1896.] Entomology. 155 



likely to be correct, the majority of them probably immigrated west- 

 wards of the commencement of the pleistocene periods, for they must 

 be of great antiquity ; moreover it is unreasonable to suppose that many 

 of the species could have existed also in the south of Europe, even at 

 the climax of the glacial period. According to the same authority only 

 8 species have been derived from Africa, and 39 from Asia south of 

 Siberia. These must have immigrated into the south European pro- 

 vince of the palearctic region after the termination of the glacial period 

 as they belong to genera and types of tropical distribution. At the pre- 

 sent day they occur in those countries bordering on the Mediterranean 

 Sea. 



The glacial species of butterflies — that is the most ancient forms, 

 designated by Weismann "the original stirps " — are in many cases 

 distinguished by their melanic and melauochroic tendencies. We thus 

 find the forms inhabiting the more northern localities and the higher 

 elevations on the mountains often of a darker hue, while their repre- 

 sentatives in more southern latitudes and less elevated altitudes ex- 

 hibit a brighter coloration. 



North American Aphelininae.— As the first of a technical series 

 of bulletins to be issued by the Division of Entomology of the U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture, Mr. L. O. Howard publishes a Revision of 

 the Aphelininae of North America. Regarding the biology of the 

 group Mr. Howard writes : The insects of this subfamily are all, so 

 far as we know, parasitic either upon the Coccidse, Aleyrodidae, or 

 Aphididae. They are evidently many brooded, and issue from their 

 hosts indifferently throughout the warmer months of the year, and 

 through the winter on the insectary. With the Aleyrodidae, Aphididae, 

 and the Diaspinae among the Coccidse, but one specimen apparently 

 issues from a single host. Sufficient observations have not been made 

 upon the early stages of the Aphelininae. Their larvae feed both upon 

 the body of the scale insect and upon the eggs. They attack both sexes 

 of the host, issuing when full-grown through circular holes, cut through 

 the body walls, and, in the case of the Diaspinae through the scale. 

 With the scale insects of the genus Pulvinaria, the aphelinine larvae 

 live within the body of the female and not in the waxy egg mass which 



News.— A List of Night- flying Moths from Kentiu 

 by Prof. H. Garman in the 7th Report of the Expei 

 that State. 



