44 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Februarj" 



At Tularosa,X. M., this ta'.l, I was surprised to find great num- 

 bers of a Melanoplus quite uew to me, SilWed to Jf. biviltatii.9. It 

 proves to be J/ Ihomasi: (Scudd.Revis, Melaiiopli,p, 368,) a species 

 only known hitherto by a siusle male captured by liruner in the 

 State of Durango, Mexico ! Its habits are quite like those of differ- 

 entudi's a.nd hivittatus^^o it will undoubtedly prove injurious. The 

 specimens were taken in the yard at the back of the hotel, where 

 grape vinesand fruit trees were cultivated The genuine M bivitta- 

 tus is common enough in New Mexico iu the Transition Zone, as at 

 Santa Fe, but is never seen at the lower levels. 



T. D. A COCKEREI-L. 



Megetra vittata injuring sugar beets -Now that so mucli 

 interest is being taken in sugar beets, it may be w^orth while to re- 

 cord that Mr. C E . Mead &eut me two specimens of this curious 

 Meloid on Sept. 3, with the information that they were injuring 

 sugar beets at Aztec, N. M. The specimens differ slightly from the 

 form of the insect found in the Organ Mts , N. M., in that the dull 

 orange marks on the elytra are confined to the subcostal region, in- 

 stead of forming a well marked network covering the greater part 

 of the elytra T. T). A- Cockerell. 



We are accustomed to hear of large spiders coming from tropii;al 

 regions in bunches of bananas. The ordinary statement about these 

 spiders is that they are "tarantulas." The genuine "tarantulas" 

 belong to the family Theraphosidae. and the known habits of these 

 spiders are not such as would lead one to suppose that ihey would 

 seek shelter in banana bunches. " Tarantulas" are ground spiders 

 and rarely climb trees. So it is not surprising that the large spid- 

 ers found occasionally in bunches of bananas prove to belong to 

 quite diti'erent groups. 



During the past few years I have had several large spiders sent me 

 that were taken from bananas. These spiders belong to two species. 

 The larger and heavier one is Ctenus ferns Perty. The family 

 (Jtenidse is a small one. and by most arachuologists considered close 

 to the common Lycosida». They are wandering spiders, making no 

 web, and are often found on trees Two species occur in our South 

 ern States This particular species was first known from Brazil, but 

 is now known to inhabit various parts of South and Central Amer- 

 ica. It has been sent me from Albany, N. Y., New York City, Ft. 

 Collins, Colo., {ind lately I have seen a specimen from Corvallis. 

 Ore. It has stout jaws, long legs and a hairy body, so it is probable 

 that most of the " tarantulas" from bananas are referable to this 

 species 



The other spider 'CJit me as occurring amoiig bananas is iletera- 

 podd remttoria \A\m , the .so-called huntsman spider, a common 

 inhabitant of all tropical countries. Specimens have been .seen from 

 New York City and Corvallis, Ore. This spider belongs to the 

 family Sparnssida?, closely related to the Thomisidae. They spin no 



