Insects 



189 



Ichneumon-flies (I chneumonoidea) 



These include several families, and a bewildering complex 

 of species. The genus Amblyteles is extremely rich in species. 

 Several years ago, I collected many of these in Boulder County, 

 and securing the literature and a good series of named species 

 from the Eastern States, thought I would identify what I had. 

 To my astonishment, I could match hardly any of them, and on 

 submitting eleven perplexing forms to Mr. R. A. Cushman, of the 

 U. S. National Museum, was informed that they were all ap- 

 parently undescribed, though possibly some were variants of 

 described species. The specimens are now in Washington, and 

 it is presumed that they will later be described by Mr. Cushman. 

 We have about nine Colorado species definitely identified, and 

 others were long ago recorded by Cresson. The latest addition 

 is Amblyteles cincticornis Cresson, Boulder, October 1 1 (Chas. 

 Wagner). A. suturalis Cresson is a common red species often 

 found under rocks. Orthopelma is parasitic in galls; in 1927, at 

 the end of March, 0. rosaecola Ash- 

 mead was reared from a gall of 

 Rhodites variabilis Bassett, found 

 on wild rose at Boulder, by Chas. 

 Wagner. This species was de- 

 scribed by Ashmead as doubtfully 

 from Colorado. 



Orthopelma rosaecola. Wings, enlarged. 



Gall-flies (Cynipidae) 



These form galls on roses and oaks, and occasionally on other 

 plants. The oak galls are of various kinds, but some are large 

 and round, and are called oak-apples. The species of Rhodites 

 infest roses. The cultivated sweet briar is the host of the intro- 

 duced R. rosae Linnaeus. The galls resemble large tufts of hair, 

 and when fresh are quite pretty, being suffused with red. When 

 old they turn dull brown, and disfigure the then leafless bushes. 

 The native Rhodites, living on wild roses, have quite different 

 galls. That of R. tuberculator Cockerell is large and irregular, 

 something like a potato. That of R. fusiformans Ashmead is 

 elongate, fusiform, with a russet surface. That of R. rosaefolii 

 Cockerell is a pustule-like swelling in a leaflet. That of R. bicolor 



