176 



I'IG. 15. — Anthono- 

 mus signatus: 

 Ad nit beetle- 

 natural size (after 

 EHeT). 



A very careful comparison made at that time by Dr. Eiley of a large 

 series of specimens collected from strawberry plants showed a perfect 

 agreement both with Say's description of signatus and with specimens 

 identified by our highest authority on this order as 

 muscidus. It is not to be wondered at, then, that re- 

 lying on the correctness of this determination of 

 muscidus he, as well as Mr. E. A. Schwarz, who in- 

 dorsed this opinion {Entomologica Americana^ vol. 

 Ill, ]). 14), should have been misled into the belief 

 that the two species were identical, and to the 

 adoption of the name musculus as having priority. 

 At that time muscidus and signatus were very generally 

 misnamed in collections, owing to the fact that no one 

 had studied them sufficiently. Since the appearance, 

 however, of Dr. W. Gr. Dietz's paper on Anilionomhii I 

 have entertained some doubts regarding the identity of the strawberry 

 species, recent examination of our entire material showing, as before, 

 complete agreement of all forms as one species, viz, signatus. To deci- 

 sively settle the doubtful point specimens were sent to Dr. Dietz, who 

 also determined them as signatus. Subsequent examination shows that 

 all our material found on Strawberry, including the specimens deter- 

 mined by Dr. Le Conte as muscidus, belongs to this species. It should be 

 added that there were no specimens of the true w^scit^t^sinthe^National 

 Collection at the time of publication of the first article. On the receipt of 

 a pair kindly sent to the Department by Dr. Dietz, however, the spe- 

 cific distinctness of signatus and musculus was made clear, since with 

 both species available for comparison their separation is not difficult. 

 The beetle is illustrated at Figs. 15 and 16. 



AntJwnomus signatus, as defined by Dr. Dietz, has the second joint 

 of the fLinicle distincdij longer than the third. A. musculus differs in 

 having the second joint of the funicle scarcehj longer than the third, a 

 difference which is usually apparent in fresh, but dif- 

 cult to detect in old specimens without relaxing them. 

 The thorax of the latter is less rounded on the sides 

 and the suture is always darker. 



Anthonomus muscidus is apparently a much rarer 

 insect than its injurious congener. Comparatively 

 few specimens have been taken in this locahty by 

 local collectors, and its larval habits are still un- 

 known. Dr. Hamilton [Can. Unt., vol. xxiv, p. 11) 

 says that it is not common at Allegheny, Pa., where 

 he has found it exclusively on huckleberry blossoms 

 from the middle of May till the first of June. It 

 has been taken about Washington as late as July 10. 



Fig. IQ.—Anthonomtis 

 signatus: Adult bee- 

 tle— natural size 

 (origlBal). 



