INSECUTOR INSCITI^ MljNSTRUUS 15 



Swarming of the males was observed at Dryden, Ontario, 

 and Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba. At Dryden, while sitting 

 under a pine tree at the edge of a cow pasture in which were 

 many alder bushes and poplar trees, when the sun had set and 

 it was getting distinctly dark, a male was seen going to and fro 

 under the branches of the pine tree some six to eight feet from 

 the ground. The insect could only be seen by looking toward 

 the light sky. Other males joined this one and about a dozen 

 gathered. In about half an hour, as the darkness deepened, 

 they all disappeared. At Winnipeg Beach swarming took 

 place by the edge of a road through tall poplars. A few males 

 were seen high up opposite a projecting branch. 



The differences given between abserratns and auroides are 

 as follows : 



abserratus: Larva. Comb scales, 6; head hairs single; pecten of tube 

 about 15; adult with brown mesonotum (centrotus type). 



auroides: Larva. Comb scales 13; head hairs double; pecten of tube 

 about 20; adult with yellow mesonotum and brown stripe 

 (auroides). 



The table on page 16 shows the connection that I established 

 between these forms. It is curious that the variation in the 

 larva and adult seems to be correlated. 



A variety occurs in which the median mesonotal stripe is 

 divided, giving two brown lines, situated in a brown cloud, 

 the sides of mesonotum pale. This resembles decticus^ but some 

 of the yellow color remains and there are no head-spots. An 

 exactly similar form of lazarensis occurs, more commonly than 

 this form of punctor. 



Fresh mounts of the male genitalia show curved appressed 

 setae on the apical lobe of side piece. The genitalia are, there- 

 fore, not separable from those of aboriginis Dyar and hexodon- 

 tus Dyar, as previously supposed by me (Ins. Ins. Menstr., vi, 

 78, 1918). These species, aboriginis and hexodontus, are prob- 

 ably derivatives of punctor, the genitalia retaining their spe- 

 cialized form though other characters have changed. 



One thousand one hundred and eighty-one specimens were 

 collected from the following localities: White River, On- 



