CATALOGUE OF INSECTS. 001 



equal width, the wings folded over the abdomen when at rest, the secondaries 

 with a broad anal lobe, making them wider than the primaries. The flies are 

 usually sluggish, and many of them may be picked from the plants on which 

 they rest with the fingers, making no attempt to escape. 



The larvae vary greatly in feeding habits, some forming galls, others live in 

 stems, a few in fruits, and some mine leaves, while the majority live openly 

 upon the plants on which they feed. In general they resemble caterpillars in 

 form, but have at least five pairs of abdominal pro-legs. Many have the habit 

 of curling the hinder portion of the body while feeding, and this is character- 

 istic. The general term " slugs " is applied to these larvae, and some of them 

 become seriously injurious. They are usually kept in check without much 

 trouble by using arsenical poisons or white hellebore, dry or in decoction, to 

 which they are peculiarly susceptible. Against some of the slimy forms dry 

 hydrate of lime or even very fine road-dust is satisfactorily available. 



In this series the list owes much to Dr. Dyar, who has bred many of the 

 species found near New York city and has very kindly permitted me to use his 

 notes. He has also looked over the manuscripts and verified the food plants 

 cited on his authority. 



Family LXXXIV XYELIDJE. 



Sub-family I MACROXYELINiE. 



MACROXYELA Kirby. 



M. ferruginea Say. New York (Ashm). 



M. aenea Nort. Staten Island, III (Ds), larva on elm (Young). 



MEGAXYELA Ashm. 



M. major Cress. Fort Lee on hickory (Dyar). 



ODONTOPHYES Konow. 



O. aviingrata Dyar. Ft. Lee, Plainfield on hickory and butternut (Dyar). 



Sub-family II XYELIN^E. 



XYELA Dalm. 



X. minor Nort. Riverton, IV, 17, Clementon, V, 19 (Jn), larva on pine 



(Dyar). 



Family LXXXV LYDIDJE. 

 LYDA Fabr. 



L. apicalis Westw. "North America" (Westwood). 

 L. discolor Cress. Canada to Nevada (Cress). 



