THE GENUS CALOSOMA. 3 



work in Massachusetts, for cooperation and support in carrying on the 

 work which has extended over a period of several years; and to Dr. 

 Henry Skinner, of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, to 

 Mr. Samuel Henshaw, curator of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 

 at Cambridge, Mass., and to Mr. Charles W. Johnson, curator of the 

 Boston Society of Natural History, for the free consultation of the 

 specimens in the collections of their institutions, as well as for many 

 suggestions relative to the literature on this genus. Among the 

 assistants at the gipsy moth parasite laboratory who have made 

 possible the results which follow by carefully attending to certain 

 phases of the work should be mentioned Messrs. S. S. Crossman, 

 P. H. Timberlake, K. W. Brown, C. W. Stockwell, J. J. Culver, J. V. 

 ScharTner, jr., E. A. Proctor, F. H. Mosher, J. N. Summers, J. E. 

 Dudley, jr., and C. E. Hood. The photographs and illustrations 

 have been prepared by Messrs. W. N. Dovener, H. S. Barber, and 

 H. A. Preston. 



HISTORY OF THE GENUS CALOSOMA. 



The oldest reference to any species of the present genus Calosoma 

 that the writers have been able to trace is that of Reaumur, 1 published 

 in 1736. The legends describing the illustrations merely refer to the 

 species treated as a "scarab," which was a very general term for 

 beetles at that time. The account of the larvae feeding in the nests 

 of processionary caterpillars and the admirable illustrations of the 

 larvae, pupae, and adults refer to the well-known Carabus sycophanta 

 of Linnaeus, although without mentioning the specific name of the 

 insect. This reference was later cited by Linnaeus 2 and subsequent 

 writers, always in connection with Carabus sycophanta. The genus 

 Carabus was described by Linnaeus in 1758, or some time previous 

 to that, as it appears in his tenth edition of "Systema Naturae. 2 

 In the list of species recorded appear sycopJianta and inquisitor with 

 many others that still remain in that genus. The following descrip- 

 tion of Carabus is taken from the foregoing publication. 



Carabus. Antennae setaceae. 



Thorax obcordatus apice truncatus, marginatus. 

 Elytra marginata. 



Johann A. E. Goeze, 3 in 1777, referred to sycopJianta as belonging 

 to the genus Buprestis. A. F. de Fourcroy, 4 in 1785, also included 

 this species in the genus Buprestis, giving a short description and 

 notes on its habitat. Johann Guseb Voet 5 writes of Carabus in- 

 quisitor as Buprestis sycophanta minor, and later, in 1799, E. L. 

 Geoffroy 6 includes both sycopJianta and inquisitor in the genus 

 Buprestis. These records are interesting in that they show how 

 these particular two species of Carabus were transferred from their 

 proper place to one of error and confusion. According to the present 

 rules of nomenclature these species rightfully belonged to the genus 



1 Reaumur. Memoires pour servir a l'Histoire des Insectes, v. 2, 514 p., 40 pi. (p. 455, pi. 37, fig. 14-19). 

 Paris, 1736. 



2 Linnaeus, C Systema Naturae, ed. 10, t. 1, 826 p. (p. 413). Leipsic, 1758. 



3 Goeze, J. A. E. Entomologische Beytnige, t. 1, 736 p. (p. 637). Leipsic, 1777. 



* Fourcroy, A. F. de. Entomologia Parisieusis sive Catalogus Insectorum quae in Agro Parisiensi repe- 

 riuntur. 544 p. (p. 42). Paris, 1785. 



5 Voet, J. G. Beschreibungenund Abbildungen, hartschaaligter Insekten,Coleoptera, Linn., von G. W. 

 F. Panzer, 5 pt., 48 pi. 1793. 



e Geofiroy, E. L. Histoire Abregee des Insectes, t. 1, 556 p. (p. 144), 10 pi. Paris, 1799. 



