H ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February 



At Tularosa.X. M., this tall. I was surprised to find great num- 

 bersof a Mdrinot>lnx quite new to me, allied to M. bfrfllntiifi. It 

 proves to be J/ ihtnn<i*i; (Scudd.TCevis, Melanopli.p, :!(>8,) a species 

 only known hitherto by a single male captured by Bruner in the 

 State of Durango, Mexico ! Its lial)its are quite like those of differ- 

 entialtfi and birtff<tfnx,w it will undoubtedly prove injurious. The 

 specimens were taken in the yard at the back of the hotel, where 

 grape vines and fruit trees were cultivated The genuine M bfrittn- 

 /its is common enough in Xevv Mexico in the Transition Zone, MS ai 

 Santa Fe, but is never seen at the lower levels. 



T. I ). A ( 'OCKKHKI.I.. 



M K(.KTKA v ITT AT \ iN.iruiN<; SI:<.AK HKKTS -Now that so much 

 interest is being taken in sugar beets, it may be worth while to re- 

 cord that Mr. ('. K. Mead sent me two specimens of this curious 

 Meloid on Sept. M, with the information that they were injuring 

 sugar beets at A/lcr. X. M. The specimens differ slightly from the 

 form of the insect found in the Organ Mts . \. M.. in that the dull 

 orjnge murks on Hie elytra are confined to the subcostal region, in- 

 stead of forming a well marked network covering the greater part 

 of the elytra T. l> A. ('<>< KEHELL. 



We are accustomed !o heur of large spider^ coming from tropical 

 regions in bunches oi b mams. The ordinary statement about these 

 spiders is that they are " tarantulas" The genuine "tarantulas" 

 belong to the family Theraphosidae. and the known habits ot these 

 spiders are not such as would lead o.ie to suppose th it They would 

 seek shelter in banana bunches. " Tarantulas" are ground spiders 

 and rarely climb tivcs. So it is not surprising tint the large spid- 

 <T.S found occasionally in bunches of bananas prove to belong to 

 quite different groups. 



During the past few yeurs I have had several large spiders sent me 

 that were taken from bananas. Tl ese spiders belong to two species. 

 The larger and heavier one is (''ICHII* JITII* Perty. The family 

 Ctenidie is a small one. and by most arachnologists considered close 

 to the common Lycosida 1 . They are wandering s|iders. making no 

 web. and arc often found on trees Two species occur in our South 

 ern States This particular species was first known from IJrax.il. but 

 is now known 10 inhabit various parts of South and Central Amer- 

 ica. It has been sent me from Albany, X. V.. Xew York City, Ft. 

 Collins, Colo., and lately I have seen a specimen from Corva His. 

 Ore. || has stout j i w>. long le>anda hairy body, -o it is probable 

 tint most of t he " tarantulas " from bananas ai e referable to thi> 

 species 



The other spider -enl me as occurring amoiiy bananas is licit r<>- 

 /iixld rciKiton'ii l/inn . the so-called huntsman spider, a common 

 inhabitant of all tropical countries. Specimens have been seen from 

 Xew York City and Corvallis. Ore. This spider belongs to the 

 family Sparassida 1 . ch>>ely related to I lie Thomisid.-c. They spin no 



