110 



colonies, north of Charleston, both west of Station I, a, and I, g. The 

 collections made (Nos. 20, 26, 42, 43) are as follows: 



Ambush Bug Phymata fasciata _ 20, 26 



Stink-bug Bnschistus variolanus 20 



Black Blister-beetle Bpicauta pennsylvanica 26 



Noctuid moth Spragueia leo 20, 2b 



Conopid fly Physocephala sagittana 20 



Empidid fly Bmpis clausa _ 43 



Halictid bee Halictus fasciatus 20 



Myzinid wasp Myzine sexcincta 20, 26 



^j^t Pormica fusca subsericea 20 



It is important to know that these collections from Solidago were 

 made just as the flowers were beginning to blossom. Collections a few 

 weeks later would probably have given many more kmds. It should 

 be noted, too, that all these plants were far out upon the prairie and 

 far from woodlands— a factor which may influence to some extent 

 the kinds of visitors. As a rule the lists which have been published 

 state little or nothing at all as to the conditions m which the plants 

 were growing. If this factor is neglected, the presence of some vis- 

 itors remains puzzling. Thus on some goldenrods the locust beetle, 

 Cyllene roUnicr, is abundant; but this is conditioned m part by the 

 proximity of the yellow locust, which is absent on the Charleston 



prairie. , _, j vu ^ 



Phymata was found copulating upon the flower, and with an em- 

 pidid fly, Bmpis clausa (No. 43) > in its grasp. Two kinds of galls 

 formed by insects were found on this plant: one formed by the fly 

 Cecidomvia solidaginis (No. 43). which forms a rosette of leaves; 

 and the other the spindle-like stem-gall, formed by a small caterpillar, 

 Gnorimoschema gallcr solidaginis (No. 7462 Hankinson). September 

 20 the moth Scepsis fuhicollis Hiibn. was found m goldenrod flowers 

 near Station I, a. Its larva feeds on grass. A large noctuid larva, 

 CucnlUa asteroid cs Guen., was found in a mass of flowers. As the day 

 was cloudy and cool. Scepsis was resting or sleeping on the flower 

 masses, as were also the black wasp Chlorion atrattim Lep., ^ndPoi- 

 istes-hoth the light form variatus Cress., and the darker one, palhpes 

 Lep On October 23, 1893, I found the curculionid Centnnoplms 

 helvimis Casey (det. H. F. Wickham) on goldenrod at Bloommgton, 



■ Needham ('98, pp. 29-40) has given a good popular account of 

 the insects associated with goldenrod, and Riley ( 93^ pp. 85-«7) /^as 

 published an extensive list and given a number of observations on their 

 food habits. 



