1899] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 143 



except along the Florida coast, there are among these many indi- 

 viduals possessing fully developed wings, which, so far as we know, 

 interbreed with the short winged form. ID Ohio both forms are 

 found pairing together, but whether the western macropterous 

 form will interbreed with the eastern brachypterous form has not 

 yet been determined. There is a bare possibility that what we have 

 been considering a single species may in reality prove to be com- 

 posed of two, but I hardly think this the case, and am more inclined 

 to consider the brachpyterous form in an evolutionary period, not 

 far enough advanced as yet to be considered a distinct species If 

 Columbus had appeared several hundred years later, and the coun- 

 try along the Atlantic coast remained longer in a condition unin- 

 fluenced by the white man, we might then found two distinct 

 species of Blfssus in thecjuutry now included within the United 

 States of America, or that portion of it laying between the Missis- 

 sippi River and the Atlantic Ocean. 



The Asparagus Beetle, (.'rioceris asparag!,\s also an imported 

 species, having been introduced into the eastern part of the country 

 many years ago. See map 3. It has made its way westward 

 through New York to northeastern Ohio, probably over about the 

 same ground as that passed over by Hylastes and Phytonotims. 

 At present it occurs in Cuyahoga, Medina, Wayne, Stark and 

 Columbiaua counties, these marking the extreme front of its ad- 

 vance in the State It seems to be progressing slowly westward, 

 and even less rapidly south and south west ward.* 



Judging from its relative abundance, and also from its recent ap- 

 pearance in several localities, it would seem that Thyriodoptery.i: 

 epJiemeroeformis spread northward into Ohio long ago. tirst estab- 

 lishing itself in the southwestern part of the State See map 2. It 

 has been known about Cincinnati for many years and is now more 

 abundant there than elsewhere in Ohio; in fact it has only been 

 found about Columbus within the last tiveor six years, and the 

 same is ti-ue of Springfield and other points in that vicinity. At 

 present "Washington county appears to be about its eastern limit of 

 diffusion in this State, the border line probably trending north- 

 westward to Franklin county, thence, rarely, to Mercer county, 

 with a single appearance of the species at Grand Rapids, Wood 

 county, in nearly the extreme northwestern part of the State, and 

 within -25 miles of Lake Erie. 



In the foregoing I have given as correct an idea of the trend of 

 diffusion in several of our species of insects as the data at hand will 

 permit- It is not expected that this is absolutely correct in all of 



*\IITK. The outbreak of this species in southwestern Michigan can not be 

 considered as belonifint; to I lie westward hound < 111 io in vasion. as t he most | in- 

 sistent searching over much of thai portion of the latter state west of rie\e- 

 land has utterly failed to reveal a single individual. I am inclined to believe 

 that the M ielii^an outbreak is either I he result of what 1 >r. Howard would term 

 a commercial leap," or else to the north of Lake Krie, t hnumh < Mitario, t here 

 has been an i n dependent t ide ol ' in Jurat ion. t hoiiirh, it' t he latter were t he case, it 

 should have been observed and reported in that section of t 'anada, before thU 

 late day. 



