236 



THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



eter of abdomen, when fresh, about o.og ; that of 

 the male narrowly fusiform — of the female cyl- 

 indrical. Alar expanse, 0.80. The primaries 

 cleft one-third of the distance from outer margin 

 to base. Secondaries trifid, first cleft extending 

 two-thirds from outer edge to base ; second cleft 

 from margin to base. Color of primaries ashy- 

 buff, somewhat variable in shade, with a brown- 

 ish hue toward the tips. At the angle of the fis- 

 sure is a small, but distinct round, black, or fus- 

 cous spot. 



Secondaries yellowish drab color, with a pecu- 

 liar silken lustre and texture. Cilia3 concolor- 

 ous with general surface. Under surfaces of 

 both primaries and secondaries lustrous ashy- 

 brown. 



Thorax cream-white in some specimens, with 

 three faint longitudinal stripes of pale brown. 



Face, back of head and neck pale brown, apex 

 cream-white. Palpi short and sub-cylindrical, 

 with an obscure notch near the tip — buff, with 

 outer border fuscous, especially at tips. Anten- 

 nse with very short pubescence, of a buff color, 

 faintly annulated with pale brown. Eyes vary- 

 ing from olive-green to dull black. Fore and 

 middle legs cream-white, with fuscous shadings 

 on under side. Tibiae of fore legs thickened at 

 lower end. Hind legs cream-white, tibise cylin- 

 drical, first pair of spurs slightly unequal. Ab- 

 domen distinctly striped with fine, dull-brown, 

 longitudinal lines on cream-white ground. 



This species breeds on the Iron weed 

 ( Vermmia 7iovcl>oracensis). It is double- 

 brooded ; the spring brood feeding on the 

 tender terminal leaves, while the autumn 

 brood feeds almost exclusively on the flow- 

 ers. The larva spins no web until ready 

 to change ; nor does it roll the leaves, or 

 bore into the flowers ; but may be found 

 extended openly on the surface of the 

 leaves or flowers. The eggs are deposited 

 singly. They are spherical, of a greenish 

 white color, and about 0.02 in diameter, 

 with a smooth, glossy surface. 



THE MINOR AMBROSIA PLUME — -CEdcinato- 



phorus ambrosiae, n. sp. 



Lama : Length, 0.35 ; diameter, o.og. Form 

 depressed. Color pale greenish gray, with ver)' 

 characteristic dark markings and lateral tufts of 

 long, white, silken hairs. Head small, light 

 brown, corneous, retractile. Segment i with a 

 dilated, partially free, shield-like collar covering 

 top and projecting over the head. The orna- 

 mentation of this collar consists of five central 

 minute brown dots, with four still smaller black 

 ones on each side, from each of which proceeds 

 a short, curved bristle. The projecting edges 

 are fringed with soft, light hairs. Segments 2 

 and 3, gradually broadening backward, orna- 

 mented on dorsum with two oblong, pale-brown 

 spots on either side of a triangle of very minute 

 black dots, and having a larger black dot on 

 each outer side. Two short bristles arise from 

 each of the more conspicuous spots. Abdominal 

 segments, each with four, somewhat elevated, 

 brown spots, from which proceed single, short, 

 backward-curving bristles. Between the poste- 



rior pair of brown spots are two smaller black 

 ones, each of which forms the base of a very 

 short clubbed piliferous process, which turns 

 backward, resting flat upon the surface. 



The stigmata are annulated with black, and 

 obliquely above and forward of each are two 

 small brown dots. The lateral tufts are below 

 the stigmata, and each is composed of from seven 

 to nine long hairs, which, under the lens, are re- 

 motely pectinate. A little above and back of 

 each of these tufts is a semicircle of fine, scale- 

 like bristles. The prolegs are very short. 



Pupa: Length, 0.25. Swollen and blunt an- 

 teriorly. Color pale fulvous, with a roseate hue 

 on dorsum. Dorsal surface beset with tufts of 

 dingy hairs, with a lateral fringe of single 

 straight hairs, which serve to secure it more 

 firmi)- to the mat of silk upon which it rests. 

 Dorsum marked, near the head, with two large 

 dull-brown spots, and an indistinct longitudinal 

 stripe of same color on the abdomen. On either 

 side of the thorax is a small, velvet}' dark brown 

 dot. 



Imago : Length, 0.33; alar expanse, 0.55. Ground 

 color of primaries pale ochreous-cinereous, with 

 an irregular intermixture of fuscous scales. On 

 the costa of the outer third are two distinct dark- 

 brown longitudinal marks, with a less strictly 

 defined one at the angle of the fissure. Apex 

 darkly shaded, the dark brown color predomi- 

 nating in the ciliae of the lower edge of the supe- 

 rior division. Secondaries lustrous cinereous, 

 with faint purplish reflections. Upper fissure 

 extending two-thirds from apex to base ; lower 

 fissure from outer edge to base. Face, neck and 

 palpi tawny, the latter small, cylindrical. An- 

 tennae cinereous, obscurely ciliated with brown. 

 Eyes dull olive-brown. Thorax dingy cream- 

 white. Anterior and middle legs cinereous, with 

 fuscous shadings; tibix slightly enlarged at lower 

 ends, spurs prominent. Posterior legs cream 

 color, with brown spots at the juncture of the 

 spurs ; tarsal joints also annulated with brown. 

 Spurs nearly equal, darker beneath. Abdomen 

 cylindrical, or slightly fusiform ; joints fringed at 

 posterior edges with elavate scales. 



This pretty little species is rather rare 

 in the vicinity of St. Louis ; but more 

 abundant further South. 



It feeds on the Rag-weed {^Ambrosia ar- 

 tcmisicefo/ia), and I have only found it late 

 in the season. 



I have distinguished it as the " Minor 

 Ambrosia Plume," because Zeller's inqui- 

 natus — a somewhat larger, though very 

 similar species — feeds on the same plant. 



THE COLEOPTEROUS PARASITES OF THE COM- 

 MON HICKORY (Carfa tomentosa). 



DV JOHN L. LECONTE, M. D.* 



During the past two years some hickory 

 trees on the country-seat of a friend, situ- 

 ated near Philadelphia, became diseased to 

 such an extent that they were cut down 



* Read before the Entomological Club of the A. A, A. S. 



