The larva of Ptinus Latro Fab 

 By Dr. II . A. Hagen. 



Rev. J. I.. Werren, of Abington, Mass., brought home last year 

 among other plants the "Edelweiss" Gnaphalium [Leontopodiuni) <i//>i- 

 nim Cass, from Switzerland. The Edelweiss was collected about |uK 

 on the Seeberg Alps near Greisimmen about 26 miles from Thun. On 

 iccount of travelling the plants received very poor attention, but as they 

 were perfect, when putting them in the press, itseems to be not prohibit 

 that the larva were developed then. The plants were not touched sine* 

 early in August. 



The work of the larva was discovered in December, but the beetles 

 were not found until the first week of January. The larva? have apparent 

 ly not touched the leaves of the Edelweiss, bin had been very voracious 

 on the thick blotting paper: nevertheless (as stated in a former letter 

 several specimens were eaten through and spoiled by the insects. All 

 other plants were unhurt, though some thicknesses of the blotting paper 

 were also eaten through. 



I received one imago and one full grown larva: both had been alive 

 when sent, but during the short trip the imago was killed and all legs 

 to near the base of the femur and the antennae were eaten, apparently b\ 

 the still living larva. In a second pair sent to me the imago was alive, 

 but two legs and one antenna eaten by the larva 



The larva is 4 mm. long, corncolored yellow, the head of a pale 

 brownish hue: the whole body thinly covered with pale short villosity: 

 the extreme part of the mouth and the mouth-parts are blackish. 



The larva is similar to those of Ptinus dubius described by Penis. 

 Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1862, p. 204. The 2 imagos are females of Ptinus 

 latro Fab. 



As this species is not yet known in N. America, I may draw atten- 

 tion to this fact, as the bettle is not rare everywhere in Germany, and can 

 he, as shown, imported into the U. S. with botanical specimens. 



Very few, (only six,) of the larvae of Ptinus are known. The biologi- 

 cal collection has one of them, Pi. fur and besides the earlier stages ol 

 /'/. rufipes and Pi. la'ro both of them not yet described. 



Dianous caerulescens Gyll. I found in great numbers from April to 

 November at a little waterfall on Staten Island. They cling to boards 

 and stones directly under the falls where the force of the water is con 

 siderable. C. W. Leng. 



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