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Phloeophagus spadix, Herbsi. 

 By Wh.i i\m JiJLicH. 



Collecting on Rockaway Bcac' I, L. I., June i8ih, last year, among 

 the driftwood, I turned over board, lialf imbedded in the sand and thor- 

 oughlv soaked with salt water. The hoard laid within the line of the 

 high tide and must have been under water several hours every day for 

 some time. Crawling on it were a few small, dark brownish Curculios 

 which reminded me very much at the time of Elassopies ffiaritius, Horn, 

 which I found under similar circumstances at the Pacific coast. Upon 

 closer examination of the board— pine, about 2 inches thick, rotten and 

 wormoaten — I succeeded in cutting out about ^o lieetles, and a number 

 of larvae and pupae ; the larvoe as livelv as crickets, 3 to 4 uim. long, of a 

 yellowish white color, head considerably darker. '^''^1 mandibles brown. 

 On each side of the first three segments they had, on small wart-like pro- 

 jections, a very small leg. The beetle proved to be Phkvophagus spadix, 

 Herbst, a European species, not before found in this country to my 

 knowledge. This capture I consider especially interesting as it shows 

 how some of these importations are landed.^ 



A board infested and wormeaten is thrown over board as useless and 

 washed ashore, where the involuntary passengers take to the wing to seek 

 conditions to suit them, or accomodate themselves the best way they can, 

 or perish, if not capable of doing so. The astonishing tenacity of life, 

 peculiar to Curculios, enables them to outlive unfavorable conditions 

 which would kill a great many other insects, especially in the larval state, 

 and accounts for the great number of RhynchophoridEe " naturalized" to 

 our fauna. 



In order to indentify this species, if it comes under the observation 

 of our collectors, I give the synopsis of Dr. Horn of the three species 

 now known to belong to our fauna. 



Elytra oval, humeri broadly rounded. 



Thorax very densely and coarsely punctured, elytra! stride broad, coarsely and 

 deeply punctured, 4 mm spadix. 



Elytra oblong, sides straight, humeri distinct. 



Thorax densely punctured, elytral strife deep, coarsely, serrately punctured, 

 3 mm apionides. 



Thorax sparsely punctured, elytral stride broad, not deep, punctures coarse, not 

 serrate, 2 mm minor. 



The two species described by Dr. Geo. H. Horn appear to be un- 

 common, and all the specimens I have found I cut out of dead Ash. 



