4 BULLETIN 417, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Carabus, in which they were included by Linnaeus, until Friedrich 

 Weber, in 1801/ subdivided the Linnsean genus Carabus into Carabus 

 and Calosoma. The characters of the latter genus are presented 

 verbatim below: 



(Calosoma)* 



Weberi. 



E. Carabis Fabr. Linn. 



Lahrum breve, late emarginatum, corneum. 

 Palpi sex. 



Anteriores biarticulati. articulo primo longiore obconico. ultimo cylindrico, 



adhaerentes maxillae dorso. 

 Medii longiores quadriarticulati. articulo primo brevissimo, reliquis obconicis, 



secundo longissimo, basi anteriorum adnata. 

 Posteriores triarticulati. articulo primo brevissimo, secundo longissimo versus 

 apicem paululum incrassato, tertio obconico breviore trimcato, ligulae basi 

 inserti. 

 Mandihula cornea, valida unidentata basi ciliata. 



Maxilla cornea basi angulata, processu compresso uncinato. intus basi ciliato. 

 Labium transversum, corneum, late emarginatum. cum acuminae medio, lateribus 



rotundatis breviore. 

 Ligula membranacea, trilaciniata, lacinia media latiore ciliata. 



Antennae filiformes, articulo primo valido, secimdo brevissimo, tertio longissimo, 

 reliquis obconicis. ultimo cylindrico acuto. 

 Character habitualis. 

 Corpus scutellum. agile latum, alatum, subdepressum. marginatum, colore plerumque 



nitido. 

 Caput ovatum. exsertum, magnum, oculis lateralibus prominentibus globosis. antennis 



lateralibus ante oculos insertis. 

 Thorax planus, transversus lateribus rotundatis margine prominulo. 

 Elytra rigida subdenexa. thorace latiora. longitudine abdominis. 

 Pedes cursorii. longi. femoribus subcylindricis, tibiis versus apicem paulo incrassatis, 

 ante apicem spinosis, tarsia quinque articulatis. 



* " Sycophanta, inquisitor, alternans, retieulatus, etc. hue reierentur velim. Novem 

 genericum deductum est a pulcher et corpus."' 



Weber evidently chose sycoplmnta for the type species of the new 

 genus Calosoma either because it was the first species in the Linmean 

 list of Carabi to possess the foregoing characters or because it was 

 the best known and most common of .them. The writers have no 

 good reason nor do they desire to adopt any other as the type for the 

 genus in this paper. Sycoplianta (PL I) has become common in many 

 localities in eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire 

 and is becoming very well known by a large number of the inhabitants 

 of New England and elsewhere. This species is considered the most 

 valuable aid among the Calosomas as a destroyer of tree-feeding 

 larvse. 



GENERAL SEASONAL HISTORY OF SPECIES OF THE GENUS CALOSOMA. 



It was found that the various species of Calosoma, both foreign 

 and native, with which experiments were made at the gipsy moth 

 parasite laboratory have rather similar habits. Those which were 

 reared in confinement and are considered in this paper ordinarily 

 entered the earth and deposited their eggs either singly or in groups 

 of from two to three. Propagating adults that are fed in jars con- 



1 Observations Entomologicae. Continentes novorum quae condidit generum characteres, p. 20. 



