„ [January, 



COLEOPTERA, &c., IN BROMELIADS. 

 BY G. C. CHAMPION, F.Z.S. 



Ill Vol. xlvii of this Magazine, pj). 17, 18 (1911), we i)iil)lislied 

 an extract from one of Prof. P. P. Calvert's interesting papers on 

 the Odonata larvae observed bv him in epiphytic Bromeliads in Costa 

 Eica. In another of his articles, entitled " Studies on Costa llican 

 Odonata" [Ent. News, xxii, pp. 401-411 (Nov., 1911)], he alludes to 

 various Coleoptera, &c. (larvae and imagines) occurring in these plants. 

 The insects mentioned in this paper were presented by Calvert to the 

 U. S. National Museum at Washington, and some of the beetles have 

 recently been sent me for determination by the authorities of that 

 institution. Mons. C. Picado, of Paris, too, has also forwarded to me, 

 or to Mr. Clahan, certain Coleoptera and Hemiptera olttained from 

 Costa Rican Bromeliads, and as he has been land enough to allow 

 us to retain these insects for the P>ritish Museum, I take the 

 opportunity of publishing some remarks upon them and describing 

 three new forms. Another paper bearing on this subject, entitled 

 " A Contribution to the Knowledge of the Fauna of Bromeliaceoe," 

 by Mr. Hugh Scott, was published in October last [Ann. and Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. (8) x, pp. 424-438, pi. 10]. This paper gives an account 

 of the author's observations in Trinidad, Dominica, and the Seychelle 

 Islands, and notes upon various insects, including a peculiar Dytiscid 

 (A(ih/mbus hromeliarum, Scott), and a remarkable Hemipteron {Micro- 

 velia insignis, Dist.) from Trinidad, &c. The " Helodine " larva from 

 Trinidad and Dominica mentioned by him, may be that of a Scirtes*, 

 M. Picado having bred a species of this genus from a larva found in a 

 Costa Eican Bromeliad. The former is described by Mr. Scott as " long 

 and narrow, not tapering much towards the posterior extremity, flattened 

 dorso-ventrally, with filamentous anteniue nearly as long as tlu; body, 

 and a group of rectal gills." It is apparently very lilvc that of 

 Helodes minuta. 



The Coleoptera enumerated by Mr. Scott and Prof. Calvert belong 

 to Jjjjtiscidse, Hydrophilidae, Stapliylinidie, Trichopterygidse, Copridas, 

 Elateridx, Dascillidx, Lampyridse, Endomychidce, Erotylidoe, Tene- 

 brionidx, and Cnrcnlionidfe. The Costa Eican forms before me include : 

 Colpodes purpuratus, Eeiche, a Carabid said by M. Picado to be 

 abundant everywhere in Bromeliads. Phsenonotum tarsale, Sharp, a 

 Hydrophilid, and an allied smaller form (gen. near Perochthes) 

 belongiiv; to the same family (both noted by Calvert), Juan Vinas. 



* M. .Soverin, of tlio Unissels iMuseum, has recently sent rue two .species of the allied ^ 

 genus Ora, Clai-k, from Trinidad, for determination : one is referable to 0. marnwrata, Clianiji., 

 the other is a new .species allied to 0. nUnicurnk. 



