Report of the State Entomologist 



319 



an ant-lion. Finding no mention of similar habits pertaining to any 

 of our species, the insect was sent to Dr. Hagen, of Cambridge, 

 Mass., who has made special study of the Ifyrmeleonidce, for its deter- 

 mination. To my great surprise it came back to me as " probably M. 

 immaculatus." 



From that time to the present it has been kept in a jar with sandj 

 in which it has partially buried, but has never made a pitfall. At 

 first, most of its body was concealed beneath the sand, leaving its 

 head exposed and jaws extended with which to seize any small insect 

 placed within its reach. It was occasionally given young cateri^illers, 

 but most of its food has been the smaller flies taken fi'om the win- 

 dows. Later, it was content to have but a portion of its body in the 

 sand — a few of the terminal segments. For perhajis a month past 

 it has declined taking food, and has only occasionally changed its 

 location. At the present time, November 15th, it shows but little 

 vitality. As it may possibly be preparing for hibernation, in which 

 state the larva has been known to pass the winter when in confine- 

 ment, the box of sand containing it has been removed to a cold room 

 where it may find winter quarters, if that is its purpose. 



Note. — It survived the winter, and was still living when examined 

 on May 7, 1891, but declined taking food, and died a few days there- 

 after. Could it possibly have been a species of Ascalaplius, of which the 

 larvai do not make pitfalls or move backward? (see "Notes on the life- 

 history of various species of the Neuropterous genus Ascalaphus," by 

 J. O. Westwood, in Transactions Entomological Society of London, for 

 1888, part 1, pp. 1-12). It showed marked structural differences in 

 the head, mandibles, etc., from specimens in the state collection, 

 received from Annapolis, Md., taken from their sand pitfalls, and 

 identified by me as those of llyrmeleoti immaculatus. 



Dendroleon obsoletum (Say). 

 A Climbing Ant- Lion. 

 The first winged example of this species that had occurred to me in 

 New York was brought to me in September, 1883, by the lady, 

 Mrs. E. B. Smith, of Coeymans, 

 who has been so fortunate as to 

 capture the larva of the pre- 

 ceding species. Dr. Hagen, to 

 whom the specimen was sub- 

 mitted, states of it: "It is the 

 same as ocellatus Burm. and 

 nigrocinctus Ramb., Walker; very 



Fig. 36.— Dendkoleon obsoletum. 



