288 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION 



tergal portion, which is sparsely covered with hairs, the latter thicker along the 

 sides of the body. The body contracts iu width behind the fourth abdominal seg- 

 ment ; the upper side of each of the first six abdominal segments (corresponding to 

 those segments in the beetle) is raised into blister-like swelling, especially on the 

 fifth and sixth segments, which are much narrower than the four preceding segments. 

 These dorsal swellings are smooth and free from fine hairs. Abdominal segments 

 seven to nine convex above, not swollen, and the abdomen is narrowest between the 

 fifth and sixth segments. A pair of large spiracles on the mesothoracic segment, and 

 a pair on each of the first eight abdominal segments. 



AntenniB three-jointed ; the two basal joints being of the same length; the basal 

 one being one-third stouter than the second ; the third joint filiform, and one-half as 

 long as the second joint, and ending in two or three hairs. The thin membranous 

 labrum is divided into two parts, the basal solid, the terminal portion forming a 

 movable flap, overlapping and reaching nearly to the end of the mandibles when 

 olosed ; the basal portion is shorter than broad, being broadly trapezoidal and 

 smooth ; the outer division is broader than long, the edges being rounded so that it 

 is almost broadly ovate (transversely) and smooth, covered with long hairs. It is 

 pale membranous with a testaceous hue. Mandibles black, very thick and stout, with 

 obtuse, rounded edges; they are almost as long as the base is broad. Maxillae mem- 

 branous, flattened, maxillary palpi two-jointed. Labium membranous, with a trans- 

 verse chitinous band near the insertion of the two-jointed palpi; both joints short ; 

 second one-half as thick as the first ; edge hairy, the hairs reaching to the ends of 

 the palpi. Length of body .50 inch ; breadth of prothoracic segment, 4.2™'" ; 

 breadth of head, 3.2'"'", 



8. Sienosphenua novates (Olivier). 



This beetle is allied to Cylleae, but the punctures are sparse aud 

 coarse, the pubescence scanty, and the body is slenderer. It is said 

 by Riley (Amer. Eut., iii, 239) to have been cut from hickory wood in 

 March. 



The beetle. — Head small, narrow, with the front short and nearly vertical. It dif- 

 fers from Cyllene picia in the elytra being truncated at the tip and ending in two 

 spines. The thorax is rounded without spines or tubercles. The female antennae are 

 about as long as the body ; those of the male longer ; the legs are rather short. 



9. The hickory-twig girdler. 



Oncideres cingulatus (Say). 



Order Coleoptera; family Cerambycid^. 



Girdling and occasionally cutting off" the twigs and branches, a thick-bodied long- 

 icorn, dark gray beetle 0.60 inch long, with its wing-covers sprinkled over witb 

 faint tawny yellow dots. 



This singular beetle, which inhabits the eastern United States, 

 appears in Pennsylvania from the middle of August until the middle 

 of September. Fig. 113 represents the beetle and the incision it 

 makes, and Fig. 114, from a drawing sent us by the late Professor 

 Haldeman, shows how the beetle may injure several adjoining twigs. 

 The editors of the American Entomologist (I, p. 76) state that they 

 have counted in a persimmon branch, not more than two feet long, as 

 many as eight eggs, placed one under each successive side-shoot, 

 while they have found seven eggs all crowded together in a 



