■84- 



Society News. 



Brooklyn Entomological Society. June 2d, 188fi. — Twelve members 

 present. Mr. E. A. Scbwnrz, of Wasliington was proposed as a member of the 

 Society by Mr. Smith and on motion was duly elected. Mr. Hulst read u short 

 extract from a paper by Prof. Fernald, recommending for sugaring molasses 

 only, without any admixture of beer or rum. TVIr. Weeks read a paper from Mr. 

 H. B. Moeschler, on the American species of Uietheisa,* and another from Mr. J. 

 B. Smith on some peculiar characters in some (J' Areliids4 He also read a short 

 note on his experience in collecting under decayed turnips, and a life history of 

 Botis ei'ectalis. After some general discussion and exhibitions of specimens the 

 meeting adjourned until September. 



Entomological Society of Washington. June 3, 188G. Mr. Smith exhili led 

 male specimens of Leucarctia acraea and Pyrrharciia Isabella with a peculiar in- 

 flated process extruded between the 7th and 8th ventral segments of the abdo- 

 men and described the structui-e and how discovered.** 



Mr. Schwarz spoke on an observation made by Mr. Smith and himself 

 during the month of April in regard to a new food-plant Pieris rapce; egg and 

 young larv£e having been found on Barbarea vulcjaris. He thinks that the first 

 annual generation of this Pieris is passed upon some wild Cruciferous plant and 

 that Barbarea viihjaris will be found to be one of the principal food-plants of the 

 larvae thus early in the season . 



Mr. Lugger made some remarks on introduced Coleoptei'a. A few speci- 

 mens of the European Aphodins erratlcus were first found by him in 1878 in the 

 droppings of the Virginia Deer in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Md. Since that 

 time the species has spread and is now so common in all sorts of excre- 

 ments that it has actually replaced the formerly common A. fimetarius. A spe- 

 cimen of A(jra cenea, a native of Surinam and a number of South American Cer- 

 ambycidce were foiind at Baltimore, but invariably in the vicinity of the wharfs. 



Mr. Lugger further described the fertilization of the common Lady's Slipper 

 Ciipripedbim acaule by a species of Andrena, and also mentioned the fact that 

 the seeds of the Hard Maple, so numerous in the Smithsonian Grounds, were 

 this year uniformly sterile. He attribtites this phenomenon to the inclement 

 weather during the flowering season which prevented bees from visiting the 

 flowers. 



A number of smaller communications followed: Mr. Lugger on a case of 

 faulty instinct in a Tachina fly which had oviposited upon the hard body of 

 Rhodobcenus IS-punciatns^ Dr. Marx on the occurance of the European Epeira 

 diademata in Minnesota, Mr. Howard on the muscular force exhibited by a spe- 

 cies of Canthon; Mr. Schwarz on the abundance of several species of Lachnos- 

 terna during the present season, and on the Braconid parasite of Pissodes sirobi; 

 Mr. Howard on Epicauta chierea being attracted by light; Mr. Smith on the 

 blistering power of one of our common Meloids. 



* See ante p. 65. t See ante p. 79. 



** For more detailed description and figures see p. 79 ante. 



