April 1S94-J 



PS re HE. 



60 



The genera Chlorioii Latr. aiul 

 Ckalybiou Dalilb. are very closely allied 

 in structure and color. Dr. Riley, in 

 the Rep. U. S. ent. comm., vol. i, 

 p. 33S. says: "A steel-blue species, 

 Chlorion coerit/eum, though ordinarily' 

 using spiders, also employs locusts." 

 This species, as far as my observations 

 in Florida go, instead of "ordinarily 

 using spiders" to provision its nest, in- 

 variably uses crickets, Gryllus and 

 allies. Tliis is also supported by Mr. 

 Coquillett's observations on it in the 

 West, who tells me he has taken it prey- 

 ing upon Gryllus htctuosiis; also by 

 Mr. Wm. H. Edwards's statement 

 quoted by Riley (1. c. supra, p. 319), 

 wlio took it inCoalburgh, W. Va., run- 

 ning about with a "hopper." 



We have here, therefore, a case of 

 mistaken indentity, as it is Chalybion 

 coeriileum Linn, and not the above 

 species that preys upon spiders. 

 Another curious error about this species 

 has also crept into our literature, and 

 is repeated ag;iin and again by our most 

 prominent entomologists, which is that 

 this also sometimes stores its cells with 

 Lepiilopterous larvae. This error prol)- 

 ably occurred by some one finding in 

 some of its cells Lepidopterous larvae, 

 and without taking time to thoroughly 

 investigate the matter, jumped to the 

 conclusion they were placed there by 

 the Chalybion, when in reality thev 

 were placed there by quite a ditleient 

 insect — an Odynerid or Eumenid. 



Tlrere can he. no doubt of this as I 

 have in three cases succeeded in rearing 

 the Odjnerid. 



Felopaeus cetne?itarius Drury, 

 widely distributed all over North 

 America, with three or four distinct 

 varieties, and known as the '-Mud- 

 dauber" also preys only upon spiders. 

 In another paper I hope to give a full 

 account of its life history and parasites. 



The genus Ainmophila Latr. preys 

 upon Lepidopterous larvae, or at least 

 all true Ammophilae. In our fauna, 

 I thiid< we have two distinct genera 

 confused. 



Anunophila sabidosa Linn. of 

 Europe, according to Latreille, pro- 

 visions its cells with caterpillars and 

 this agrees with the habits of the North 

 American Ammophilae. Westwood, 

 however, states that Shuckard observed 

 this same species "dragging a very 

 large inflated spider up the nearly per- 

 pendicular side of a sand-bank at least 20 

 feet high and whilst burrowing makes 

 a loud whirring buzz." Shuckard here 

 evidently mistook a species of Psani- 

 mophila for this insect, which at a dis- 

 tance very closely resembles one of 

 these insects. 



Walsh discovered his Amiiiopliila 

 pictipennis in southern Illinois pro- 

 visioning its nests with cut-worms and 

 I have seen it (.ioing the same thing in 

 the South. In the Pioc. ent. soc. 

 NVash., vol. ii, 1S91, p. 256, Mr. Theo. 

 Pergande has published at length some 

 interesting observations of his made 

 on Ammophila grypkus Smith, which 

 prey's upon the larva of Heterocainpa 

 subalbicans ; while in Ent. news, \ol. 

 iii, p. 85, Dr. S. W. Williston has 

 published similar observations on a 



