1910, 

 and the earliest known capture was at Ottawa, Canada, in 

 1904 by Dr. Fletcher. In addition to the records given by 

 Prof. Metcalf there are specimens in Dr. Chittenden's collec- 

 tion at Washington, D. C., taken at Oyster Bay, New York, 

 August 24, 1914, with a note "feeding on iris." There are 

 several species common to Europe and the Pacific Coast, but 

 it is very probable that E. strigatus is a recent arrival and was 

 first introduced into the Atlantic states in shipments of iris 

 and narcissus bulbs from Holland. 



The genus Eumerus is a large one and occurs in many parts 

 of the world, sixty species being listed by Kertesz in his Kata- 

 log, some of w^hich may be synonyms. There are about 

 thirty species in Europe; five species are known only from 

 Africa and eight species are common to Europe and Africa, 

 strigatus being one of these. Species of Eumerus have been 

 described from India, China, Hawaii, Asia Minor, Canary 

 Islands, Sicily, Celebes, New Guinea, Australia, Tasmania, 

 Sardinia and St. Helena. 



The systematic position of the. genus is not very certain; 

 it is nearXylota and Syritta, having the hind femora thickened, 

 but is also near the Pipiza group, certain characters allying 

 it to Paragus. The larval habits approximate those ot Mero- 

 don. Verrall says that species seem to him to have some con- 

 nection with small aculeate hymenoptera, with which they 

 are often found, flying at the outskirts of woods over various 

 flowers, usually in dry and sandy localities. 



While at Hood River, Oregon, in 1917, the writer collected 

 a small syrphid flying over grass and flowers at the edge of 

 an apple orchard and it was rather a surprise to recognize 

 Eumerus strigatus when sorting over the odds and ends in 

 the killing bottle. It was subsequently noted that there was 

 an onion patch not far from the place of capture. Mr. L. 

 Childs and myself then examined a small onion bed at the 

 Hood River Experiment Station and found in addition to the 

 common onion maggot large numbers of syrphid larvae work- 

 ing in the bulbs. This was on July 2Oth and during the day 



