HYMENOPTERA. 411 



For some years past many of the fir-trees, cultivated for 

 ornament, in this vicinity, have been attacked by swarms of 

 false caterpillars, and, in some instances that have fallen under 

 my notice, have been nearly stripped of their leaves every 

 summer, and in consequence thereof have been checked in 

 their growth, and now seem to be in a sickly condition. 

 These destructive insects agree in their habits and in their 

 general appearance, in all their states, with the pine and fir 

 saw-flies, described by KciUar,* by whose ravages whole forests 

 of these trees have been destroyed in some parts of Germany. 

 It is probable, however, that the American fir saw-flies are not 

 identical with those of Europe, as they diiTer from them rather 

 too much to have originated from the same stock; neither do 

 they sufficiently agree with Dr. Leach's descriptions of Lophy- 

 rus Americanus, Abbotii, compar, &c. ; and, therefore, I propose 

 to name this apparently undescribed species Lophyrus Abietis, 

 the Lophyrus of the fir-tree. The following is a description 

 of the insect in its winged state. The two sexes differ very 

 much from each other in size and color, and stiU more remark- 

 ably in the form of their antennae. The male is the smallest, 

 measures one quarter of an inch in length, and expands his 

 wings about two fifths of an inch. His body is black above, 

 and brown beneath; his wings are transparent, with change- 

 able tints of rose-red, green, and yellow; and his legs are 

 wholly of a dirty leather-yellow color. His antennae resemble 

 very short, black feathers, wide at the end, and narrowed to a 

 point, and are curled inwards on each edge, so as to appear 

 hollow. The genus Lophyrus derives its name from the plume- 

 like crest on the heads of the male insects. The body of the 

 female is about three tenths of an inch long, and her wings 

 expand half an inch or more. She is of a yellowish brown 

 color above, with a short blackish stripe on each side of the 

 middle of the thorax ; her body beneath and her legs are paler, 

 of a dirty leather-yellow color ; and her wings resemble those 

 of the male. Her antennae are short, taper to a point, consist 

 of nineteen joints, and are toothed on one side like a saw. 



* "Treatise," pp. 340 and 347. 



