30 Journal New York Entomological Society, [Voi. xii. 



sometimes happens, as we know to be the case with the preceding 

 species, the older larva destroys the others. In the exception noted 

 a number of parasites were observed in the lower part of the stem, 

 and a small larva probably of this species in the upper end. 



Many individuals of the chalcidid Habrocytus languriiz Ashm. 

 were noticed in the infested stems. Three colonies, each composed of 

 an even half dozen pupae of this species, were found, one colony in a 

 Languria' s cell, which gave forth imagos August 23. 



Languria gracilis Newm. 



About the District of Columbia this species is fairly abundant on 

 different species of Erigeron, in about equal numbers on E. canadense 

 and philadelphicum. On the latter plant oviposition was noticed, 

 eight or nine minutes being consumed in depositing a single egg. The 

 writer has previously recorded (Insect Life, Vol. II, p. 347) the oc- 

 currence of this species on Urtica and Ambrosia. 



Languria laeta Lee. 



To the above should be added the capture of larvae and adults of 

 Z. Iceta by Mr. E. A. Schwarz in the stems of Datura at Hearne, 

 Texas, August 6, 1894. 



INSECTS BREEDING IN ADOBE WALLS. 



By Gustav Beyer, 

 New York, N. Y. 



During a collecting trip to Cape San Lucas, Lower California, 

 made in 1901, I had my headquarters at Santa Rosa, where I lived in 

 a house of adobe walls and a roof of palm leaves. Glass windows 

 being unknown in this section, two holes in said wall served as win- 

 dows. It was during the month of July that I noticed numerous 

 beetles on one of these improvised windows ; all of which were cov- 

 ered with the flour-like dust of adobe. On further investigation, I 

 found that these came out of the adobe wall, numerous small holes at 

 about two to three and a half feet from the ground disclosing where 

 these insects had come from. The insects were : 



Lyctus californicus Casey. Very abundant. 

 Elasmocerus californicus Fall. 



