1. September 1900. 



M 11 



XV. Jahrgang. 



Societas entomologica. 



,,Societas entomologica" i;t':,M-iiri<k-t Iy>iG 

 ausjfc/cirhnetcr Fu.rLtiiünn('r. 



Journal de la Société entomologique 

 internationale. 



Uli l'"ritz JCiilil, forti,'cfii)ii-[ von srineii Erben unter MitvvirkutiL; brdculni'liT Kiitumulo^en und 



Organ fUr den internationalen 

 Entomologenverein. 



Organ for the 

 International-Entomological Society. 



Tuutos los correspiMHlrtiices tlt'vroiil rlrt- a-lress.'-os AlU- Zu^rliriflm au den Vit'MU sin-! an lli-rrn I All Ii-Ilers fur tlii- Surioly iire to be ilirecte«) tu 

 aux héritiers de Mr. Fritz Rühl ù Zurich- Fritz Rühl's Erben in ZUrlch-Hottlngen zu ' Mr. Fritz RUhl's Inheritors at ZUrich-Hot- 



Hottlngen. MessiiMtrs les membres de la sociiîté riehten. Die Herren Mit^'Iieder des Vereins wor- 

 8ont priés d'envoyer des (ontriliutions originales den freundlicbst ersuebt, Oritrinalbeitrüije für den 

 pi»ur la partie s(ûentitîiiue du journal. , wissenseliaftliehcn Teil des Blatles einzusenden. 



tlngen. TIte Hon. nicnibers of tlio Society aro 

 kindly requested to send ori;^inal contril>utions fur 

 tlie scientifle part of tbe p;tper. 



Jährliilier Reitrn',' für Miijflieder Fr. Hl _ 5 B. — 8 Mk. — Die Milfrlieder u-enic5sen das Reeht, alle auf Unlomolo^ie nezu'j nelinicndon An ouceii 

 kosti'ufrei zu inseriren. Wir(Ierli'>iuiii.'eii di-s i;l<-iehen Inserates werden mit 10 Tis. 8 I'fenni-.; per \ mal :;i-spallene l'elitzeile bereeluiet. - Für Nielit- 

 miliîMeder iietriixf der Insertions|>reis p.-r 4 mal ;,'espaltcne Petit/.eilc 25 Cts. 2ü l'ft;. Mas Vereinsblatt ersebeiiit monatlieli zwei .Mal (am 1. und 1.'..) 

 Mit und nach dem I, Oktober eintretende neue Mitglieder bezahlen unter portofreiem Nachbez.ig der Nummern des Winterhalbjahres 



nur die Hälfte des Jahresbeitrages. 



Notes on some Cicindelidae from the Southwestern 

 United States. 



By 11. F. Wickham. 



The folluwiug remarks apply to species of tiger 

 beetles captured during the summer of 1899, vvliile 

 on a collecting trip through the arid regions of the 

 southwestern portion of the United States of America. 

 The stretch of couutry visited, embraces a part of 

 three states — Texas, New Mexico and Arizona — 

 and wliile characterized by a very light rainfall 

 through most of the year, is nevertheless traversed 

 by several streams nf f^'r ■•'■'6, the largest of which 

 is tlie Rio Graude. The valley of this river is quite 

 broad in some places and occasionally marked by 

 alkaline or saline marshes and broad mud-flats which 

 are much frequented by Cicindelse. In its course 

 from Del Rio to El Paso, the Southern Pacific rail- 

 road crosses a high moutaiuuus divide, and in this 

 hilly region several forms of Clclndela occur which 

 are not to be met with in the lower valleys. I sub- 

 join a few notes or the habits of each species noticed 

 during my trip. 



Tetracha Carolina Linn. A beautiful golden- 

 green beetle with yellow-tipped elytra and pale legs. 

 It was frequently seen at street lamps at Del Rio, 

 New Braunfels, El Paso in Texas, and at Tucson, 

 Arizona. During the day it hides under any con- 

 venient shelter near the banks of streams or ponds 

 and may be found by turning over drift-wood or 

 slabs of dried mud. It dœs not fly when disturbed 

 but is a very swift runner. 



Cicindela obsoleta Say. This magnificent insect 

 is of a velvety black color, in its typical form, and 

 is the largest of our native tiger beetles. I fouad 



it at Alpine, Texas, during juue and July, chiefly 

 on broad flats of bottom land used as pasture. It 

 lurks in dry spots to Icewaid of some clump of 

 bimch-grass, keeping a close lookout for victim or 

 for fte. Readily alarmed, it rises quickly if disturbed 

 and makes oft' with a long sustained flight which 

 renders it difficult of capture. A green form (Cicin- 

 dela prasina Lee), frequents the same situations 

 and may be found in immaculate and spotted varieties 

 all ..=>'inniiig together. These green ones are quite a.? 

 wild and as readily startled as the black, and hard 

 to approach, even with the greatest caution. One of 

 them took three flights in trying to escape, which 

 aggregated 140 paces abuut 420 yards. Occasionally 

 they fly almost streight up into the air fur several 

 yards and then suddenly strike t'lf in a long swift 

 flight parallel with the ground surface but high abuve 

 it, until lost to view. Owing to its size it is a most 

 formidable foe to other insects. I saw one specimen 

 catch an individual of Cicindela nigrocoerulea which 

 it was apparently about to devour when I threw my 

 net over both. 



Cicindela nigrocœrulea Lee. This was seen 

 chicliy ou low, rather damp ground among short 

 grass which fringed the edges of uearly dry water 

 courses. It was much less difficult to approach than 

 C. obsoltta, and its flight was of short duration. 

 Bui it was awkward work catching them, for thoy 

 usually ran out under the rim of the net instead of 

 flying up into it and the short vegetation aided in 

 their escape. I met with the species at Alpine and 

 Malta in Texas and at Doming, New Mexico. A 

 green form was the most abundant although a few 

 blackish-blue individuals were taken. 



