460 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [DeC, '15 



17, 18, 20, 2,2 and 24. Two specimens were, when taken, in 

 the next to the last instar preceding maturity ; these were the 

 last two to become mature. The species was very scarce but 

 widely distributed, all of the work undertaken on two days in 

 the pine woods being with the main purpose of securing this 

 insect. 



Gryllidae. 

 Scapteriscus abbreviatus Scudder. Musa Isle, III, 4 and 10, 1915, 

 (H.), 3 ,J, 5 9, 16 juv. in four last instars. 



The soft fat abdomen of this species is in life whitish and 

 distinctly paler than the hard portions of the insect. 



The present series was dug out of sandy soil in a grape 

 fruit grove during the afternoon. Individuals were found to 

 burrow but a few inches beneath the surface of the ground, 

 coming to the surface to feed beneath decaying grape fruit. 

 Scarcely any were seen in the burrows frequently disclosed 

 upon overturning grape fruit and these instantly disappeared in 

 the burrows. The series was taken by rapidly overturning the 

 soil in the vicinity of such debris and also in areas of scant 

 weeds and about the roots of grape fruit shoots. In many 

 places nothing was found, while in a few spots a number of 

 individuals would be exposed, though everywhere the ground 

 was tunnelled by these insects. 



Everywhere about Miami in sandy soil the insect, which 

 is locally called "cricket-mole", is said to do decided damage, 

 particularly to farm truck. One of the older inhabitants in- 

 formed the author that he remembered when these insects 

 were not found in this region and that they had been acci- 

 dentally introduced in manure from Key West. 



Ellipes minuta (Scudder). South of Brickell's Hammock, III, 3, 

 1915, (H.; scarce in salt marsh near border), 1 ^,1 $. 



These individuals have the wings concealed by the tegmina. 



Cryptoptilum antillarum (Redtenbacher). North edge of Brickell's 

 Hammock, Miami, III, 4, 1915, (H.; under bark of live oak 

 while searching for Obligacanthopus prograptus), i $ , i juv. 

 9 in last instar. Cape Florida, Key Biscayne, III, 12, 1915, 

 (H.; beaten from luxuriant vegetation in clearing), 1 juv. 

 $ in early instar. 



