poem ame 
Life Habits of Hispide. 
Dr. Horn, in describing the remarkable Hispid, Svenopodius flavidus 
(Trans. Am. Ent. Soc., vol. X, 1883, p. 301), suggests that from certain 
structural characters (apical thoracic margin with a depression each side 
apparently for reception of antennal club; tarsi not dilated, slender, 
claw-joint extremely long) that the species has a subaquatic mode of 
life. In a species coming from the arid regions of Arizona and Cali- 
fornia we would least expect such mode of life and we look forward 
therefore with interest toward future observations which may prove or 
disprove the correctness of Dr. Horn’s surmise. 
The few A/sf:d@ in our fauna of which the earlier stages, or at least 
the food-habits are known, are leaf-miners, the larva closely resembling 
in general appearance certain leaf-mining Zinerde (Lithocolletis) ; but 
the little we know of foreign species indicates a great diversity of life- 
habit in this family. The earlier stages of the few European species still 
remain unknown, but since A/spa a/ra is quite abundant it may be in- 
ferred that the larva would long ago have been discovered if it were a 
leaf-miner. Mr, Lucas (Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1884, Bull., p. V) de- 
scribes the larva of Oxycephala speciosa Boisd., from New Guinea. It 
resembles in appearance a Crustacean of the family Cymothide and 
covers itself with its shiny excrement in the manner of Crzoceris or Ble- 
pharida Moreover it is not leaf-mining but lives at the axils of the 
leaves of Pandanus. Another species, Leptispa pygmcea Baly, was found 
by Mr. G. Lewis, near Colombo, Ceylon, ‘‘resting on the stems of a 
small grass just above water; but if immersed, remained quiescent be 
neath it” (Entom. Month. Mag., vol. XXV, Sept., 1888, p. 94). This 
seems to indicate a subaquatic mode of life in the larva state, though 
in the genus Lep/ispa the tarsal joints are short and dilated. In this 
particular species, however, ‘‘the body beneath is covered with the close 
pilosity common to some insects, such as Donacie, which are indifferent 
to immersion in water.” 
To return to our own fauna, there is no indication that in the genera’ 
Odontota, Microrhopala and Octotoma the unity of habit is interrupted. 
They appear to be terrestrial and leaf-mining in the larva state, and so is 
in all probability the genus Charis/ena, but our Svenispas probably differ 
in habit. The imagos occur preferably on low, moist meadows or on 
plants near water and their larve are probably either root-feeders in 
moist ground or subaquatic like those of Donacia. J: 48.33: 
> 1 > y 
A Reclamation. 
In “Insect Life” No. 10, Prof. Riley adds some interesting infor- 
mation concerning P/atypsyd/us and figures both the larva and imago. 
He gives also a resumé of the literature, but whether intentionally or 
not, omits all mention of my paper (Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 1888) in 
which the larva is fully described and figured. ‘This omission is all the 
more inexcusable as the first public exhibition of the larva and my figures 
was made before the Entomological Society of Washington some time 
in March, 1888, Prof. Riley being present and taking part in the dis- 
cussion. Gro. H. Horn, M. D. 
