76 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Feb., '08 



Oviposition of Bibio albipennis Say. 



BY ARSENE GIRAULT, New Richmond, Ohio. 



In early April, 1907, this species was very common at Olden, 

 Missouri, occurring on various fruit trees in the large apple 

 and peach orchards of the Ozark region. They were found 

 as isolated examples clinging to the foliage, but on one occa- 

 sion in the afternoon a single small swarm was observed at 

 the edge of a peach orchard. They were flying erratically, 

 occasionally alighting on the foliage of nearby trees. The 

 species was present for at least eight or ten days, and a female 

 deposited many eggs in a small box in which she was confined. 

 Continued cold spells, however, interfered with their breeding 

 and the eggs failed to hatch. 



On May 17, 1907, along the Ohio River, at New Richmond, 

 Ohio, many single examples of this species were again met 

 with on the foliage of apple, peach and other trees. Three 

 gravid females were captured on that date and confined during 

 the afternoon of the same day in a jar containing moist soil. 

 As expected, they had disappeared under the soil by the morn- 

 ing of the igth, and early in the morning of May 22d the 

 egg-masses were found at the bottom of the jar under 65 mm. 

 of soil, each mass partly enveloping the now dead body of the 

 female. 



The eggs were deposited in a more or less regular mass, side 

 by side and on their ends, the rows often over-lapping, and 

 each mass averaged 2211 eggs by actual count. The eggs are 

 of the usual dipterous form and color, being oblong with 

 both ends rounded, and with one side slightly convex, and 

 the other slightly concave. Their color is sordid yellowish 

 white, they are translucent, opaque at the ends, their contents 

 granulated, and surface apparently simple. In structure they 

 are very delicate, To the naked eye they are minute and 

 inconspicuous when single, and the whole mass is not wider 

 than 6 or 7 millimetres. The eggs average 0.558 mm. in 

 length. They die when taken from their positions in the soil 

 and exposed to the atmosphere. 



I am indebted to Mr. D. W. Coquillett, U. S. National Mu- 

 seum, for determination of the species. 



