38 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY
The declivous asperated pronotum concealing the head from
above indicates affinites with Tomicides, but the mouth parts,
tibiae, tarsi, widely separated anterior coxae, and exposed pygidium
furnish characters which separate it from this and all other
groups as at present recognized.
I am under obligations to Mr. E. A. Schwarz for the privilege
of describing this interesting genus and species. He also sug
gested the generic name.
In discussing the paper Mr. Schwarz said that this species was
of economic importance, as it bored under the bark of branches
of the Banyan trees (JFfctts), thus killing them.
The first paper read was that of Dr. Dyar, entitled :
A NEW FORM OF CLISIOCAMPA FROM COLORADO.
By HARRISON G. DYAR.
Clisiocampafragilis, the common species of this genus in Col
orado, feeds upon a variety of plants, including wild cherry, rose
and aspen, occasionally, but not normally, on the oak. A larva
was met with sparingly in the Platte Canyon near Denver, Col
orado, feeding exclusively on the oak and differing in habits and
coloration from the common form. Later it was seen in abun
dance at Sedalia, Colorado. The species is nearly allied to the
Californian C. constricta Stretch.
The eggs were found on the lower twigs of the dwarf oaks
in small rings without any covering; these were eggs of the pre
vious season. The larvae fed at first in colonies, spinning no tent,
only just enough web to hold them to the branches as with C.
disstria of the Atlantic States. Later they wandered separately
in search of the young leaves which were all they would eat. The
larva has a black head, blue powdered in the sutures. The body
is as usual, short haired, the lateral tufts as in constricta but more
reddish, less contrasting. Orange markings well developed,
consisting of a dorsal band constricted at the anterior third of the
segment, marked with black and obscurely blue centered ; a sub-
dorsal and a lateral line, practically continuous, running into pale
orange transverse mottling in the incisures; traces of substigma-
tal orange. Blue markings reduced ; two lateral patches, the pos
terior one a transverse line cut by the subdorsal band ; subventral
region washed in pale blue. The black ground color on.the sides,
especially of joints 3, 4 and 12, appears as conspicuous transverse
lines. Hairs reddish, scarcely tufted dorsally, orange or white
on the sides.
OF WASHINGTON. 39
The moths differ in color in the sexes as with C. constricta.
The male is pale, two brown, narrow lines on the fore wings, the
hind wings more or less shaded with brown. Female brown,
two dark paler-edged lines on fore wings, the hind wings brown
shaded. There is more of a yellowish tint to the wings than in
C. constricta, the brown irroratirig scales offering more contrast
to the ground color.
We would call this species, or local race of the Californian
species, Clisiocampa tigris from the striped markings of the
larva.
Eggs, larvae and imagoes were exhibited. Mr. Caudell thought
this species was of some economic importance, as it defoliated
the scrub oaks. Dr. Dyar said it was reported to him as com
mon some years, other years less so.
The second paper was then presented by Mr. Schwarz, entitled,
"The Coleoptera of semi-Tropical Florida."
The beetles of semi-tropical Florida were twenty years ago
estimated at 500 species. Now, however, 1,500 species are
known from there, of which 227, representing 182 genera, are
characteristic. The semi-tropical fauna is found in isolated spots
on the east and west coasts of Florida, on some of the Keys, and
through the West Indies, Venezuela, and Yucatan. This fauna
embraces two families not found elsewhere, 157 species of wide
distribution, 61 species belonging to the Austroriparian region,
and 44 not found outside of the peninsula of Florida. Of these
last, twenty-three ohly belong to the semi-tropical fauna. He
compared this fauna with that of Baja California.
The paper was discussed, by several of the members. Mr.
Ashmead referred to the term " precinctive species," used by
Dr. David Sharp in the sense of " characteristic." Mr. Schwarz
thought "characteristic" a better term.
NOVEMBER 14, 1901.
The 163d regular meeting was held at the residence of Mr.
Wm. H. Ashmead, 1807 Belmont avenue N.W. President Dyar
occupied the chair. The other members present were Messrs.
Schwarz, Pratt, Stiles, Benton, Patten, Barber, Heidemann,
John B. Smith, Howard, Kotinsky, Busck, Caudell, Currie,