Ill 



Pierce ('04, pp. 173-188) has published a long list of bees found 

 visiting Solidago in Nebraska. He also mentions the following beetles : 

 Cliauliognathus pennsylvaniciis, Nemognatha imniaculata and A^ 

 sparsa, Zonitis hilincata, Bpicauta pennsylvanica, and Myodites soli- 

 daginis Pierce. Myodites is a rhipiphorid beetle which appears to lay- 

 its eggs upon Solidago. Here the larva develops, and from here, by 

 attaching itself to different flower visitors, it is carried to their nests. 

 The nesting sites are often populated by several kinds of insects, a 

 social community, and thus the larva is thought to be carried in close 

 proximity to the bee Bpinomia, upon which it is parasitic. This bee 

 does not visit Solidago, but frequents the stmflower (Hclianthus), and 

 thus is only infested at the nest (see also Canadian Entomologist, Vol. 

 XXIV, 1902, p. 394). This is a good example of the complex rela- 

 tions existing among the animals of the prairie. Robertson ('94, p. 

 455) found Myodites fasciatiis Say on Solidago at Carlinville, III, and 

 he also lists (1. c, pp. 454-458) many species of insects which he found 

 on different species of goldenrod. As Bpinomia is not known from 

 Illinois it is probable that some other bee is host for Myodites. 



y. Dry Prairie Grass Association 



The dry prairie grass association includes those animals which live 

 on the driest of the black soil prairie among the tall prairie grasses 

 Andropogon and Sporobolus. Upon the original prairie this was 

 probably a relatively stable habitat. 



About Charleston these grassy habitats occupied only very small 

 areas north of the town, at Station I, g (in part), and Station HI, b 

 (in part). 



Representative animals of this community are the following: Argi- 

 ope aiirantia, Brachynemiirus ahdoniinalis, Chrysopa oculata, Syrbula 

 admirabilis, Bncoptolophiis sordidiis, Melanoplns differentialis, M. 

 femur-riibrum, Scudderia texensis, Orchelimiim vidgare, Conocepha- 

 lus, CBcantJiiis nigricornis and CH. 4-punctatus, Bnschistus variolarius, 

 Sinea diadcina, Phymata fasciata, Chaidiognathus pennsylvanicus, 

 Tetraopes tctraophthalmns, Rhipiphorus dimidiatus, Bxoprosopa fas- 

 ciata, Promachus vertebratits, Bombus pennsylvanicus, auricomiis, im- 

 patiens, fraternns, and separatus, Melissodes bimacidata, and Myzine 

 sexcincta. 



Probably a number of insects breed in the roots and stems of An- 

 dropogon and Sporobolus, but none were secured. 



Although Blymus has contributed many insect pests to cultivated 

 grains, it seems that Andropogon has not, if we except the chinch-bug 

 (Blissus leiicopterus Say). This insect was not related to Andropo- 



