FOSSIL INSECTS IN THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL 



MUSEUM. 



By T. D. A. COCKERELL, 



Of the University of Colorado, Boulder. 



Recent studies on the fossil insects in the collection of the United 

 States National Museum by the writer have covered a variety of 

 subjects, which for the sake of convenience are treated below under 

 separate headings. 



1. FOSSIL INSECTS FROM SIBERIA. 



Very little is known of the fossil insects of the vast Asiatic conti- 

 nent. Tertiary insects have been reported from few localities. In 

 1860 Murray ^ described certain beetles, Lomafus hislopi, Meristos 

 hunteri, and three unnamed weevils, from the Tertiary of Nagpur, 

 India. In 1876 Kawall ^ described a fossil larva as Tineites crystalU 

 from the Tertiai*y of Uf alei, Siberia. In 1878 Heer ^ recorded a beetle 

 as Cistelites sachalinesis from rocks doubtfully referred to the Oligo- 

 cene, at Mgratsch, on Sachalin (Sakhalin) Island. In Nawa's 

 " Insect World " (Gifu, Japan) for 1913 is a figure of a fossil ichneu- 

 monid labeled Plmpla, species. In 1910 Reis * discussed fossil Cole- 

 optera from the fish shales of the Transbaikal. In 1920 ^ T. B. 

 Fletcher published on Indian fossil insects. The present writer 

 (1916-1922) has recorded many species of insects from Burmese 

 amber, the age of which is probably Eocene.® 



Some time ago A. Kryshtofovich, of Vladivostok, sent to Dr. 

 F. H. Knowlton two species of fossil insects collected by A. Kuznet- 

 zov on the Amagu River, Maritime Province, coast of Siberia, 

 opposite the southern end of Saklialin Island. These specimens 

 were kindly transmitted to me for study and are described below. 

 They have been placed in the United States National Museum. 

 They are of more than ordinary interest on account of the locality 

 and the fact that they represent new and rather remarkable 



» Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. London, vol. 16, pp. 182-184. 



"Bull. Mosc, vol. 3, p. 171. 



» Mem. Akad. Peterst., ser. 7, vol. 25, No. 12, p. 3, pi. 15, fig. 12. 



* Explor. Geolog. Chem. de fer Siberie. St. Petersburg, p. 29. 

 « Rep. Pusa, Calcutta, vol. 3, pp. 983-989. 



• Nature, June 3, 1922, p. 713. 



No. 2503.— Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 64, Art. 13. 



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