PROCEEDINGS
-
OF THE
ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY
OF WASHINGTON
VOL. XVII 1915 No. 3
Two HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FOURTH MEETING,
MARCH 4, 1915.
The 284th regular meeting of the Society was entertained by
the married members at the Saengerbund Hall, March 4, 1915..
There were present Messrs. Abbott, Baker, Barber, Cory, Craw-
ford, Cushman, DeGryse, Ely, Gahan, Gill, Greene, Heinrich,
Hunter, Hutchinson, Isely, Jackson, Knab, Kotinsky, Mclndoo,
Micldleton, Popenoe, Quaintance, Rohwer, Rust, Sasscer, Schwarz,
Shannon, Snyder, Townsend, Turner, Walton, Webb and Wood,
members, and Messrs. J. M. Aldrich, F. W. Dry, Jacob Gold-
berg, H. G. Ingerson, A. C. Johnson and H. K. Plank, visitors.
Mr. E. L. Divens was elected a Corresponding Member.
The following papers were presented :
THE BERMUDA GRASS ODONASPIS.
BY JACOB KOTINSKY,
Branch of Forest Insect*, Bureau of Entomology.
Shortly after arrival in Honolulu in 1904 I discovered this
insect more or less heavily infesting Bermuda grass (Cynodon
dactylori) or "Manienie," as it is called there. Its habitat is
mostly underground but invariably on the stem, never on roots.
Once discovered, it is quite conspicuous by its beautiful, chalky
whiteness, and oyster shape. It is always lodged under the scale-
like bracts at the node.
101
102 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Bermuda grass is apparently the only grass in Hawaii suit-
able, and is practically the only grass used, for lawn purposes.
It is also well adapted for grazing purposes, especially on the
low lands, hence the insect depredation is of some economic
value. It is fortunate, therefore, that this scale is kept in check,
to a degree at least, by a parasite. This is a beautiful, tiny,
metallic green chalcidoid new to science both generically and
specifically, according to the late Dr. Ashmead.
The writer was certain at the time that the coccid was unde-
scribed, and, though he had drawn up a description and prepared
drawings, failed to publish it, in the contemplation of publishing
a paper covering all the coccids of Hawaii, including descriptions
of all species found there new to science. As often happens, this
work was delayed until 1909. Meantime, the late Mr. Craw had
occasion to refer to the insect in writing to Mr. Ehrhorn, who was
then in California, and called it by my MS. name, and the latter
incorporated it in one of his reports. In this wise the manu-
script name got into print, but sine description. Meantime
also, Mr. Brsmner published in the Canadian Entomologist for
1908 a description of Odonaspis graminis, from grass in Cali-
fornia, which was so similar to the species in question, that the
author took them to be identical, especially since he received the
assurance of Mr. Ehrhorn to that effect. It was therefore referred
to by that name in Proc. Haw. Ent. Soc. II, 127. I have since
been advised by Mr. Marlatt that the species is distinct. Mr.
Sasscer, of the U. S. Bureau of Entomology was kind to supply
me with the slide he prepared from material originally sent to the
National collection of Coccidue. These were used for the following
description.
Odonaspis ruthae, n.sp.
Female scale: Oyster shaped or mytiliform when full grown, about 1.75
mm. long, 0.75 mm. wide; chalk white; exuviae at elevated end, partly or
entirely covered with white waxy dust which rubs off easily, straw colored.
Ventral scale well developed, with dorsal completely enclosing and seal-
ing insect. Male scale: Same shape, but only about half the size of fe-
male. Adult female: In balsam (fig. 1), irregularly circular; hyaline,
except gland-bearing margin of last 7 or 8 segments, including caudal
half of pygidium, and mouth parts, all of which are more or less heavily
chitinized. Diameter about 0.63 mm. Pygidium (fig. 2) viewed from head
toward median lobes looks like a very regular inverted outline of a bell,
the median lobes corresponding to the tongue, 0.36 mm. long over all,
0.315 mm. wide at tips (of "bell"). Segmental sutures distinct half way
cephalad from caudal margin. Lobes: 2 pairs, but slightly denser than
chitinized margin, not very conspicuous. Median, narrow, parallel,
OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XVII, 1915 103
rounded caudad, but apparently united, actually separated, like rest of
pygidial posterior margin enveloped in a filmy membrane, intervening
space at base roundly emarginate,
project but 10 n caudad of main
marginal line. Second pair but
slight, triangular elevations on
marginal line. Incisions: None.
Paraphyses: Fairly distinct at
sutures of two last segments, / I
somewhat clavate c e p h a 1 a d .
Plates: None. Spines: One each
side of median lobes, on dorsum
and ventrum; also one dorsal at
anterior end of segmental margin.
Anal opening: Rather small,
evidently posteriorly directed,
circular, central within chitinized
longitudinally oval area, about
one-fourth length from base of
pygidium. Paragenitals: 3 groups,
the laterals elongate, apparently
anterior and posterior group united. Anterior 12-17 glands; lateral 29-33.
IIU-CK: Very numerous, especially on more chitinized portions of
Fig. 1. Odonaspis ruthae.
tour of female.
Con-
Fig. 2. Odonaspis ruthae. Pygidium of female.
abdominal segments, arranged in more or less regular rows longitudi-
nally. Basal thickenings: None. }'< i/lrnl thickenings: None. Second
stage described by author in paper above referred to.
Type: Material and slide in U. S. coccid collection No. 14089,
from which this description is made.
104 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY
This species is easily mistaken for 0. graminis, but is quite
distinct from it when slide preparations are compared. Among
the more conspicuous differences are: the greater width of base of
pygidium in our species; the dorsal pores and intersegmental
sutures on the abdomen are much more distinct. Also, the median
lobes of ruthce, as indicated, are more separated, and the species is
perceptibly smaller and more hyaline than graminis. Moreover,
our species bears paragenital glands which do not occur in the
other.
A specimen (slide) in the Bureau collection from New Or-
leans, La., on Bermuda grass (T. C. Barber) is in its pygidial
characters absolutely identical with ruthw, except that the entire
body is considerably longer, being oval in outline (0.93 x 0.64
mm.). Paragenital pores in lateral groups more numerous.
They may be specimens of this species grown under more favor-
able conditions.
The drawings were kindly made for me under my criticism
by Miss E. Hart from Mr. Sasscer's photograph and slide.
A NEW AND INTERESTING GENUS OF NORTH AMERICAN
TACHINIDyE.
BY W. R. WALTON,
Bureau of Entomology, Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations.
Our knowledge of the muscoid parasites of grasshoppers in
North America is gradually being enlarged. Some of the genera
now known to have this habit are as follows : : Sarcophaga, Ocyp-
tera, Hilarella, Trichopoda, Heteropterina, Acemyia, and I now add
another, constituting a new and unique genus and species. The
former I take great pleasure in proposing in honor of the late D.
W. Coquillett whose valuable preliminary work in the super-
family Muscoidea is recognized by nearly all students.
Goquillettina, new genus.
Related to Acemyia Desv. Palpi small and slender, first vein bare, sides
of face on lower half bare, proboscis shorter than height of head, eyes
bare, lower front corner of third antennal joint bearing a projection, in
the male pointing forward (fig. 1-a) in the female, downward and for-
ward Cfig. 3b) the lower edge distinctly notched. Eyes bare, front in
1 I view with grave doubt the authenticity of the recorded rearing of
Frontina frvnchii, Will, from Dissosteira Carolina, by Prof. Lugger in 1874
as published by Mr. Coquillett.