THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



seem to belong together ; the same may be 

 said of Pezotettix nigrescens Scudd. and 

 Melanoplus clypeatus {Caloptemcs clypeatus 

 Scudd.) ; Pezotettix scudderi Uhler re- 

 sembles Melanoplus glaucipes Scudd. at a 

 further remove ; while not only is Pezo- 

 tettix enigma Scudd. apparently merely a 

 short-winged form of Melanoplus collaris 

 Scudd., but Pezotettix jucunda Scudd. is 

 perhaps only an impoverished form of the 

 same, with still shorter tegmina." 



Mr. Scudder first drew attention to the 

 fact that some of our so-called species of 

 Pezotettix are dimorphic forms of Caloptc- 

 nus, before the Entomological Section of 

 the Boston Society of Natural History at 

 its sitting, March 27, 1878. Though there 

 is no reference to our previously expressed 

 opinion on the same subject in either of 

 his communications, we think we can 

 rightfully claim priority in the conclusion, 

 as already in 1876 (see Missouri Entom. 

 Report VIII, p. 115, note), in discussing 

 the variation in different species of Acri- 

 did(B, we remarked : " During the past year 



have collected very largely of the com- 

 moner species in this Family, and I un- 

 hesitatingly assert that,. with few excep- 

 tions, minute relative measurements of 

 parts or minute colorational descriptions 

 from a few individuals are of little value ; 

 and that in Calopteni particularly, speci- 

 mens taken from the same locality show 

 such variation, and so connect with other 

 species through these variations, that there 

 is no proper way of defining except by the 

 average differences of large numbers. Not 

 only would many supposed species vanish 

 by this method, but many genera also ; 

 for I have good reason to show that in 

 several cases, species described under the 

 gcnm Pezotettix, are but short-winged forms 

 of Calopteni^ 



We have in our cabinet what are, beyond 

 much doubt, Pezotettix forms of Calopte- 

 nus femur-rubrum, C. differeniialis, C. bi- 

 vittatus, C. robustus, and finally C. spretus, 

 but the whole subject needs fuller treat- 

 ment by some competent authority, like 

 Mr. Scudder, who has the best knowledge 

 of these Caloptenoid forms. 



A Scale-insect on Maple, hitherto 



UNOBSERVED BY AMERICAN ENTOMOLO- 

 GISTS. — Miss Emily A. Smith of Peoria, 

 111., has in the April number of the N. A. 

 Entomologist, an extended article on Pseudo- 

 coccus aceris, a scale-insect that does con- 

 siderable damage to maples. She deserves 

 much credit for her careful and indefatigable 

 studies of this and other scale insects. 

 The paper has, however, many unpleasant 

 errors, most of them of a typographical 

 nature, for which the authoress is evidently 

 not to blame. She describes, under the 

 name of Acerophagus coccois, a parasite on 

 the scale insect. 



We quote what she says of the Coccid's 

 habits, with a few corrections of her own 

 making : 



When first hatched the young larvse remain 

 upon the leaf and beside the unhatched eggs of 

 the remainder of the egg-mass, and thrusting 

 their slender setie into the leaf, they commence 

 drawing the sap which sustains their life. There 

 is no uniformity with reference to the position 

 assumed by the newl)'-hatched insect, neither is 

 there a choice shown for any part of the leaf, 

 whether beside a vein or midway. They remain on 

 the lower side of the leaf, and do not settle on 

 the upper side even temporarily. When first 

 hatched there is no appreciable difference between 

 the larvrc, they are all of the same bright j'ellow 

 color before described, but soon after, a white sub- 

 stance issues from the body and gives the insects 

 a powdered appearance. Shortly after, red and 

 yellow ones are found. The insects which be- 

 come red are the males, and are of the same 

 length and width as the yellow ones, and the 

 appendages are similar, with the exception of 

 the antennre, which have seven joints instead of 

 six. The white coating appears upon these as 

 well as on the yellow ones or females. When 

 the number of insects upon a leaf becomes greater 

 than it can furnish food for, those first hatched 

 pass down the petiole to the stem in search of some 

 uninhabited leaf. After fifteen or twenty days 

 the insects have increased their size two-fold, the 

 bod)' has accumulated a quantit}' of food globu- 

 les, /. e. adipose tissue, until its thickness has also 

 increased, and the two seta: are coiled spirally on 

 each side of the head. There is nothing by which 

 a molt can be determined at this time, yet the 

 general appearance of the insect is changed. 

 This is more particularly true of the female larvae. 

 The spines upon the integument have become 

 stronger, and from each segment at the side from 

 three to five strong spines project, while the hairs, 

 except from about the head and anus, are more 

 rare. 



***** 



Soon after birth, the sex oi Pseudococciis aceris 

 can be determined by the difference in color ; the 

 females retaining the yellow color throughout 

 their entire existence, while the males as decidedly 

 retain the red color. They change but slightly 

 in structure, and the number of articles in the 

 antennae remain the same. They soon become 



