HACKBERRY BEETLES. 611 



one-half longer than wide, apical joint minute ; labial palpi apparently two-jointed, 

 basal twice as long as wide, apical minute. The body tapera from the large pro- 

 thoracic joint to the ninth, the last three joints slightly enlarged; tip of abdomen 

 rounded and subtruucate ; horny areas on dorsum, and venter of each joint as in 

 other allied larvse ; prothoracic joint thickly armed with yellowish hairs, especially 

 aboutthe anterior and lateral portions ; following joints sparsely armed with hairs 

 on the lateral portions; thoracic legs wanting. 



Pupa. — Female. Length, 15">™ ; diameter, 8™™. Color, yellowish-white. Viewed 

 from above, the first thoracic joint is widest and the second narrowest. The abdo- 

 men tapers regularly to the truncate tip ; abdominal joints 1 to 6 narrow, subequal; 

 seventh as long as wide and nearly as long as the three preceding together. Dor- 

 sum of joints armed with minute brownish points ; femora at tips armed with five 

 or six minute spines tipped with yellowish hairs. The wing-cases extend to the tip 

 of the fourth abdominal joint, posterior feet to tip of the seventh joint. The antennae 

 pass back of the femora of the two anterior pair of legs, turn at the tip of the wing- 

 cases, and reach in front to the base of the middle pair of legs. 



15. Thk Eyed Elater of the Hackberry. 



Alaus liisciosus Hope. 



Order Coleoptera; family Elaterid.e. 



This insect is hardly distinct from the common Eyed Elater {Almis 

 oculatus Linn.), and the larvae and pupse of the two species are practi- 

 cally identical. Some very slight differences occur in the armature of 

 the last segment of the larvoe, but these may be variable, and at any 

 rate are so slight as to be of no value in separating the two species. 



The common species is known to pass its growing stages in the 

 decaying wood of various trees and is mentioned by Dr. Packard on 

 page 424. 



On May 26, 1879, Mr. Schwarz found a larva of an Alaus under the 

 bark of Geltis texana at Columbus, Tex., which may be referred with 

 little doubt to A. lusciosus, as a perfect insect of this species was found 

 at the same place in July and August. 



16. The Celtis Bark-borer. 



Scolytusfagi Walsh. 



Order Coleoptera ; family Scolytid^. 



A whitish, thickened grub one-fourth inch long, occurring under the bark of 

 Celtis texana, boring partly in the wood and changing in July into a shining black 

 beetle about three-sixteenths of an inch long. 



This beetle was described by B. D. Walsh in the Practical Entomol- 

 ogist, vol. 2, p. 58, February, 1867, and the following statement was 

 made concerning its habits: " I obtained many specimens from south 

 Illinois from what I believe was a beech." 



Dr. Le Conte, in Rhynchophora of America, north of Mexico, gives 

 it, on the authority of Walsh, as depredating on the Beech, but the 

 above reference shows that this food habit can not be positively 

 asserted of it. 



I have examined the work of this insect under the bark of Celtis texana 

 in Texas, and Mr. Schwarz has collected it in large numbers at Colum- 



