Weiss — Fungous Insect Fauna of a Mesophytic Woods. 127 



Thus 50 per cent of the species were collected in flight or by sweeping the 

 vegetation. This percentage is followed by 13 for the species associated 

 with fungi. Insofar as the number of species is concerned only those found 

 in dead stumps, under bark, etc., approached the fungous forms in impor- 

 tance. 



The various types of food habits found in the woods are shown in the next 

 table. Thus about 37 per cent of the species were phytophagous, about 

 35 per cent saprophagous and this percentage appears reasonable in view 

 of the dead timber which was present and the moist conditions. The 146 

 saprophagous species consisted of most of those found while sifting, about 

 half of those found in dead stumps, etc., 37 species taken by sweeping and 

 the fungous species with the exception of the predacious forms. All of 

 the fungus visitors were placed in the saprophagous class even though some 

 of them are not really feeders on vegetable decay and do not inhabit fungi 

 which are in visible stages of decay. 



Types of Food Habits in the Woods. 



In the next table the percentages of species exhibiting the several types 

 of food habits found in the woods are compared with those for the State of 

 New Jersey as a whole, the latter figures being based on the recorded fauna 

 of New Jersey. It should be stated that the 5 per cent for parasitic species 

 in the woods is probably low and could have been increased by more diligent 

 collecting of the small forms in the Hymenoptera. 



