2i8 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [November, 



NOTES ON SOME OF THE SALT MEADOW INSECTS 



OF NEW JERSEY. 



By H. W. WENZEL. 



To this fauna belong a number of insects, specimens of which 

 have been found in the wash on the beach, or attracted to light, 

 while others have been recorded without other information 

 from various places along our coast. Nothing definite as to 

 time of appearance, exact locality or habits of these insects was 

 known. During the month of August I had the pleasure of 

 spending some time in searching for this fauna. The result has 

 fully determined the locality and habits of several of these inter- 

 esting species. The homes of these insects are in the bare sand 

 flats with no trace of sedge or other vegetation, which are occa- 

 sionally found in the stretch of salt meadow extending along the 

 coast between the ocean and the mainland. The sand must be 

 deep; not only a thin layer, as is frequently found, and must be 

 beyond the haunts of Gelasimus or tidier crabs. 



One of the most interesting of these species is probably Po- 

 gonus lecontei Horn, the habits of which were entirely unknown 

 to our collectors, only a few scattering specimens having been 

 heretofore found along the coast. 



The sand flats, as I will call them, are frequently covered in 

 the center with a hard black sediment, varying in thickness, which 

 can be removed in large slabs or flakes. On close examination 

 small holes will be observed through this hard coating leading 

 into small burrows, where Pogonus is at home during the day. 

 Two, sometimes three specimens will be taken from one such 

 burrow. This species is undoubtedly nocturnal in habit, and is 

 also extremely variable in size and color. During the early 

 morning hour it is interesting to watch the stragglers which have 

 been out late and lost their homes; they will run as if wild in all 

 directions; at times in a perfect circle, but by noon they have all 

 disappeared. Under the same conditions specimens of a beau- 

 tiful little Tachys of a decidedly pale color and unknown to me 

 were taken. 



A second species of Tachys and one species of Bembidinin 

 were taken at the roots of sedge grass growing on small knolls 

 at the edge of the flats. Another interesting species belonging 

 to this fauna is BIcdius mandibularis, which was found in num- 



