THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 11 



I. Physcus varicornis Howard. 



I desire to record the occurrence of this coccid parasite in some 

 Canadian localities. Dr. Hewitt recently sent me four female specimens 

 on slides labelled " From spruce budworm material, Maniwaki, Mont- 

 calm and St. Gabriel de Brandon, Province of Quebec, 2, 3 and 6, July, 

 191 1." 



In the original description of this genus (Howard, Bull. No. i, 

 technkal series, Division of Entomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 1895, p. 43), a statement is made to the effect that the " second and third 

 funicle joints " are " subequal and each longer than joint i." Later (Id., 

 Bull. No. 12, technical series. Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture, 1907, p. 72), this statement is used as a diagnostic char- 

 acter in a table of genera to the Aphelinini. The character varies. In 

 the four specimens noted above, three have the joint as described, but the 

 fourth specimen has the first funicle joint slightly longer than either joint 

 2 or 3. In some Illinois specimens I have noted the same variation, 

 sometimes all three joints equal, sometimes the second shortest, and in 

 others as described originally. The matter is of no great importance, 

 since the table mentioned can do without the line containing the state- 

 ment about the funicle joints. The variation itself, however, is a rather 

 peculiar one, and important from the standpoint of specific characters. 



Genus Prospaltella Ashmead. 

 I. Prospaltella auraiitii (Howard). 



This widely distributed parasite of coccids has lately been received 

 from Dr. Hewitt from several localities in Canada, which I think should 

 be recorded in this connection. There were seven females on six slides 

 labelled " From spruce budworm material, Chicoutimi, St. Gabriel de 

 Brandon and Maniwaki, Province of Quebec, July 2 and 3, 19 11." They 

 evidently originated from some coccid concealed in the host material. 

 All of the specimens were compared with the type, and are homotypes, 

 therefore. The fore wings in this species seem to have a tendency to be 

 very slightly clouded out to the end of the marginal vein from base, but 

 this cloudiness is so slight that one cannot always be sure that it is real. 

 From the collections of the United States Department of Agriculture I 

 have a series of six females on a slide, with a number of other coccid 

 parasites labelled *' 1725. Aspidiotus on common wild shrub on streams, 

 California and Cuautla, Morelos, Mexico, July r, '97, Koebele." 



