2IO ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Sept., '05 



Colcoptcra at Light in Delaware. 

 By C. O. Houghton. 



The present list, aside from representing a part of the Coleop- 

 tera to be found at Newark, Delaware, may be of some interest 

 to the collector of beetles as illustrating what may be done by 

 means of collecting with a trap-lantern and the species which 

 are attracted thereto. It should also be of some value to the 

 economic entomologist for the latter reason, and it is princi- 

 pally on this account that the material has been worked up 

 and the data placed in shape for publication. 



During a part of the season of 1901, Prof. E. D. Sanderson 

 ran a series of trap-lanterns at Newark and at other places in 

 this State with a view of determining something relative to 

 their value from an economic standpoint. These lanterns were 

 of various makes and sizes, and an immense amount of mate- 

 rial was collected, hardly any of which has been worked up, 

 however, and concerning which nothing has as yet been pub- 

 lished. The writer has been working on the Coleoptera thus 

 taken at Newark, and this list embraces only those species 

 taken during one night, the 13th of June, 1901, in a Gillette 

 trap-lantern,* with reflectors. Carbon bisulphide was used as 

 a killing agent and all specimens were bottled in alcohol the 

 following morning. Prof. Sanderson's notes regarding weather 

 conditions for that night were " cooler and cloudy," the night 

 previous having been " quite warm." 



The question as to the value of trap-lanterns, from the 

 standpoint of an economic entomologist, is one that has been 

 much discussed during the past few years, and is one upon 

 which all entomologists do not agree ; and it would seem de- 

 sirable therefore that we have more data upon the subject 

 from various sections of the country. As is well known, cer- 

 tain species of beetles (to take the Coleoptera for illustration) 

 are strongly attracted to light, and at certain times these may 

 be taken in great numbers in trap-lanterns. This fact is well 



* For a description of this type of lantern see Proc. 9th Ann. Meeting 

 Assoc. Economic Entomologists, p. 75, and for illustration of whole 

 apparatus, Bui. 43 Colo. Agric. Expt. Sta., p. 22. 



