1903 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 49 



Platychirvs peltahis, Meigen, $ . Like the preceding, this species was taken at Sherbrooke, 

 on 30 May, 1902. It appeared to be quite common and about 10 specimens were taken in a 

 short time. The front tibife of the $ are suddenly dilated at the tip ; the front metatarsi 

 much dilated, the remaining joints but slightly so. The other two species occurring in our 

 fauna, are quadratus a,ndhyperboreus. A Sherbrooke specimen said to be chcetopodus was sent 

 to me for study, but I could not verify it on account of the bad condition in which the specimen 

 was. 



Leucozonalucoruiii, h. One ,? specimen received from Abbe Roy, of Levis. This species 

 was recorded from Canada by Osten Sacken a good many years ago. It is a handsome syrphid, 

 the basal half of the abdomen being yellow and the remaining half black. 



Syrphus amalopsis, O. S. Captured 2 specimens at Sherbrooke, 30 May, 1902. This 

 species looks very much like our umbellatarum, but the bands are club shaped at their inner 

 ends. 



Pirophaena ocymi, Fabr. I had the good fortune to take one 9 of this species at 

 Maisonneave in August last. In structure, they are closely allied to Melnaostoma and 

 Flatychirus, but distinguished by the flattened abdomen which is a long oval in shape and more 

 narrowed towards its base, so that its greatest width is attained at the end of the third seg- 

 ment ; the wings are also shorter and broader, scarcely projecting beyond the end of the 

 abdomen. This species is also Europeai. 



Mr. Winn kindly gave me a $ specimen captured near Montreal a few years ago. 



Sphegina lobata, Loew. I have just received one specimen of this species from Abbe 

 Roy, Levis. DiflFers chiefly from rufiventris by its black body with yellow spots on the 

 abdomen. 



AN INTERESTING ENEMY OF THE IRIS. 

 By Arthur Gibson, Division of Emqmology, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. 



In Dr. James Fletcher's Entomological Record for 1902 published in last year's report, 

 the following note appears : " Macronoctua omista, Grt., two specimen? reared from larvre 

 feeding in and on stems of Iris versicolor, L., emerged 3rd Sept., Montreal (Winn)." 



In July last the writer noticed that some borer wa? at work in the Iris beds at the Central 

 Experimental Farm, and upon investigating further, specimens of a noctuid larva from which 

 were reared moths of Macronoctua onusta, Grt., were found in different stag-^s of development. 

 These caterpillars were first collected on the 28th July, and at that time their presence in 

 the beds could easily be detected by the discoloured, partly dead leaves of the plants. The 

 Irises which were chiefly attacked were Iris spuria, L. and Iris biglurnis, Vahl., although 

 specimens of the larva were found working in several other species . These larva; first attack- 

 ed the stems some inches above the ground and gradually worked downwards, the mature cater- 

 pillars being found right in the roots' below the surface of the ground. 



The occurrence of this larva at Ottawa, particularly in destructive numbers, is very inter- 

 esting. The moths are rare in collections and there is only one record of the insect having been 

 taken here previous to this year, viz. an imago on the 29th Sept. 1902, by Dr. Fletcher. 



Like other borers, these larvae are smooth and not pirticularly beautiful. When mature 

 they measure about an inch and a half in length, and in general appearance are flesh-coloured 

 caterpilUrs with a more pronounced pinkish tinsre above the spiracles. The head is a rich chestnut 

 red, shiny, rounded, but rather wider than high, bilobed, flattened in front ; margins of cly- 

 peus and mouth parts darker than the rest of the head ; ocelli black ; lateral edge of cheek 

 touching segment 2 black. Body cylindrical, plump when full grown, but before maturity 

 ather flattened dorsally as if starved. Thoracic shield shiny, slightly wider than head, tes- 



