222 



PSrCHE. 



[October — Deceinlter iS*^^. 



sticks ol wood. Supposing it to be a little weevils take up their positions at 



beetle, I looked carefiillv and found a the joints of the elder stalks, and thus 



specimen of Acantliodcres qiiadrigih- easily pass for leat-huds just appearing, 



^//.y, apparently lifeless, hut lively enough and still enveloped in their dark red 



as soon as I picked it up. (ncarlv hlack) outer coverings. This 



This species almost invariably drops is a jerv interesting and efrccti\e decep- 



vvhen approached. In color it assim- tion. 



ilates so well with the whitened l)oards, I took thirty-si.\ specimens oi Ji/io- 

 or other old, weathered pieces of wood do/>acf///s jj-pmictatiis. These show 

 to which it may be clinging, that it is considerable variation in the elvtral 

 often difficidt to detect it. The habit markings. Twenty-three have the thir- 

 of dropping and remaining perfectly teen spots more or less clearly defined ; 

 motionless for a short time has been eleven have the two posterior and inner- 

 acquired by many coleoptcra as a means medial spots united in one marking 

 of escape from some of their manv extending over both elvtra ; one has the 

 enemies. But in this instance the beetle. two posterior, inner-medial and anterior 

 instead of escaping, drew mv attention spots united in one large marking, leav- 

 right upon it by this habit. ing only the (;nter-medial on each 



When Mecas inoniaia sees anv one ehtron in its normal form, and having 



approaching towards it, at some distance, the midiile and two posterior protho- 



it generallv takes wing and flies a long racic spots united, leaving the shield 



vvavs ; but if one is verv near and about three-marked; and one is well defined, 



to capture a specimen it usualh diops ii -punctate, having none of the spots 



and feigns death. united, but with the two outer-medial 



Plagiodera scripta was abundant in entirely wanting, 

 all stages on some Cottonwood or pop- One day I noticed an individual of 

 lar sprouts \_Popnhis ii/on/7/fcra'\ this species upon a plant that had been 

 along a ditch on a plantation. The ovi nun b\ a ]5art\' irt" ants. Tiie wee\il 

 editors of tlie American eiitoinologist vvas running up and down trying to 

 have illustrated several variations in the escape from its hvmenopterous enemies, 

 elvtral markings of this species.'' I5nt wiiich l<e])t i uniiiug over it and attacU- 

 oflhe forty-three specimens taken bv '"g i'- Alltheuhile it ga\e forth an 

 me in Louisiana everv one is of the agreeable scent verv similar to pepper- 

 normal form. 1 did not notice that the miiit : agreeable to me. but peiha])s 

 species injured anv jilanted cottonw(jods not to the ants, to repel whom it might 

 here at this time. liave lieen intended. 'J'he scent ditl 



On stems of elder \_Savihiiats\ "ot seem to arrest the progress of the 



(also taken on young poplar or cotton- ;mts in the least, and the "sheath-wing" 



wood sprouts) the little black Chalco- would probably ha\ e succumbed to the 



dcnnus acneus was quite abundant. ■•vtin-w ings" in the end. had I not 



These hard, finelj- punctured, chunky rescued the former for my collecting 



* Amcricin entfiniologist, l8So, v, 5, p, 160. uOllK. . 



