24 



they are parasitised : — Diptera : Drosophila sp. by S. drosophilae, 

 Ashm. ; Lyjjerosia irritans, L., by S. haematobiae, Ashm. ; Musca 

 domestica, L., Stomoxys calcitrans, L., and L. irritans by S. muscidarum, 

 Richardson ; M. domestica, L., by S. nigra, Latr.; Lasiojjfera erynagii, 

 Giraud, by S. fuscipes, Ness ; and M. domestica, L., by S. hirta, Hal. 

 Lepidoptera : Coleophora giraudi, Giraud, by *S. nigra. The 

 myrmecophilous species are : — S. erytkromera, Forster, and *S'. 

 formicaria, Kieffer, both associated with Lasius fuliginosus. 



A full description is given of the development and life-history of 

 S. muscidarum, with a brief account of hypermetamorphosis in the 

 order Hymenoptera. The effect of the parasite upon the host is 

 slowly to consume the blood plasma of the latter, reducincr the puparium 

 to a flattened mass of cuticle. 



Regarding the economic importance of >S'. muscidarum, the author 

 says that the investigation was undertaken too late in the autumn to 

 obtain definite results. The highest proportion of parasitised house- 

 fly puparia was noted on 5th October 1912, when nine Spalangia larvae 

 and pupae were removed from 22 puparia. On another occasion, five 

 larvae and pupae were taken from 101 fly puparia. Bishopp found 

 S. muscidarum to be a parasite of Stomoxys calcitrans, Lyperosia 

 irritans [Haematobia serrata) and 31. domestica in Texas. In an 

 examination of 2,500 puparia of Stomoxys, 40 per cent, were found to be 

 parasitised by this and another undetermined Pteromalid. Reference 

 is made to the foregoing paper by H. Pinkus, and a full bibliography 

 is added. 



Urich (F. W.). Mosquitos of Trinidad. — Proc. Agric. Soc. Trinidad 

 and Tobago, xiii, no. 10, Oct. 1913, pp. 525-530. 



Attention is called by the author to the great loss planters sustain 

 through preventible diseases. Besides loss of work through malaria, 

 stock, especially horses, mules, and donkeys are affected by mosquitos, 

 and the blood lost may account at times for that weakened state of 

 some of the animals, which goes by the general name of " falling off."' 

 Seventy-three species of mosquitos are listed for Trinidad, but so far 

 as known only three are closely associated with man. They are : 

 Stegomyia fasciata {Aedes calopus), commonly called " The Stegomyia," 

 Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles tarsimaculatus. A. tarsima- 

 culatus is the commonest of the seven species of Anojiheles in the island, 

 and is there the principal carrier of the malaria parasite. Closely 

 allied to A. tarsimaculatus is A. argyritis, a comparatively rare insect. 

 The other species are forest and cacao-dwellers. A. bellator breeds in 

 the w^ater which accumulates in the leaf-axils of wild pine-apple, and 

 A. eiseni frequents the Northern Range, where its larvae live in pot- 

 holes of rocks and in the dry beds of streams : it has also been found in 

 tree-holes in Panama by A. H. Jennings. The MegarJtini are large- 

 and showy mosquitos, but in spite of their size they are harmlet;?, 

 subsisting on the nectar of flowers, especially those of Christmas-bush 

 and black sage. The larvae are very voracious and devour other 

 mosquito larvae found near them. M. trinidadensis is semi-domes- 

 ticated, being found in Port-of-Spain in water containing the larvae of 

 Stegomyia and Culex quinquefasciatus. Out of the town. M. trinida- 

 densis occurs in tree-holes, M. superbus and M. iris being confined to 

 wild pine-apple. Taeniorhynchus {Mansonia) tilill((ns is at times very 



