December 1S9S.J 



FSYCHE. 



209 



DISSOSTEIRA IN COLORADO. 



On the evening ot July 21, this year, 

 locusts came from the west down into Colo- 

 rado Springs in countless numbers. Press 

 reports stated " at some places they were in 

 piles from seven to ten inches deep." Elec- 

 tric lights were not used for several evenings 

 afterward to avoid attracting those passing 

 over. Specimens sent by Board of Com- 

 merce of Colorado Springs to this depart- 

 ment showed the invading species to be 

 Dlssosleira longipennis. Engineers running 

 from Linion, Col., to Goodland, Kans., told 

 the writer that niglit trains encountered 

 locusts in great numbers on the tracks in 

 tlie vicinity of Arriba, Col., from July 23d 

 to 26th. It seemed evident that the rails 

 bv retaining heat longer at night than the 

 earth attracted the insects. From the num- 

 bers of Dissostcira longipennis found about 

 the engines coming into Goodland in the 

 morning from the west, it is safe to sa3' 

 that tlie above was the predominant species. 

 S.J. Hunter. 

 University of Kamas. 



Callidryas eubule has been flying in 

 Xonquitt, Mass., in September. The butter- 

 flies were too numerous and too fresh to be 

 strays, and must have been there as larvae. 



Caroline G. Soule. 

 Brooklinc, Oct. ij. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE CLUB. 



14 October, 1S9S. The 203d meeting of 

 the Club was lield at 156 Brattle St., the 

 President in the chair ; Mr. J. W. Folsom 

 was chosen secretary pro teni. 



Mr. A. M. Mayer gave an interesting 

 account of the Dry Tortugas, where he had 

 spent the summer, and exhibited a small 

 collection of insects which he had captured 

 upon the islands, where insects are compar- 

 atively scarce. Heraclides cresphontes., Cal- 

 lidryas eubule and Anosia plexippus occur 



as visitors only, as well as several Cuban 

 moths; most of these are brought to the 

 islands by northeast or south winds. A 

 sphingid larva allied to Deilephila was seen, 

 a single species of cricket and certain small 

 Odonata. A Carabid occurs, often in enor- 

 mous swarms, and Schistoccrca amcricana 

 is abundant. A small, green mantis is said 

 to occur ever_\- \enr. 



The distribution and habits of these 

 insects were discussed. 



Mr. S. II. Scudder showed a large series 

 of Melanopli, representing new species 

 which had appeared since his Revision was 

 written. A large number belong to the 

 genus Mrlanopliis alone; fourteen were 

 taken in California and Oregon by Mr. A. 

 P. Morse and several in Colorado by Mr. 

 C. F. Baker; others are from Arizona. 

 Three peculiar and closely allied species 

 come from Oregon and three more which 

 are remarkably alike in the coloration of 

 the hind femora but quite unlike in other 

 respects were taken in the San Francisco 

 Mts. 



A paper was read for Mr. Geo. B. King, 

 of Lawrence, Mass., who states that Ripersia 

 lasii Ckll. was discovered June, 1S96. in 

 various ant nests in Massachusetts. Since 

 then much time has been spent in search of 

 its food plant and without success until the 

 nth inst., when it was found feeding at the 

 roots of China asters, attended by Lasius 

 americanus Em. Nearly all the plants in the 

 bed were found to have a herd of these Coccids 

 attached to their roots and in every instance 

 the ant was present with them. There were 

 also found, on some of the roots, three species 

 of Aphids, usually found in ant nests in the 

 vicinity of Lawrence: Aphis maidi-radicis, 

 Siliizoneiira corni and Pemphigus sp. The 

 paper will appear in Psyche. 



Mr. Scudder read extracts from letters 

 which he had received : Mr. James H.Johnson, 

 of Peterboro, N. H., reports the occurrence 

 of Eiicroma maia upon Spiraea silici/olia, 

 or " hardback " ; also the capture, by himself. 



