ir6 SECOND REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Microdon globosus (Fabr.). 



(Ord. DiPTERA : Fam. Svrphid^.) 

 Mulio globosus Fabr. Syst. Antl., 1805, p. 185, Xo. 7. 

 8 ■ utellifjo'a ammerlandia Spi\.: Ablidl. Acad. Muencli., 1S24, ix, p. 1.* 

 Parmula corciformis y. Heyden: in isis, 1828, p. 1217; in H. Sclioef. Correspond- 



enz blatt, ii, 1861, lOo.- 

 Microdo )i globoft us WiKDKU ANN: Aussereurop.Zweif. Ins., ii, 1830, p. 86, No. 11. 

 Diiiieraspift podagra Newman: iu Ent. Mag., v, 1838, p. 373. 

 Aphritis globosus Mx.cqvx'R'T:: Dipt. Exot., ii, pt. ii, 1841, p. 13, pi. 1, f. 4. 

 Microdon globosus. Packard: Guide Stud. Ins., 1869, p. 398, f. 17. — Glover: MS. 



Notes Journ.-Dipt., 1874, p. 32, pi. 8, f. 30.— Ostex Sacken: iu Bull. 



Buff. Soc. Nat. Sci., iii, 1877, p. 41; Cat. Dipt. N. Amer., 1878, p. 119.— 



Mann: in Psyche, iii, 1882, p. 379. 



This species will serve to illustrate the great variety of forms that 

 prevails in the early stages of the different genera of this extensive fam- 

 ily. In Fig. 24 the curiously spherical larva, the puparium and the per- 

 fect insect are shown, as given in Packard's Guide. 

 So unusual and remarkable are the larval and 

 pupal forms of this insect, that the latter has twice 

 been referred to a different class of the animal 

 kingdom, and described among the Molluscs, as a 

 land snail, viz., by Hayden in 1823, as a species 

 .of Parmidd, and by Spix in 1824, as a Scutel- 

 ligcra (see synonymy above). One of the puparia 

 was received by me in the month of April, from 

 Mr. C. M. Weed, of Lansing, Mich. From having 

 been apparently dried before placing it in alcohol, 

 it was hardly recognizable when it came to hand, 

 « UKM''iM~»riuTrt'he^^^^^^ ^^ ^^'^^ identified by Dr. Hagen, to whom I am 



ant'rio7vipw\?Mhe pn^ ^Iso indebted for portions of its synonymy. It 



f, tho larva .just before impa- ,1, j- ,, attii- ii ij 



tioti (enlarged from Packani). had been tound by Mr. Reed m an old and de- 

 caying log, with some ants. Dr. Packard states that it occurs under 

 sticks, in company with shells. 



Associated with Ants. 



From its association in old wood with ants, in the above instance, it 

 is of interest to recall the occurrence of an European species, Microdon 

 apifonnis, in ants' nests, and also that some of the larvse of the 

 SijrpUidcB are known to live parasitically in nests of bees. 



Microdon trisiis Loew, a New York species, and also extending far 

 northward into British America, has been observed by Dr. Williston 

 while flying about ants' nests. 



* Dr. Hagen, in making coi reclions to the proof of synonymy, has written : "v. Heyden 

 and Spix belong to tin; European specie.^, Microdon inutabilis and not to M. globosus, but 

 they are the lirst uutliors for the eailier stages." 



