152 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Notes on the Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea, with descriptions of several new 

 genera and species, A. A. Girault {Jour. N. Y. Ent. Soc, 19 {1911), 'No. 3, pp. 

 175-189). — ^^Vmong the 4 species here described as new to science is Mestocharis 

 wiUiamsoni, reared from conopid puparia taken from Bomhus americanorum in 

 Illinois. The author also records the rearing of Arrhenophagus chionaspidls 

 from Avlacaspis rosce at Urbana, 111. ; Coccopliagus lecanii from a Lecanium 

 scale on osage orange at Chicago ; Physcus varicornis from the San Jose scale 

 and scurfy scale at Urbana and from Chionaspis americana at Chicago ; AUerus 

 elisiocampw from San Jose scale and scurfy scale at Urbana ; Aplielinus myti- 

 laspidis from San Jose scale at Carbondale, 111. ; A. fuscipennis from San Joso 

 scale at Carbondale, 111., and from Aspidlotus uvw at Anna ; and A. mail from 

 Pemphigus fraxinifoUi at Urbana, 111., and College Station, Tex. Three new 

 genera, namely, Urios, Tumidiscapus, and Brachistella, are erected. 



A new Sigalphus from Dacus olese, G. Szepligeti {Bol. Lai). Zool. Gen. e 

 Agr. R. Scuola Sup. Agr. Portiei, 5 {1911), p. 323). — A new braconid parasite 

 of the olive fly in the Transvaal is described as S. daci. 



Two new braconids from Brazil, G. Szepligeti {Bol. Lab. Zool. Gen. e Agr. 

 R. Scuola Sup. Agr. Portiei, 5 {1911), pp. 285, 286). — The two species here 

 described as new to science are Biosteres brasiliensis and B. areolatus, both 

 reared from pupre of the trypetid Anastrepha fratercultis from Sao Paulo. 



Papers on deciduous fruit insects and insecticides. — Notes on the peach 

 and plum slug" (Caliroa [Eriocampoides] aniygdalina), R. A. Cushman {U. S. 

 Dept. Agr., Bur. Ent. Bui. 97, pt. 5, pp. 91-102, pi. 1, figs. 3).— This is a report 

 of studies made largely in 1910 of the life history and habits of a sawfly which 

 has been found by Rohwer to represent a new species (E. S. R., 25, p. 362). 

 What is undoubtedly the same species, however, was discussed and figured by 

 Morgan in 1897 under the name C. {Selandria) ohsoletum (E. S. R., 9, p. 1065). 



In 1910 the first adults were observed on April 1 ; on April 7, 5 eggs and 6 

 larvae one-third grown were discovered. Observations seem to indicate that 

 females normally infest the lower branches first, gradually working higher and 

 higher as the destruction of the lower leaves progresses. Considerable diffi- 

 culty was met with in breeding the species and a special method of procedure, 

 which is described, was adopted and a special rearing cage designed. There 

 appear to be 7 generations of the earliest individuals in the latitude of Tal- 

 lulah. " Six of the 7 are summer generations and the seventh is the hiber- 

 nating generation. Of the latest individuals of each generation there are prob- 

 ably not more than 3 or 4 summer broods." The eggs seem to be deposited in 

 a cavity made by inserting the ovipositor in the leaf from the upper side, 

 usually close to the midrib or one of the larger veins. The number placed in a 

 single leaf may vary from 1 to 25. The incubation iperiod of 74 eggs observed 

 varied from 4 to 6 with an average of 4.9 days. 



The larva grows rapidly molting 4 times during its growth. " The first instar 

 is from less than 2 to 4 days in duration, averaging about 2 days. The second 

 and third instars are of nearly like duration, and the fourth about 3 days in 

 length, the total feeding period being about 9 or 10 days in duration in warm 

 weather." 



After molting for the last time the larva crawls or drops to the ground and 

 burrows into the soil for from 2 in. to 3 in. and constructs an oval cell somewhat 

 less than i in. long in its greatest diameter. If the cell be opened the larva 

 will be found to have changed its form, being shrunken to about one-half its 

 original size and having lost the power of locomotion. In this stage, which is 

 termed the " prepupa," it remains for a period of from 5 to 7 days before 

 pupating, depending upon the temperature. In one case a living prepupa was 

 found 28 days after the latest adult reared from the same lot of larvse had 



