110 



colonies, north of Charleston, both west of Station I, a, and I, g. The 

 collections made (Nos. 20, 26, 42, 43) are as follows: 



Ambush Bug Phymata fasciata 20, 26 



Stink-bug Buschistus variolarius 26 



Black Blister-beetle Hpicauta pennsylvanica 26 



Noctuid moth Spragueia leo 20, 26 



Conopid fly Physocephala sagittaria 26 



Empidid fly Bmpis clausa 43 



Halictid bee Halictus fasciatus 26 



Myzinid wasp Myzine sexcincta 20, 26 



Ant Formica fusca subsericea 20 



It is important to know that these collections from Solidago were 

 made just as the flowers were beginning to blossom. Collections a few 

 weeks later would probably have given many more kinds. It should 

 be noted, too, that all these plants were far out upon the prairie and 

 far from woodlands — a factor which may influence to some extent 

 the kinds of visitors. As a rule the lists which have been published 

 state little or nothing at all as to the conditions in which the plants 

 were growing. If this factor is neglected, the presence of some vis- 

 itors remains puzzling. Thus on some goldenrods the locust beetle, 

 Cyllene robinice, is abundant; but this is conditioned in part by the 

 proximity of the yellow locust, which is absent on the Charleston 

 prairie. 



Phymata was found copulating upon the flower, and with an em- 

 pidid fly, Bmpis clausa (No. 43), in its grasp. Two kinds of galls 

 formed by insects were found on this plant : one formed by the fly 

 Cecidomyia solidaginis (No. 43), which forms a rosette of leaves; 

 and the other the spindle-like stem-gall, formed by a small caterpillar, 

 Gnorimo schema gallcssolidaginis (No. 7462 Hankinson). September 

 20 the moth Scepsis fulvicollis Htibn. was found in goldenrod flowers 

 near Station I, a. Its larva feeds on grass. A large noctuid larva, 

 Ciictdlia asteroides Guen., was found in a mass of flowers. As the day 

 was cloudy and cool, Scepsii was resting or sleeping on the flower 

 masses, as were also the black wasp Chlorion atratum Lep., and Pol- 

 istes — both the light form variatus Cress., and the darker one, pallipes 

 Lep. On October 23, 1893, I found the curculionid Centrinophus 

 helvinus Casey (det. H. F. Wickham) on goldenrod at Bloomington, 

 111. 



Needham ('98, pp. 29-40) has given a good popular account of 

 the insects associated with goldenrod, and Riley ('93, pp. 85-87) has 

 published an extensive list and given a number of observations on their 

 food habits. 



