252 
mediate between the two main Sphoeralcea broods. Both old and 
young larvae were found at this time; likewise two of the flies. The 
leaves of the plants were reduced to skeletons where attacked. 
This occurrence was of much interest, as we had before us the begin- 
ning of a new invasion of the hollyhock from the Sphoeralcea; and 
judging from what has before happened in like cases, we can readily 
appreciate the possibility of the pest spreading eastward and becom- 
ing a source of trouble in gardens. 
The imago I considered, after some examination, to be a new species 
of Schizocera. It seemed judicious, before publishing, to submit an 
example to Mr. C. L. Marlatt, who now writes me that it "appears to 
belong to Andre's genus Nematoneura, which is very closely allied to 
the genus Schizocera." He adds that there is only one known species 
of Nematoneura, and that is European, so my insect is undoubtedly 
new. I have not access to the original diagnosis of Nematoneura, 
but the species now under consideration is separable from Schizocera 
by the fact that the second submarginal cell receives both recurrent 
nervures instead of only one. 
The question must naturally arise whether Nematoneura malva- 
cearum, as I call our species, is really congeneric with the European 
Neinatoneurain a genealogical sense. It is certainly a fact that genera 
of sawfiies have been founded to some extent artificially, so that it 
may be the case that two so-called congeneric species have originated 
independently from. ancestors not exhibiting their now "generic" char- 
acter by similar variation. This would seem the more probable, since 
the food-plant of our species is of Southern or Sonoran distribution, not 
by any means boreal ; and, although the midalpine and Northern Ameri- 
can Tenthredinidse have beeu rather- extensively collected, no Nemato- 
neura has been found among them. I should like to ascertain more 
exactly the relationship of our speccies to the three species of Ptenus, 
which Norton has described, from Texas. These belong to the same 
sub-region of North America, and form, with our insect, the whole of its 
hylotomme fauna, so far as I have been able to definitely ascertain. 
The»following descriptions, though not very elaborate, will doubtless 
amply suffice for- the recognition of the insect: 
Nematoneura malvacearum n. sp. 
Imago 9 . — 8£ mra long ; anterior wing 1\, antenna 2\ mm long. Stoutly built ; head, 
wings, and legs black ; thorax and abdomen orange-red. Head not so broad as thorax, 
shining black, crown appearing slightly rufous in some .lights. Ocelli prominent, 
the anterior one but little anterior to the posterior (lateral) ones. Clypeus with 
some short, pale pubescence. Face with a descending ridge between the antennas. 
Distance of antennae from each otber slightly less than distance of either from the 
nearest eye. Antennas 3-jointed, black; first joint about as broad as long; second 
decidedly broader than long; third very long, forming the greater part of the 
antennas. Thorax and abdomen shiny orange-red ; under side of thorax black. End 
of ovipositor-sheath trifid, black, hairy. Anterior tibias with two about equal spines : 
posterior tibias spined ; anterior tarsi with the first joint longer than 2 + 3+4, and 
the fifth (last) joint about as long as 2 -f- 3 + 4. Wings black, venation strong; 
