1892. ] Flowers and Insects. 67 
VERBENA STRICTA Vent.— The plant is quite common. 
The stem rises from 5 to 10 dm. and bears numerous erect 
spikes of blue flowers. 
The corolla tube rises directly upward, bending outward 
above and joining the vertically expanded border, which is 
five-lobed and somewhat two-lipped, expanding from 6 to 12 
m. The tube is about 5 mm. long, is quite narrow and is 
closed at the mouth by a dense circle of hairs. 
The flowers appear homogamous and I see nothing to pre- 
vent an insect’s proboscis from carrying pollen from the an- 
ther back to the stigma of the same flower, though if the 
Proboscis is thoroughly dusted with pollen from another 
flower, cross-pollination may be more likely. 
Ihave found the flowers in bloom from June 15 to Sept. 
16. On nine days, July 9—Aug. 7, I observed the following 
Insects sucking the nectar:— 
_ Hymenoptera — Apidae: (1) Apis mellifica L. 3; (2) Bombus 
virginicus Oliv. 3; (3) Melissodes aurigenia Cr. 4; M. per- 
»plexa Cr. 49, ab.; (5) Ceratina dupla Say 9; (6) Epeolus mercatus 
os: Sphecidae: (7) Ammophila procera Klug. 
Lepidoptera— Rhopalocera: (8) Pieris protodice B.-L.; (9) 
P. rapae L. ; (10) Danais archippus F.; (11) Pamphila peckius 
Kby. ; (12) P. cernes B.-L.; (13) Pholisora catullus F.; (14) P. 
hayhurstii Edw. ; (15) Eudamus tityrus F 
iptera— Bombylidae: (16) Exoprosopa fasciata Mcq. 
ab.; Conopidae: (17) Stylogaster neglecta Will.; Syrphidae: 
(18) Eristalis tenax L. 
ERBENA HASTATA L.—-This plant is less abundant than the 
last, stows tallerand bears small spikes'and smaller blue flowers. 
. He border is 3to 5 mm. across and the tube 3 or 4 mm. 
in length. ; 
I have found it in bloom from July 12 to Sep. 23. On 8 
days, July 12—Sept. 7, the following insects were observed 
visiting the flowers for nectar:— 
Bon enoptera — Apidae: (1) Apis mellifica L. %, ab.; (2) 
ombus i 3 
Epeolus remigatus F.; Andrenidae: (5)A gapostemon radiatus 
Say 4; (6) Augochlora pura Say 4, ab.; (7) Halictus lerouxii 
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