Insecta. 341 



of the bind femora for leaping-purposes is perliaps being achieved at the ex- 

 pense of the alar power. Tliere are other Coleoptera (e. g. Orchcstcs, Scirtes, other 

 Halticidae) which possess great saltatorial powers and are fully winged at the 

 same time: but it does not follow that saltatorial power has not been acquired 

 at the expense of alar power in Lcmgitarsus. Almost nothing is known of the 

 life-histories of the genus: the majority appear to hibernate in the imago State, 

 but it is not known in most cases whether there are nfiore than two generations in 

 the year, or whether the summer generation differs from the hibernating generation. 



H. Scott (Cambridge). 



105)7) Deeoppet, M., Entwicklungsgang des Maikäfers. Zürich (Füssli, Art. In- 

 stitut Orell) 1912. Farbige Tafel mit Textblatt. A 3,20. 

 Die Tafel stellt den Entwicklungsgang des Maikäfers dar. 



Eckstein (Eberswalde). 



1098) Arrow, G.J., On a new Species of Melolonthid Beetle (PAyfa?«« smiiÄt) 

 destructive to sugar-cane. In: Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Bd. IX, S. 455 — 459, 1912. 

 Phytahis smithi has recently appeared in enormous numbers in Mauritius, where 

 its larvae cause great damage to the roots of sugar-cane, millions of individuals rava- 

 ging the crop. It was found to belong not to a Madagascar genus, but to the American 

 Phi/talus: therefore investigations were made with the result that both larvae and adults 

 were found at the roots of sugar-cane in Barbados (V/est Indies). In that Island it does 

 not do serious damage, being apparently kept in check by the larva of a Scoliid (Scolia 

 dorsata Fabr.) which parasitises the larva of the heetle, and also partly by the bird 

 ())itiscali(s. jS^either of these enemies exists in Mauritius, and doubtless the Fhytalus was 

 accidentally introduced with sugar-cane cuttings brought from the Westilndies, and has 

 multiplied unchecked. An . allied species of Scolia {S. rufa Lep.), present ^n Mauritius, 

 Las apparently not attacked it. An account of the habits of the beetle is given, with 

 a description and figures of larvae and adult. H. Scott (Cambridge). 



1090) Scluilz, W.A., Alteste und alte Hymenopteren skandinavischer Autoren. 

 In: Berl. entom. Zeitschr., Bd. 57, Heft 1/2, S. 52—102, 1912. 



Verf. hat die noch vorhandenen Hymenopterentypen von Linne, De Geer, Thun- 

 berg, Fabricius Dahlbom und Stäl untersucht und gibt nun die Resultate in betreff 

 der Synonymik der einzelnen Arten bekannt. P. Schulze (Berlin). 



11(10) PerkiliS, B. C. L., The Colour-groups of Hawaiian Wasps etc. In: 

 Trans. Entom. Soc. London, S. 677—701, PL IV, 1912. 



The most abundaut Aculeata of the Hawaiian Islands are species of Odynenis 

 (Eumenidae). They belong to two groups, the larger number being descended 

 from a (presumably) yellow banded form, and a small group of four species allied 

 to an Asiatic form. The species are now divisible into several sub-genera. In the 

 differeiit Islands these species are arranged into various colour-groups, quite in- 

 dependent of their systematic relationship. On Kauai, the most remote Island, 

 then are two colour-patterns to one or other of which all the species conform. 

 On Oahu, the next island, there are four such groups, two of which are peculiar 

 to this island, one similar to one of the Kauai groups, and one found on the 

 more southern Islands. On three islands near together there are three groups 

 common to all three Islands, and on Hawaii itself there is a tendency for all the 

 Hymenoptera to be black. Aculeata of other families tend to have a colour-scheme 

 closely resembling one or other of the Odynenis groups on the same island. 



The discussion of these facts centres round the possibility of the colour- 

 groups being MüUerian mimetic associations. Extensive examination of the sto- 

 machs of birds showed the Hymenoptera were practically exempt from attack, 

 and Hymenoptera are so conspicuously different from other insects that it is diffi- 

 cult to believe that special warning colours would be of value, especially since 



