60lr

THE CANADIANTHE CANADI.{N ENTOMOLOGISTENTOI\{OLOGIST

found to be males, and did not respond satisfactorily to the electriclight.
Only rarely was attraction between the sexes in this species
noted, and as mentioned in a previous paper, it is very rarely thatpairs in couple are seen or taken. On account of the great numbers of the insects, and their habit of flying quite high, it is very
difficult to follow closely any par-ticular individual or pair. On
one occasion a male and female were confined in a tube for sometime, hoping that mating would take place; the male flashed irregularly, in single flashes, and the female appeared to answer him,
but although she ceased to light and became quiet whenever themale touched her or ran over her back, he appeared to pay no attention whatever to her, and no mating was observed.
Mr. Barber informs th'e writer that he has frequently noticed
dirn, fixed points of light in the woods at night, which on investigation, proved to come from the luminous organ of a small adult Photincrs,that was being devoured by an adult Photuris, the latter ineach case appearing tp be a female. In several cases where amale, and female of.Photuris were confined together to secure eggs,
the male was found to have been devoured during the night.
These appear to be natural habits of the insect, both of which thewriter has been able to conform. Mr. Barber also states that hehas been informed by Mr. Harry L. Parker, of Hagerstown, Md.,
lvho has observed the pupa of this species, that in addition to theanal lights, there is a constant light emitted from the pupal prothorax, which persists through the teneral adult stage, but disappears as the beetle hardens.
3. Pyractomena luciJera Melscheimer. Experiments on theevening of May 15, on the attraction of the males of this species
to a flashed electric light, were entirely negative. A lamp shieldedwith a leaf was not used at this time, but was tried later, still withnegative results.
4. Pyractomeno angulata Say. A male of this species wascaptured at the writer's residence on the evening of June 13; whenin flight it gave a series of short, dim flashes, not unlike those described for the pregnant or hungry female Photur'i,s, but fainterand of a decidedly orange colour. (See fig. 6). No attraction
to the flashed electric light was noted. A female of this species

61

lvas taken in flight in mid-day near the same locality on May 30;
in fact all females of this speciesrvhich the writer has takgn, havebeen caught flying in daylight: This flash does not agree with thatof the insectwhich the writersupposed to be amaleof P.angulata
in 1912.
5. Photinus consangu'i,neusLec. This species was observedat Plummer's 'Island, Md., on June 3, and along the Canalon June 17. The interval betrveen the two flashes constituting
the light-emissicin of the male, was found to be variable, sometimes as much as two seconds. No attraction of the male to theelectric bulb could'be secured.
6. Photinusiscintillans Say. The previous observations on
this species were plentifully confirmed, but no new facts brought
forth.
During this season a flash was observed on two separate occasions, but in the same locality, which does not correspond withthat of any known Lampyrids of this Vicinity. It consisted of aseries of quite rapid flashes, somewhat like that of the male ofPyractornena lucifera, but of a distinctly. orange tone. Both observations were made long after the normal period of prevalence ofthe luc,i,fera. It was found impossible to capture the insect at thistime, and the flash was not seen again, on later visits.'

NEW NEARCTIC CRANE-FLIES(TIPULID.d DIPTERA);PART II.
BY CHARLESP. ALEXANDER, ITHACA, N. Y.
(Continued from page 31.)
The following records also undoubtedly pertain to this species,in the absence of the material are not included iq the type
series:butFort Kent, Aroostook Co., Maine, August 19 (Johnson);White Cap Mt., Maine, August U, 1905(Jones);Dedham,,Mass.,
Sept.4, 1906(Johnson);Brookline,Mass.,Sept.6, 1906(Johnson);Cohasset,Mass.,Oct. 1, (Biyant); Mt. Marcy, EssexCo., N. Y.,
July 30, 1913(Young); El* Lake, Hamilton Co., N. Y., August 2,1912(Young);Hazleton,LuzerneCo., Pa.,August20, lg0g (Dietz).
F ebr uar y ,1917

62

THE CANADIAN ENTO\TOLOGISTThis interesting late-summer and early-autumn species issimilar to T. calcar O. S., which, in the male sex, has the stigma of
the wings almost indistinct, and thb hypopygium very small andprovidel with short hairs; in outurnnalis the stigma is brown andihe elongate male hypopygium is densely provided with long-,darkhairs. In the female se*, ihe reduced wings of the new speciesarevery curious, (au'tumnalis,length of body 20 mm'; wings 9'5 mm';calcar,length of body 17 mm';wings 14 mm'), and the ovipositor
has the teigal valves strong, powerful, almost straight and rather
blunt at their tips; in calcar, the tergal valves are shorter, strongly
up-curved and more pointed at their tips.
cervina' sP. n.
Allied to T. septetctrional,isBergr'; colour light fawn-yellorv;
ant6nna brownish black throughout, the basal flagellar segments
crowded, the apical ones attenuated; mesonotum with threc stripes;
ovipositor and hypopygium bright yellow.
Male.-Length 6 mm.;wing 7.8 mm.
Female.-Length 8 mm.;wing 8.5 mm.
Rostrum and palpi dark brown. Antennae dark brot'nish
black, the first segme.rt-alittle grayish pruinose; first six segmentsof
the flagellum large and closely approximated, the remaining segments elongate and attenuated (as in T' septentrionalis)' Headbrownish gray, clearer gray behind and on the gena beneath'
Mesonotal prescutum light brown with a golden pollen' u'ith
three dark brown stripes; the middle stripe is longest, narrorved
behind, broadened anteriorly, indistinctly bisected behind b.v avitta of the ground-colour; lateral stripes short; scutum and postnotum grayiih yellow; scutellum more yellowish' Pleura reddish
palebrou'n with a sparse gray or grayish-white bloom' Halteresyellow, the knobs very slightly darkened' Legs with the'coxe
yellow, sparsely gray pruinose on the outer face; trochanters dullyellow; flmo.a dull yellow, passing into brown at the tips; tibia:
yellowish brown, a little darkened apically; tarsi brown' \\'Iings,rearly hyaline; stigma pale brown; veins brown' Venation: petioleof cell Ra moderate, about equal to or shorter than cell lst Mz;
cell lsl Mr pointed at inner end (as in septentrionalis); petiole ofcell Mr long, much longer than either cell Mr ot 1st Mz: basal
TricYPhona

THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST

63

deflection of. Cnt at or just beyond the fork of M, about.in a linewith cross-vein r-m; cross-vein m rather indistinct.
Abdominal segments dark brow4, the caudal and lateral
margins narrowly paler, hypopygium with the pleurites bright1-ellow.
The female is similar to the d but slightly larger, full-winged;
ovipositor power:.ful,yellow, strongly upturned.
Habitat.-C.blorado.
Holotype, d, Platte Caflon, Colorado, July 17,1915, (Oslar.).Allotype, 9 , with the type.
This little species differs from both debilis Will.. and vitripennis
Doane, in the considerably smaller size; it differs from d,ebilis in
the paler fawn colour of the body, the long petiole of cell Mg thestructure of the antenne,and in numerous other details; from vitripennis in the gray head, dark antenna, differences in the thoracic
pattern and colciur of the abdomen and its appendages. It differsfrom the more closely related septentrionalis Bergr. in the unmarked
wings and fawn-coloured body.
Tricyphona glacialis, sp. n.
Allied to T. debilis Will.; colour dark brown; antenna darkbrown throughout, the flagellar segments oval to rounded-oval,
not attenuated;wings with a pale brown suffusion; cell -lsl Mz andand Mt very long; abdomen dark brown, the basal sternites more
yel l ow i sh.
Male.-Length 9.6 mm.; wing 10.6 mm.
Rostrum and palpi dark brown. Antenna dark brow4, thesegments of the flagellum oval, the basal ones not crowded, theapical ones shortened, almost rounded. Head broad, black, very
sparsely grayish pruinose; frontal tubercle distinct, high.
Mesonotum dark brown, very sparsely gray pruinose on thepostnotum, the scutellum paler, more yellowish. Pleura darkbrown, gray pruinose. Halteres very long and slender, brown,brightened at the extreme base. Legs with the coxa brownish
yellow; femora dull yellow, passing into brown on the apical third;
tibie brownish yellow, a little brighter basally; tarsi dark brown.
Wings with a pale brown tinge; stigma indistinct; veins brown.
Venation: petiole of cell Re moderate, a little shorter than theelongated cell "/sl Mz; petiole of cell Mr about one-third the length

f-,'lli!

THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGISTi[lffi,ffi,ffilff
it[rMr+z rvithof tl-re cell and of cell 1st Mz; cross-vein m connects
midbeforeMa
I1s, weak and tending to atrophy; Cut leaves
iength of the long cell lst Mz.
Abdomen elongated, tergites dark brown, the caudal margins
yellowishof the segments narrowly paler; batal sternites morethan the terminal segments;hypopygium brown'
Habitat.-Alaska.
Holotype, d, Sitka, Alaska; June 16, 1899 (Kincaid)'
A lt ot iie, I, S a l d o v i a ,Al a s k a ;J u l v 2 1 , 1899 (K i ncai d)'(Kin-aid);
Paratypes, cf I , Yakutat, Alaska; June 21, 1899
Saldovia'(Kincaid);d'd, Virgin-'s Bay, Alaska, June 26, 1899
Alaska, July 21, 1899 (Kincaid).
fn" typ" is in the collection of the United States National
Harrirnan
Museum; ih" ,p".i", is based on rnaterial taken on theI' debilis
beingasExpedition, and was determined by Coquillettm.
rilli\\Iill.

generalThe species agrees with d'ebilisin many respects' but theof thesegments
basal
thecoloration is dark brown, not yellow;
cells
thedifferent'
isantennee are not reddish and the venation
andabdomen
Thelst Mz and. Mr being greatly elongated'genus'
thegroupofhalteres are longer than is usual in this

illi,

,il1

i',:,
lili:

'iili'
i i ' r! ii i : ii. ! |ii:iiil ii,r: :I:i l| t, .'lii['r[iitGEOMETRID NOTES'TnB GBNusDYssrnoueHiisNsn'
BY L. W. SWETT' WEST SOMERVILI,E'MASS.

its
The genus Dysstroma Hiib' (Yerz' p' 333' 1825) withHulst
type trtlnlata Hufn. seems to be a natural group by itself' .
Hydrionr'ena'
under1896)
p'283,XXIII,vol.
lfrurrr. Am. Ent. Soc',
Warren ancl
cites truncala Hufn' as the type of Dysslroma'but
Stephens'
Pol'yphasia
grouptotruncata
Hampson both refer theand1893'
p'373'Soc',(Proc'Zool'genus
treat it as a separateTrans'inpointsout
ProutB'L'Mr.
p.
3 7 8 ).
I nd. M ot hs , III,
cannotLondon Ent. Soc., part XVIII, P' 33, 1908,that Polyphasia
toAccording
priority'
has
Dysslrorna
namehold, as Hiibner's
truncata
calling
been
have
we
what
views,
Mr. Prout's and my own("Fauqa Suecica"' ed' II'
in North America is really citrata Linn6
p. 332, 1761) .
FebruarY, 1917