ENTOMOLOGIST AM) BOTANIST. 



37 



Bug, Camel Cricket, &c. My conclusion is, 

 that if attacked next year by an army of those 

 terrible bugs we shall be at least able to show 

 fight; and we hope to receive " tactics," " regu- 

 lations," " general orders," &c., from the Bug 

 Master General. D. S. Holman. 



LuMiNOns (?) Leaf-hopper — Lancaster, Pa., 

 Oct. 10, 1870.— The article on page 335, in refer- 

 ence to " an electrical insect," reminds me of 

 another fact. I have often noticed apparent 

 electric sparks emitted from the end of the 

 abdomen of a common species of Tettigonia, 

 found on rose bushes and other vegetation in 

 gardens — perhaps -'r. obliqiia. "Whatever the 

 species may be, or whether this characteristic is 

 common to more than one species, at all events 

 I have often noticed it on dark, cloudy days, or 

 while the insect was overshadowed by an over- 

 hanging leaf. These flashes or scintillations 

 occurred about every five seconds, and con- 

 tinued at those intervals for half an hour, or, 

 indeed, until the insect was disturbed.. I have 

 never noticed them early in the season, but 

 towards the end of September and beginning of 

 October, when the insects were less active than 

 during warm weather. On bringing a magni- 

 fier down upon the insect, I found the tiny 

 flash to proceed from an almost transparent 

 member, which the insect quickly protruded 

 from the caudal segment, and as quickly with- 

 drew. This may be a common observation, but 

 I have never noticed any allusion to it in any of 

 my books on entomology. As I supposed this 

 efl'ect depended entirely upon the volition of the 

 insect, I never attempted to capture one and 

 place it on my hand to see whether it was ac- 

 companied by a corresponding shock. The 

 flash was quite as large and brilliant in propor- 

 tion to the size of the insect, as that of Photinus, 

 but not so yellow and not so prolonged, but 

 quick and bluish, like an electric spark. 



S. S. Rathyon. 



J[^The specimen inclosed by our correspondent 

 is^'Diedrocephala coccinea, Forst.,=D. i-vittata, 

 Say, a very pretty green, yellow and crimson 

 species, which is quite common on the Grape- 

 vine. No account of any such property in this 

 species has ever, to our knowledge, been pub- 

 lished; and as the species is so common, we 

 greatly incline to believe the light was seen by 

 Mr. Rathvou rather from a flash of the imagina- 

 tion than from a flash from the leaf-hopper. We 

 have observed hundreds of these insects, and 

 though they can hop around to the opposite 

 side of any object, almost as quick as a flash, we 

 have never seen the first sign of any luminosity 



about them. Upon corresponding on tbs eii'j 

 ject with Mr. P. R. Uhler, of Baltimore, Md., 

 who gives particular attention to the Homop^ 

 tera, we find that he is as incredulous as our- 

 selves about this luminosity. We make those 

 remarks in all seriousness, and hope that th'ey 

 will^have the effect to elicit the experience of 

 others. — Ed.] 



The Verbena Bud-Moth {Penthina FuUerea,. 

 Riley) in the West — IHrkwood, Mo., Nov. 9.— 

 While gathering seeds from our Anthirrhini nt 

 a few weeks since, I noticed that a numb' o 

 the capsules of one particularly choice vari- 

 seemed to be infested by some insect, and I i 

 ceeded to search out the depredator, wL^ 

 little mass of excrement indicated its pla' ^ 

 ingress and egress. As I was picking a-.' 

 very carefully, suddenly a little shining, b:.tc; 

 head was thrust through the opening, as !■' ; 

 inquire what was making such a d?sturl/a' 

 about its dwelling place, and presently i.l;s 

 tire lai-va made its appearance, giving' ue 

 good opportunity to observe it without the dan- 

 ger of injuring it there would have been in dis- 

 secting the seed vessel. Upon comparing its 

 appearance and habits with the figures and de- 

 scription on pages 204-5 of the American En- 

 tomologist AND Botanist I more than sus- 

 pected it was your P. Fullerea. A few days 

 after I discovered it this larva changed to pupa. 

 The cocoon was very slight, and could not be 

 said to enclose the elongate, brown chrysalis, 

 which protruded from the opening in the side 

 of the capsule. The Moth issued in the course 

 of two or three weeks, and proved to be, as I 

 had anticipated, Penthina .Fullerea. These 

 larvas seem to be very irregular in their devel- 

 opment in regard to time, some being at this 

 date (November 9th) not yet an eighth of an 

 inch in length, while others are full grown. 

 When bred in a jar they frequently change 

 from one capsule to another that is fresher ; and 

 they have the peculiarity of coming to the out- 

 side whenever they are disturbed, instead ot 

 shrinking further into the recesses of their habi- 

 tation, as we should naturally expect them to 

 do. This insect is very pretty and interesting, 

 but vrith the fate of Mr. Fuller's Tigridias and 

 Mrs. Treat's Verbenas in my mind, I cannot say 

 that I am very glad to note its appearance in 

 our Western flower gardens. 



Mart E. Murtfeldt. 



The Antigpa Butterfly — Ohio, Ills. — Ou 

 page 258 of "Packard's Guide to the Study of In- 

 sects," the chrysalis of this butterfly is described 

 as "dark brown, -with large tawny spots around 



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