JUNE 19, 1923 PROCEEDINGS: ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 259 
Dr. Aupricu stated that entomological courses in the larger universities 
had been changed considerably of late, and that only comparatively recently 
had any institution offered a course in taxonomy. This change in the curric- 
ulum of the larger universities should in time produce more taxonomists. 
The paper was also discussed by Messrs. HysLop, BRIDWELL, SNODGRASS, 
HeEInRIcH, and SASSCER. 
Second paper: Dr. J. M. Aupricu. A manuscript autobiography of 
S. W. Williston. Dr. AupricuH read the greater part of this manuscript 
which Dr. Williston wrote in 1916, about two years before his death. This 
dealt with the period of his childhood and early manhood and continued 
through a period of about eighteen years after graduating from college, 
during which he had a continuous struggle to obtain a foothold in science. 
355TH MEETING 
The 355th meeting was held February 1, 1923, in Room 43 of the New 
National Museum, with President Dr. L. O. Howarp, in the chair and 30 
persons present. 
Program: 
E. Graywoop Smytu: A trip to Mexico for parasites of the Mexican Bean 
Beetle. The speaker arrived in Mexico City on May 14th, 1922, and 
left there for the return trip on November 14th. Practically all studies and 
collecting were performed in the states of Morelos, Puebla and Vera Cruz, and 
the Federal District. In the lower altitudes, the beetle was not found in 
injurious numbers at the towns visited except at Cuernavaca. In the Federal 
District, on the high central plateau, there seems to be but one, and rarely two, 
generations of the beetle in a year, as in New Mexico, the first appearance of 
the adults being governed by the rainy season. Adults first appeared in early 
June, the first eggs during latter June, and the first larvae during the first 
week of July. Larvae were not large enough nor abundant enough to be 
injurious until the latter part of July. From that date on they thrived in 
abundance until October 9th, when a heavy frost killed all the bean plants in 
the Federal District. 
No parasite was found of either the egg or adult of Epilachna. The only 
parasite encountered was a Tachinid fly, of about the size of the house fly, 
which attacks the larvae. It is apparently of a new genus and new species, 
and is being named by Dr. Aldrich. What was apparently this same fly was 
found attacking a related beetle, Epilachna mexicana, that feeds on a wild 
plant of no economic importance. This Tachinid was found only at or near 
Mexico City and at Cuernavaca. The first puparium was reared from an 
Epilachna larva on August 31st, and from that date the flies increased in 
numbers until early October, by which time they were parasitizing from 30 to 
50 per cent of Epilachna corrupta larvae. It was not known why the flies were 
so late in making their appearance. 
A total of 1866 living puparia of this fly, or Epilachna larvae parastized by 
the fly, were shipped and brought to the States, and approximately 50 per cent 
of these are now being held in hibernation at the Birmingham Laboratory for 
the coming spring. About 90 per cent of these came from the Federal District, 
from a town called Coapa. The author believes that this fly, if successfully 
colonized at Birmingham, would spread rapidly and do much toward control 
of the bean beetle. 
Few predacious enemies were found, the only common one being a species of 
Stiretrus (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae), which was not sufficiently abundant 
to be of control value. A large number of egg masses of another predacious 
