412 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Description. The original characterization of this insect by Baron C. 



R. Osten-Sacken is as follows : 



Length .12 to .14 of an inch. Male antennae not much shorter than 

 the body, of dark color, except the scapus, which is reddish ; 2x24 [14] 

 jointed, flagellum with small, subglobular joints alternating with double, 

 subcylindrical ones ; pedicels between the joints about equal to the diameter 

 'of the shorter joints, somewhat longer towards the end of the antennae, 

 joints verticillate, the length of the hairs of the verticils not exceeding the 

 length of joints. Female antennae less than half as long as the body, 2x12 

 jointed ; joints of flagellum subcylindrical, more than twice longer than they 

 are broad, the basal ones being the longest ; pedicels short : the hairs, cloth- 

 ing the antennae, are shorter than each single joint. Head strongly gibbous 

 above, which gibbosity is very striking, when viewed in front or from the 

 side ; the black eyes being absolutely confluent, and covering the whole 

 gibbosity, occupy nearly the whole surface of the head, except a small space 

 round and below the antennae and a portion of the occiput, which are 

 brownish red (the brown predominating in several specimens). The ground 

 color of thorax is reddish; the dorsal portion however, including the scutel- 

 lum are grayish brown ; rows of yellowish hairs indicate the direction of 

 the ordinary stripes (when rubbed off these hairs show gray stripes under 

 them) ; the middle stripe is divided in two by a grayish longitudinal line ; 

 pleurae and sternum reddish, mixed with brownish gray ; abdomen reddish, 

 with grayish-yellow hairs, long and erect along the sides, short and appressed 

 on the back ; genitals pale. Feet brownish, with a yellowish gray, appressed 

 pubescence ; some longer hairs on the underside of the femora ; halteres 

 with dark knobs. Wings gray, second longitudinal vein arcuated in its 

 latter portion, ending immediately beyond the apex of the wing. 



He states that the species can be easily recognized by the extraordinary 

 shape of the head. 



Parasites. This little insect in spite of its passing a large portion of 

 its existence within pitch masses, is subject to parasitic attack. Miss 

 Eckel, referred to above, has succeeded in breeding three species, as 

 follows : Syntasis diplosidis Eckel, Polygnotus p i n i c o 1 a 

 Ashm., and another belonging to the genus Eupelmus. 



This insect can hardly be considered of much economic importance, 

 yet we have observed trees which were seriously weakened by an excessive 

 flow of pitch inhabited largely by the larvae of this species, and are there- 

 fore inclined to believe that in such cases some injury may be caused by 



