Vol. Xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. IO3 



of wind makes a great difference in the number of bees and 

 flies, and a high degree of humidity lessens the abundance of 

 insects, especially flies. Yet a hot spell after a mid-day shower 

 has several times brought out a host of species, where before 

 the shower there were but comparatively few visitors. The 

 Hymenoptera are usually at their best from 11 till 2, the flies 

 are often abundant till 5 or 6, while the small crane-flies and 

 mosquitoes occur at twilight. 



In this vicinity the Ceanothus usually begins to bloom before 

 the 15th of June, and commonly there is little left by the Fourth 

 of July; but each season has its peculiarities, and the location 

 and exposure make much difference. 



The list, as one will readily see, contains an abundance of 

 common forms, but also many species that are considered rare. 

 Some insects recorded, doubtless just happened to be there, 

 but others, even parasitic and phytophagous species, seem to 

 love to be in a crowd, and were captured on various occasions 

 although there is apparently no reason for their visiting the 

 flowers. The greatest variety of forms is among the Hymen- 

 optera, the beetles come next, and then the flies. Bees form 

 the great bulk of the Hymenoptera, and several species were 

 often present in hundreds of specimens. For the names of 

 these and some other Hymenoptera I am much indebted to 

 Prof. T. D. A. Cockerell, and to IMessrs. Crawford, Viereck, 

 Rohwer, Lovell, and Swenk. Mr. Schwarz has kindly deter- 

 mined the Coleoptera. I have not listed the Lepidoptera ; they 

 are comparatively few in numbers, although a Thyris was 

 sometimes fairly common. 



The insect visitors of Ceanothus in Illinois have been re- 

 corded tjy Mr. Robertson in the Botanical Gazette, vol. XX; 

 he obtained 48 Hymenoptera, 45 Diptera, 13 Coleoptera, 4 

 Hemiptera, and 2 Lepidoptera, all on the flowers. Mr. Hopping 

 has given (Entom. News, 1899, pp. 162-5) a list of the beetles 

 found on Ceanothus in California, 56 species; and Mr. Morris 

 (Can. Entom. 1909, pp. 416-417) writes of Coleoptera taken 

 on Ceanothus in Canada, only a few mentioned by name. There 

 are many isolated records in various lists, while a considerable 

 number are to be found in Smith's List of New Jersey insects. 



