236 



Watson (J. R). Notes on some Florida Weevils.— Florida Ent., 

 Gainsville, iv, no. 3, Januaiy 1921, pp. 33-35. 



Among a number of Rhynchophora recently collected in Florida 

 were : — Araecerus fasciculatus, De G. (coffee-bean weevil), on avocado 

 and Japanese persimmon ; Epicaerus formidulosus, Boh., which is 

 commonly found on cotton, where it is frequently mistaken for the 

 boll weevil [AntJionomiis grandis],^it is sometimes very destructive 

 to young pepper plants, which it punctures at, or just below, the 

 ground-level, and it also attacks peas, tobacco, velvet beans and several 

 Composites, being active from April to November ; Eudiagogiis 

 yosenschoeldi, Fhs., on oak ; Derelomus basalis, Lee, usually occurring 

 on Asimina parviflora (dwarf papaw), and also taken on wild plum, 

 velvet beans and blossoms of Cephalanihus ; Anthotnus {Tachypterus) 

 qiiadrigihbus, Say (apple curculio), on cotton ; Anthonomus signatus, 

 Sa\', which does not seem to attack strawberries in Florida, but is 

 aliundant in blossoms oiCrataegiis in March ; Ccntrinus pcrscillus, Gyll., 

 on Cassia sp., and reported as feeding on cotton ; Odontocorynus sele- 

 brosus, Casey, on cotton ; and Chalcodermus coUaris, Horn, on maize 

 and cotton. 



W.\TSON (J. R.). New Thysanoptera from Florida, viii. — Florida Ent., 

 Gainesville, iv, no. 3, January 1921, pp. 35-39. 



Kej^s are given to the North American species of Hcierothrips, 

 Eurythrips and Haplothrips. Among the new species described is 

 Eitfhrips grandioculus, taken on grass. 



Severin (H. C). The Plum Web-spimiing Sawfly. — South Dakota 

 State Entomologist, Brookings, Tech. Bull., no. 1, August 1920, 

 53 pp., 11 figs. [Received 17th March 1921.] 



The plum web-spinning sawflj^ Neurotoma inconspicua, Norton, is 

 generally distributed over South Dakota, and has been found in the 

 neighbouring states and also in Massachusetts and Southern Manitoba. 

 The larvae feed upon a number of species of Prunus, causing serious 

 damage to plum trees and sandcherry bushes by devouring the leaves 

 and by spinning webs over them. 



The adult sawflies appear during the latter part of May or early June. 

 The female lays an average of 46 eggs, which hatch in about a week. 

 The larvae are gregarious, and after a destructive feeding period of 

 13 to 23 days they drop to the ground, enter it to a depth of 1| to 10 

 inches, and hollow out a cell, in which the remainder of the year is spent. 

 In the following spring the larvae pupate, the pupal stage lasting 

 7 to 10 days. 



A Tachinid, Eubrachymera debilis, Towns., is a parasite of the 

 larvae, and may sometimes destroy as many as 50 per cent, of them. 

 An unidentified fungus occasionally kills the hibernating larvae and 

 pupae, and a small mite has been found attached to the larvae and 

 adults, but neither is of importance in controlling the pest. Quite 

 an important role is, however, played by prcdaccous enemies. Larvae 

 of Chrysopa, and nymphs and adults of the bug, Podisus maculiventris. 

 Say, make their way into the webs to feed on the sawfly larvae, and 

 ants, varieties of Formica rufa, L., and Lasius niger, L., attack them 

 both on the ground when they are full fed, and also on the trees if 



