168 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi. xii. 



A FEW NOTES ON BRENTHID^. 



By Gustav Beyer, 



New York, N. Y. 



So far as is known, this family is represented by but six species in 

 our fauna. Some of these are very interesting on account of their 

 abnormal length and extreme slenderness. 



Cylas formicarius Fabricius. 



This species breeds in sweet potatoes, also a creeping plant closely 

 allied to the sweet potato plant. The creeping plant grows just at 

 high-water mark on the seashore of Florida. During the month of 

 April at Palm Beach, Fla. , I discovered that this species was very 

 plentiful under this plant. 



Eupsalis minuta Drury. 



This is the only species of Brenthidge which occurs in the vicinity 

 of New York. I have taken it under bark of dead hickory and found 

 it very common in dead gum trees in Virginia. 



Trachelicus miamana Bohemann. 



I have taken this species in the vicinity of Miami, Elliots Key and 

 Key Largo, Fla., from flowers in May. It seems to be rare. Last 

 summer I collected the last two weeks in June and the first week in 

 July at Key Largo, Fla. I secured only one specimen and found the 

 remnants of another. 



Vaseletia vaseleta Bohemann. 



This species occurs in gumbo limpa {^Hil>isciis esculentits .?), but does 

 not bore in the stem. It breeds in rotten moist bark, which is often 

 2 y^ inches thick. The insect has the same color as the bark and lies 

 as if dead in the moisty stuff. 



Taken at Santa Rosa, Lower California, July, 1901. 



Brenthus anchorago Linnsus. 



The peculiar characteristic of this species consists in its long and 

 slender form. It occurs in I>ovver California in August ; in Jupiter, 

 Fla., and southwards in April and May. 



It breeds in gumbo limpa, through which it burrows. I found 

 trees, which were practically filled with this species. It varies greatly 

 in size. Small specimens were described as Brenthus Iiitans Horn. 



