1915] Lovell — Origin of Anthophily among the Colcoptera 81 



for, in Virginia, Banks collected 58 species on the flowers of Ceano- 

 thus, and Hopping reports 56 species taken on the same genus in 

 California. In Virginia, Chauliognathus was most common, while 

 hosts of small Mordellids, and Centrinus picumnus, Macratria 

 murina, Lappiis sturmii, Mycterus scaher, Isomira sericea, were 

 always abundant. Eighteen species of Cerambycidse were 

 obtained, and eleven species were taken at one patch of flowers 

 in less than an hour. In the flowers enumerated nectar is a more 

 important allurement than pollen, which is not produced in large 

 quantities. 



In Wisconsin, Graenicher collected 35 species of Coleoptera on 

 the capitula of the Composite, but the only genus on which they 

 were common was Solidago.^ In New England 30 species have 

 been taken on Solidago, 7 on Ewpatorium perfoliatum, 4 on Aster, 

 6 on Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum, 1 on Taraxicum officinale, 6 

 on Achillea Millefolium, and 1 on Diplopappus umbellatus. Where 

 the nectar is deeply concealed the beetles usually feed on pollen, 

 e. g., two species taken by Graenicher on the heads of Cirsium 

 lanceolatum, which has a floral tube 6 mm. long were both eating 

 pollen. In the New England list some thirty other flowers are 

 enumerated which are visited by beetles in small numbers. The 

 nectariferous species, as Salix, Daucus Carota, Zizia aureum, 

 Brassica, Rhus, Veratrum, Ranunculus, etc., for the most part have 

 the nectar easily accessible. 



Beetles also frequently visit flowers which are devoid of nectar, 

 to obtain pollen. Many anemophilous flowers are sought by 

 beetles in search of pollen, as the staminate cones of Pinus sylvestris 

 and Picea Abies''; numerous beetles, which devour the anthers as 

 well as the pollen, may be swept from the grasses; while others 

 have been collected on the inflorescence of the Cyperacese and 

 Juncacese. Cistela sericea was found by Frost on the aments of 

 Castanea, upon which two beetles were also taken by Knuth. 

 Flowers intermediate between anemophily and entomophily, as 

 Vitis and Plantago, are freely visited by Coleoptera. Beetles are 

 likewise common on conspicuous pollen flowers, as Rosa, Anemone, 

 Clematis, Adonis, Papaver, Hypericum and Sambucus; and not 

 always content with the pollen they may destroy the entire corolla, 



*Graenicheni S., "Wisconsin Flowers and Their Pollination," Bull. Wisconsin Nat. Hist. 

 Soc, Vol. 7, pp. 19-77. 



