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Psyche 4:239-242, 1883.

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PSYCHE.
THE INSECTS OF BETULA IN NORTH AMERICA.
BY ANNA KATHERINA DIMMOCK, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. My attention was first drawn to the
number of insects which feed upon
plants of the genus BetuZa when I set
out to make a collection illustrating the different stages of insects found on Be- tula alba. I had exhibited stages of
39 determined species, and intended to
publish a simple list of these, but so
many additions to the list were found
later in scattered publications that fur- ther notes were added. Finally, after
the publication of Dr. G: Dimmock's
"Notes on $terophoridae of North
America,"l I determined to put the
notes in the form adopted in that article, and to include the American insects of
the entire genus Betula. The notes
have steadily increased in bulk, until
they now include 107 determined spe-
cies. This number would be still fur-
ther augmented by the determination of
several species which I have reared
from BetuJa alba. Kalteubach2 gives
270 European birch-feeding insects, and
where the same species of insects are
found in America I have added them to
1 Psyche, Sept.-Oct. 1882, v. 3, p. 402-+04. 3 Kdltenbach, J. H. Die pflanzenfeinde aus der classe der insecten. Stuttgart, 1874.
this list. Packard3 enumerates only 19
species of American insects from Betu-
la. The numerous bibliographical ref-
erences here included, which were
selected from those accumulated in the
progress of my work, refer generally to
easily accessible works and are not in-
appropriate in a bibliographical jour-
nal like PSYCHE. Most of the citations
have been verified,-a few are quoted.
For many of them and for the free use of notes I am indebted to my husband,
Dr. G: Dimmock. We have for sev-
eral years reared and studied insects
.
together, and some of the larvae men-
tioned in this article will be described by him later. My thanks are due fur-
ther to Prof. C: H : Fernald, Dr. S : W. Williston, and Messrs. S : Henshaw
and R. Thaxter, for identifying insects
belonging respectively to the microlep-
idoptera, diptera, coleoptera, and ma-
crolepidoptera.
Quite extended lists of food-plants
have been compiled in the case of cer-
tain lepidoptera, because these insects
are often reared for pleasure, and be-
cause an accurate knowledge of food-
plants is desirable, even for polyphag-
3 Bull. 7, U. S. entom. comm., Washington, 1881.



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ous species. Here it might be added
that Betula alba is very useful in
rearing certain polyphagous species,
since its leaves remain in good condi-
tion for a long time, and are the favor- ite food-plant of many insects. Certain
polyphagous species, as Attacus cecro-
tia, do not feed readily on other food-
plants after having eaten birch. Larvae
(especially of geometyidae) of which
the food-plant is unknown, can often be
reared successfully on Betula alba, a
fact to which I owe my successful rear-
ing of Endro$ia armataria.
PhanerGptera curvicauda De Geer (Mem.
hist. ins., 1773, v. 3, p. 446, pi. 38, fig. 3). This species has been figured, together with the structure of its ovipositor, by Riley (6th rept. state entom. Mo., 1874, p. 164-166), who also gives descriptions of the younger stages, and eggs. Miss Murtfeldt (I. c.) describes the mode of oviposition : the eggs are laid in the margin of leaves-often of oak-between the upper and lower epidermis. AItho
Riley writes (1. c.), "I have had as many as five of these eggs deposited in a single leaf, in one contiguous row, yet they are more often single," yet a single tender leaf of Be- tula alba, taken at Belmont, Mass., measur- ing about 8 cm. in length, had the entire margin filled with eggs, presumably of this species. Only two or three leaves were
found thus attacked, and the one of which the size is given above contained 102 eggs. Calo$tenus few-rubrum De Geer (Mdm.
hist. ins., 1773, v. 3, p. 498, pi. 42, fig. 5) often strips the leaves from low bushes of Betula alba about Cambridge, Mass.
Eriosoma tesse11ata Fitch (4th ann. rept. [N. Y.]
state cab. nat. hist., 1851, p. 68).
According to Glover (Rept. U. S. coinmiss. agric., 1876, p. 39) this species has been found in Maryland upon twigs of Betula.
CaZlzj5terus betzdaecolens Riley and Monell (Bull. U. S. geol. and geog. surv. ten-., 1879, v. 5, p. 30-31) [? =Aphis betulaecolens Fitch (4th arm. rept. [N. Y.] state cab. nat. hist., 1851, p. 66)]. Said by Fitch and Monell to feed on birch leaves.
CaZajhis betulella Walsh (Proc. Entom.
soc. Phil., Dec. 1862, v. I, p. 301-302). Walsh (1. c., p. 302) says this species is abundant in Illinois on Betula nigra.
Athysanus variabilis Fitch (4th ann. rept. [N. Y.] state cab. nat. hist., 1851, p. 60) is stated by Fitch (7. c.) to be "abundant on birch trees, in June," and the same author states (Ann. rept. N. Y. state agric. soc., 1858, v. 18, p. 853) that this species punctures leaves and succulent shoots of birch. A
brief description of this insect is given by Packard (Bull. 7, U. S. entom. comm.,
1881, p. 128).
Athysanus abietis Fitch (4th ann. rept.
[N. Y.] state cab. nat. hist., 1851, p. 60) is stated by Fitch (Ann. rept. N. Y. state
agric. soc., 1857, v. 17, p. 749) to feed on birch. Packard (Bull. 7, U. S. entom.
cornm., 1881, p. 235) briefly describes the species and gives Betula as food-plant.
Athysunus minor Fitch (4th ann. rept. [N. Y.] state cab. nat. hist., 1851, p. 60). Fitch (1. c.) writes "Common on birch trees," and adds (Ann. rept. N. Y. state agric. soc.., 1858, v. 18, p. 853) that it punctures birch leaves. Packard (Bull. 7, U. S. entom. comm., 1881, p. 128) briefly describes this species.
Athysanus fenestratus Fitch (4th ann. rept. [N. Y.] state cab. nat. hist., 1851, p. 60) is stated by Fitch (1. c.) to be found "on birch trees," and (Ann. rept. N. Y. state agric. soc., 1858, v. 18, p. 853) to puncture birch leaves. This species is briefly described by Packard (Bull. 7, U. S. entom. comm., 1881, p. 128). Thelia univittata Harris (Treatise on ins. injur. veg., 1842, p. 180). One specimen taken sucking juices of a twig of Betda alba, June 1884. This species is found on oak, ac-



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cording to Harris (1. c.), where it is common in July, according to Packard (Bull. 7, U. S. entom. comm., 1881. p. 37).
Enchem$a binotata Say (Appendix Long's
exped., 1824, p. 301-302). Common on
twigs of Betula alba. Riley (Amer. entom., Aug. 1869, v. I, p 248) says its favorite home is Ptelea trifolium, but gives grape (Vitis) and red-bud (Ce~cis) as food-plants. Its egg is described in Amer. entom., Oct. 1880, v. 3, p. 254. Lintner (1st ann. 1-ept. state entom. N. Y., 1882, p. 281-288) gives an excel- lent general account of imago and eggs, both of which are figured. As food-plants he
adds Celastyz~s scandens and, upon the au- thority of others, Juglans and Robi?zia. Bythoscofus seminudus Say (Journ. Acad.
nat. sci. Phil., 1829 [Mch. 18311, v. 6, p. 307). Fitch (4th ann. rept. [N. Y.] state cab. nat. hist.. 1851, p. 58) writes "Found on birch trees."
Tingisjuglandis Fitch (Ann. rept. N. Y.
state agric. soc., 18-56, v. 16, p. 466-467) is normally found, according to that author (l. c.) on Jz~gZans cineyea, but is some- times met with also on Betida, Salix, and other trees. Packai-d (Bull. 7, U. S. entom. comnl., 1881, p. 88) briefly describes this species, and mentions its food-plants.
Mallota 9osticata Fabr. (Syst. antl.,
1805, p. 237). Packard (Guide study ins.. 1869, p. 399) figures the pupa and imago of this species under the name of Merodon
hl~dzis Say. Lintner (1st ann. rept. state entom. N. Y., 1882, p. 211-216) gives an ex- tended account of this insect, figuring the puparium and imago, and describing the
larvae, which were taken from decaying
birch wood.
Lonchaea fpolita Say (Journ. Acad. nat.
sci. Phil., 1830, v. 6, p. 188). Reared in Cambridge, Mass.. from decaying PoZy$orus bet/~lim~s, a fungus parasitic on dead trunks of Betula alba.
Argyresthia goedartella Linn. (Syst. nat., 1758, ed. 10, p. 897). Fabricius (Syst.
entom., 177.5, p. 664) writes of this species "Habitat in alnetis, in betulae gemrnis," and Kaltenbach (Planzenfeinde, 1872, p. 604-605) states that the larvae of this species live in the catkins of Betula and Ainus. Chambers (Can. entom., Aug. 1875, v. 7, p. 144-145) notes the discovery of this species in North America, and, after describing the imago. adds "The larva feeds under the bark and in the young shoots of the birch in March and April." A. Balding (Entom. monthly
mag., Feb. 1885, v. 21, p. 203-206) describes the larva, which he found feeding in catkins of Bdda and AZnm.
Cryffolechia confeytella Walk. (List lep. ins. Brit. mus.. 1864, pt. 29, p. 563). The larvae of this species are common upon Be- fttia alba during August and the early part of September.
The larva feeds in a rolled
portion of the margin of the leaf, where pu- pation takes place, lasting from three weeks to a month.
Paedisca sirnilma HUbn. (Samml. auserl.
v6gel u. schmett., 1792, fig. 71). Kaltenbach (Pflanzenfeinde,
1872, p. 602) gives a very
brief description of the larva of this species, which feeds upon BetvZa.
Paedisca transmissana Walk. (List lep.
ins. Brit. mus , 1863. pt. 28, p. 375). The larva of this species is common, during &to- ber, about Cambridge, Mass., where it eats out the inside of the sterile catkins of Betula alba. It hibernates as pupa.
Paedisca solicitana Walk. (List lepid. ins. Brit. mus., 1863, pt. 28, p. 387). Fernald (Trans. Amer. entom. soc.. 1882. v. 10. p. 40) says of this species "Food.-Betula alba var. 'pofulifo lia . "
Seyico~is urticaria Hiibn. (Samrnl. europ. schmett., Tort., I~OO?, fig. 65). Kaltenbach (Pflanzenfeinde. 1872, p. 601) gives a very brief description of the larva, following Zel- ler (Isis, 1846, p. 229) and among other food- plants mentions Betula.




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Penthina albeolana Zeller (Verhandl. k.-k. z001.-bot. gesell. Wien., jahrg. 1875, 1876, bd. 25 ; Abh., p. 262-263, pi. 8, fig. 12). A single larva taken 4 Sept. 1882, at Cambridge, Mass., on Befulu alba, pupated 6 Sept., and appeared as imago 24 May 1883. This species is evi- dently two-brooded, as Burgess took the spec- iincn from which Zeller described the species, on 15 Aug., in Massachusetts.
Penthina dimidiana Sodoffsky (Bull. Soc. imp6r. natur. MOSC., 1830, v. 2, p. 73, pi. 7). Kal tenbach (Pflanzenfeinde, 1872, p. 615) briefly describes the larva of this species, which feeds upon Betula and on several other plants.
Penthina cafreana HUbn. (Samml. europ.
schmett., Tort., ISOO?, fig. 250). Kaltenbach (Pflanzenfeinde, 1872. p. 601) compiles a brief description of the larva of this species, which feeds upon Betuia and SaZix.
Ecco@is ?my. of perimindana Clemens
. (Proc. Acad. nat. sci. Phil., 1860, p. 356-357). Two specimens reared from larvae taken in Cambridge, Mass., 17 June 1883, on Betda &a. Pupated about 30 June; one specimen
emerged as imago 10 July and the other 15 July 1883. Clemens (1. c.) says of E. perm- dczna, "The larva binds together the terminal leaves of S-piraea. It is pale green, touched with yellowish at the junction of the see. ments; head and shield black. The larva
may be taken in the middle of June."
Ecco$sis zeZZeriana Fernald (Trans. Atner. entom. soc., 1882, v. 10, p. 29) is said by its describer to feed upon "Leaves of Betula alba var. å´po/u/z~oZia.~
Lozotaenia miisculana HUbn. (Samml,
europ. schmett.. Tort., I~OO?, fig. 98). Kal- tenbach (Pflanzenfeinde, 1872, p. 601) quotes Madame Lienig's description of the larva of this species, and states that the larvae, ac-
cording to Fischer von Roslerstarnm, feed between leaves of Betida and Salix which they have drawn together. Fernald (Trans. Atner. entom. soc., 1882, v. 10, p. 13) says, 'Food.-In Europe, Agrimonia, Genista,
Solidago, Achilles, Stachys, Scrophula~ia, Rubus, Betula, SaZix, Galium, ^>uercus,
Pyrus and Tilia."
Cacoecia cerasivoma Fitch (Ann. rept.
N. Y. state agric. soc., 1856, p. 382, pi. 2, fig. 3). Fernald (Trans. An~er. entom. SOC., 1882, v. 10, p. 11) writes of this species, "Food.- Cherry, Betula alba var. fofuli- folia.''
Cacoecia rosaceam Harris (Rept. ins.
injur. veget., 1841, p. 348).
Harris (09. cit.,
p. 347-348, and of. cif., 1862, p. 480) de- scribes the larvae of this species. Descrip- tion and figure of larva and imago by
Packard (Guide study ins., 1869, p. 335, pi. 8, fig. 12). Description of larva, with figure of larva, pupa, and imago, by Saunders (Ann. rept. Entoin. soc. Ontario, 1873, p. 14). Packard (Papilio, Nov.-Dec. 1882, v. 2, p. 182-183) says that he has reared this species from Betula alba var. $ofulifolia. the moth appearing, in Maine, on the first of Septem- ber. Coquillett (Papilio, May-June 1883, v, 2, p. 100-101) describes the larva carefully and gives the names of twenty-four species of food-plants. To his list may be added Viburnum dentaturn and PhiZadeIfhus co-
ronarius.
Teras fhrrt~gaza Schiffermuller (Syst.
verz. d. schmett. d. Wiener gegend, 1776, p. 128). Kaltenbach (Pflanzenfeinde, 1872, p. 600) says, on authority of Treitschke, that this species feeds on Betula and more rarely on Pofilns and AZzus; Fernald (Trans.
Amer. entom. soc., 1882, v. 10, p. g), on authority of Heineman n, adds ^uercus, and cites Walsh for authority that the species is inquilinous in galls of Cyni-ps salicis-strobiloi- des. Packard (Papilio, Nov.-Dec. 1882, v. 2, p. 182) reared the species from a larva swept from Pinus strobus. on which he thinks the larvae feed, and gives a description of larva and pupa.
Teras niveana Fabr.
(Mant. insect., 1787,
v. 2, p. 233). Kaltenbach (Pflanzenfeinde, 1872, p. 600) says, on authority of Anton Schmid, that the larva of this species lives on Betttla.




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Several species of microlepidoptera which are stiil undetermined are very abundant on Bef~la &a, about Cambridge, Mass. Among
them may be mentioned a case-bearer (?
Coleophora), a species having a ridged co- coon (? Bucculatriv), a species the larva of which has a case made of successive rings of leaf-epidermis arranged in the form of a cor- nucopia, and a large leaf-miner beionging to some genus allied to Lithocolletis; the larvae of the last two species are found very late in the season, just before the leaves nre de- stroyed by the frost. A
O@opktera bureatu Hiibn. (Samml.
europ. schmett., Spanner, 176, fig. 413-4341. Kaltenbach {Pflanzenfeinde, 1872, p. 590) gives Beiula and Fagus as food-plants of this species. Packard (Mon. geom. moths, 1876, p. 199) quotes Newman's description of the larva of this species,
Rheama$tera liastata Linn. (Sy3t. nat.,
1758. ed 70, p. 527). Schmiedein (Nitturges. deutsch. schmett., &s, p. 101-102) describes the larvae of this species, which he states live socially upon birch between the leave6 which they spin together. Packard (MOD.
geom. moths, 1876, p. 165-166) quotes New- man's description of the larva, in which it is stated to feed upon Betula ub3a and Sfyrica ~ale. KnItenbach (Pflanzenfeinde, 187.2, p. 4x3 and 599) complies authorities for the foi- Sowing additional food-plants of this species : Rhododendron hirsuiwm, Salii, and Vaccin- ittm u//g<kosiim. A Inrva of this species, taken on Betula allin, at Belmont. Mass,, 4 Aug. 1883, pupated 14 Aug., and appeared as imago 17 May 1884. This is one of the upecieu of lepidoptern seen in swarm's in parts of the White tits., N. H., where specimens were taken from 8-14 July 1874 in the greatest abundance.
(To be cdinfttd.)
SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE GENUS APIOCBRA. BY HAMEL WILLIAM COQUILLETT, ANAHEIM, CAL. In the Berliner entom. zeitschrift for
1883, 1). 387-294, Barun &ten Sacken
gives his reasons for placing the genus
Apiocera among the vsi/idae. I am strong- ly ofthe opinion, however, that its proper place is among the therevidae-an opin-
ion which the following facts would
appear to fully justify.
In the Monographs of the diptera of
North America, part 1, pi 22 and ti. 24, Dr. Loew defines the families asQidae find themftdae in the following words :
''å´Asilidae.-Thre basal cells much
prolonged. Third longitudinal voiu of
tile winga furcate, the two intercalary
veins always prestiiit. Third joint of the antennae ~irnple; under lip forming a
horny sheath; empodium similar to a
horny bristle."
b6 There'uiflae.--Three basal cells inncli prolonged ; the two intercaiary veins
present ; third longitudinal vein f urcate. Antennae with a terminal style of varia- Me form, sometime^ wanting. Iso ein-
podiam. Under lip fleshy ."
In many of the larger therevidae the
empodium, or third pulvilliis, is present in the form of a slender bristle. The
only character of importance, therefore, whereby either of these families may be
distinguished from the other is the strnet- tire of the under lip or prottoscis, which



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