THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



87 



ENTOMOLOGICAL JOTTINGS. 



[We propose to publish from time to time, under 

 the above heading, such extracts from the letters of our 

 correspondents as contain entomological (acts worthy 

 to be recorded, on account either of their scientific or 

 of their practical importance. We hope our readers 

 will contribute each theirseveralmites towards the gen- 

 eral fund, and in case they are not perfectly certain of 

 the names of the insects, the peculiarities of which are 

 to be mentioned, will send specimens along in order 

 that each species may be duly identified.] 



The Handsome Digger WAsr as a Horse 

 GuAKV—Clarkwille, Texas, Aug. 10, 18G9.— I 

 scud you a large solitary wasp which is called 



[Fig. 57.) 



Colors— Black ami Cream- color. 



here the " Horse-Guard." They are true to 

 uame, for they play around horses and cattle, 

 and catch the horse-flies, -which they take to 

 their burrows to feed their youug. I dug out 

 a nest this afternoon wliich had five horse-flies 

 and but one larva. A. II. R. Bryant. 



[The specimen sent was the Handsome Dig- 

 ger Wasp (StizKs speciosus, Drury), a figure of 

 wliich we reproduce above (Fig. 57). It is the 

 habit of Digger wasps to deposit but one egg 

 in each of their burrows. The species in ques- 

 tion has long been known to provision its 

 nest with Grasshoppers, but we believe that 

 no species of the genus (Stizus) has hitli- 

 crto been recorded as using Horse-flies for 

 thiff purpose. There is, however, a more com- 

 mon genus of Digger "Wasps (Bembex) which 

 does provision its nest exclusively with Atheri- 

 cerous Diptcra (Horse-flies, etc.), and as some 

 species of Bembex are marked much like the 

 Handsome Digger Wasp, we have our suspi- 

 cions that Mr. Bryant has confounded these 

 insects, and has sent us one that was not really 

 doing this Horse-guard business. At all events, 

 wo shall be glad to hear from Mr. B. again on 

 this subject, because in a scientific sense it is one 

 of great importance. We have strong faith in 

 what has been called the Unil!/ of Habits in 

 insects, and the only two N. A. species of Sti- 

 zus, tlie habits of which are known ((/randis and 

 speciosus) provision their nests with Harvest- 

 flies (Cicada) and Grasshoppers.] 



A "LocDST Yeau" for Tennessee — Saran- 

 nah, Tenn., Dec. 2, 18G9. — While digging in an 

 Indian mound to-day I unearthed three Cicada 

 pupa). The)' were about nine inches below the 

 surface, and each had for himself a neat little 

 room about the size of a quail's egg. All were 

 as perfect and as lively as if just ready to shed 

 their coats. J. P. S. 



[Unless the pupa3 seen by our correspondent 

 were those of some species which makes an an- 

 nual appearance, we strongly suspect them to 

 belong to that brood of the l.'i-year Cicada which 

 is to appear in 1872. Thi.s is the Brood V. of 

 the Am. Entomologist (see Vol. I, p. 68), but is 

 equivalent to Brood VII. of our Missouri Ento- 

 mological Report, where, on the authority of the 

 late Dr. Smith, of Baltimore, Md., it is recorded 

 in De Kalb, Gwinnett and Newton counties, 

 Georgia, in 1846 and '59 ; in the northern part 

 of Tennessee also, in 1846 and '59; in the whole 

 eastern portion of Mississippi from the ridge 

 which is forty-five miles from the river, on the 

 west, to the eastern boundary, in 1820, '33, "46, 

 and "59; in Carrol Parish, Louisiana, in 18.09; 

 and in Philips countj', Kansas, in the same year. 

 The growth of this insect is so very gradual that 

 the pupre appear full grown for several years 

 before they really issue from the ground. We 

 dug up a number in the fall of 1868, in Union 

 county, Ills., which evidently belonged to this 

 same brood, and will not consequently issue 

 from the ground till 1872 ; and yet they could 

 then scarcely be distinguished from such as had 

 been dug up iu other parts of the Stale in the 

 spring of the same year, and which wei-c just 

 ready to transform. — Ed.] 



Parasitic Mites on the House-i'i.y— T7«e- 

 land, JSr. J., Oct. 22d, 1869.— I found a House-fly 

 the other day almost covered with minute red 

 parasites. They were under the wiiig.s, on the 

 abdomen and legs, and even in the cavity of the 

 mouth. I put the fly in a box, where it soon 

 died. I then introduced another fly, and after 

 a few hours, on opening the box, I fouiul that 

 many of them had fiistened themselves to this 

 second fly. I could see them distinctly with the 

 naked eye crawling about the box, as well as 

 on the fly. Mks. Mary Treat. 



The Tomato- worm — Vineland, JSf. J., Sept. 

 2Wi, 1869.— The other day I found a full-grown 

 tomato-worm (Sphinx 5-maculata) feeding upon 

 Ground ( Iherry (Physalis viscosa) ; and last 

 summer I found one feeding upon Matrimony- 

 vine (Lycium barbarum) . This makes at least 

 five difl'erent plants belonging to this Family 

 that I have found this larva feeding upon. 



Mrs. Mary Treat. 



