138 



THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Pachybrachis atomarius, Mels. 

 Bromius vitis, Fabr. 

 Anaspis rufa, Say. 

 Hylobius pinicola, Couper. 

 Dryocaetus septentrionis, Hhst. 



Dendroctonus rufipennis. 

 Amara, not determined. 

 Cyphon, indeterminate. 

 Graptodera, not named. 

 Ceutorhynchus, not determined. 



ON SOME OF OUR COMMON INSECTS. 



ly.—THE CURRANT GEOMETER OR MEASURING WORM 



— Ellopia (abraxis) ribcaria, Fitch. 



Fiff. 22, 



BY THE EDITOR. 



This insect is now becoming very abundant in most parts of Ontario, 

 and is a very troublesome pest. Its pecuHar mode of progression will 

 enable one to readily distinguish it from the common Saw-fly caterpillar, 

 for, having its feet placed at each extremity, it arches its body into a sort 

 of loop at every step, and is hence popularly called a measuring worm or 

 span worm. 



Fig. 2 2 (after Riley) shows this caterpillar in various attitudes. At 

 2 it is represented hanging from a silken thread which it has the power of 



spinning at will, and by means 

 of which it is enabled to lower 

 itself suddenly from the bush 

 when danger threatens, and re- 

 mains suspended in mid air until 

 it can safely return to its former 

 position. When full grown, it 

 measures an inch or a little more 

 in length. Its head is of a 

 medium size, white, bilobed with 

 a large round black spot on the 

 upper part of each lobe, a short 

 black stripe across the front, a 

 little above the mouth, with a 

 small spot of the same color on 

 each side of it ; there are also a 

 few short black hairs scattered 

 over its surface ; jaws black. 

 The body above is whitish, with 

 a number of black spots of different sizes on each ring or segment ; there 



