Feb., '07] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 63 



given by the Newark, Brooklyn and New York Entomological Societies 

 to the Association of Economic Entomologists and the Entomological 

 Society of America. 



The executive committee at a meeting held December sgth, decided to 

 call a meeting of the society at Boston, Mass., in connection with the 

 meetings of the International Zoological Congress in August, 1907. Fuller 

 announcement will be made later. 



The dues of the new society are one dollar a year and all pen-ons in- 

 terested in entomology in "The Americas" are invited to apply for 

 membership. The membership now exceeds two hundred and fifty. 



The American Association for the Advancement of Science granted 

 affiliation to the new society at their New York meeting. E. S. G. TITUS, 

 Secretary. 



A PARASITE OF THE MAPLE LEAF STEM BOKER, Priophorus acericaulis 

 MAC GILLIVRAV. In the November number of the NEWS, Dr. W. E. 

 Britton in his account of the maple leaf-stem borer or sawfly, Priophorus 

 acericaulis Mac Gillivray and its occurence in Connecticut, mentions the 

 fact that this was undoubtedly the species found by Dr. J. B. Smith in 

 New Jersey. This was the case and with us the insect was very local 

 occuring on only a few trees in South Orange as may be seen by referring 

 to the reports of the New Jersey Agriculture Experimental Station. Our 

 experience with the insect was similar to that recorded by Dr. Britton, 

 except that we did not breed out the adults. We did rear, however, some 

 half dozen examples of a parasite not recorded as infesting this insect and 

 not mentioned by Dr. Britton unless it is one he refers to as resembling 

 Pteromalus. This was sent to Dr. Ashmead who determined it as Sym- 

 piesis quercicola Ashm. The parasites emerged on June 16. EDGAR L. 

 DICKERSON. 



INSECTS GATHERING ON STRAW FLOWERS. While in the vicinity of 

 Bridgeton, N. J., September n, 1906, my attention was called by the 

 grower to a small patch of straw flowers which were infested with insects. 

 This plant is a species of Compositse and the flowers which are greenish 

 in color, are used for winter decorations, etc. Upon examining the pate h 

 I found a number of specimens of Tragidon coquus Lee. many of which 

 were in copulation. They apparently were not feeding but had gathered 

 on the plants for the purpose of copulation. Besides these, a number 

 of specimens of Euphoria inda L. and sepulchralis Fabr. were feeding 

 upon the succulent stems of the plants and the sap or juice exuding at 

 these injured places had attracted a few specimens of Ips fasciatus Oliv. 

 Numerous insects of various orders were observed about the plants or on 

 the blossoms and among them Lebia grandis Hentz, analis Dej. and 

 Brachyacantha 4-punctata Melsh. resting on the leaves 



The plants were located in one of the rear fields of a rather sandy farm 

 near woodland and owing to the absence of any other plants in bloom, at 

 the time, in the near vicinity, formed the center of attraction for the 

 numerous insects. 



