Article beginning on page 547.
Psyche 6:547, 1891.
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"November iSg3.J PSYCHE. 547
gleiche harngeftisse vorfand." It is
perhaps worthy of note that this pen-
tanephric condition obtains in Diptera
which are by common consent among the
most ancient and primitive of the order. The foregoing remarks may be sum-
marized as follows :-
I. It is very probable that the so-
called Malpighian vessels of Crustacea
and Arachnids are not the homologues
of the vasa Ma!p+kiof the Eutracheata
(Insects and My1 iopods) .
2. The Malpighian vessels of the
Eutracheata arise as paired divertic~ila of the hind-gut and are, therefore,
ectodermal.
3. In no insect embryo are more than
6 vessels known to occur; although
frequently only 4 are developed.
4. The number 6 occurs either dur-
ing embryonic or post-embryonic life in
members of the following groups : Ap-
terjgota, Orthoptera, Corrodentia, Neu-
roptera, Panorpata, Trichoptera, Cole-
optera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera.
5. The number 4 seems to be typical
for the Con oclentia, Thpnoptera,
Aphaniptera, Rhynchota, Diptera and
Hymenoptera.
6. The embryonic number in Derm-
aptera, Ephemeridea, Plecoptera and
Odonata has not been ascertained, but
will probably be found to be either 4 or 6. 7. There is evidence that in at least
one case (Melolontha) the tetranephric
is ontogenetically derived from the
hexanephric condition by the suppres-
sion of one pair of tubules.
8. It is probable that the insects
whicli never develop more than 4 Mal-
pighian vessels have lost a pair during
their phylogeny.
9. The post-embryonic increase in the
number of Malpighian vessels in some
orders (Orthoptera, Odonata, Hymen-
optera) is secondary and has apparently
arisen to supply a demand for greater
excreting surface.* '
*There is a curious analogy between the excretory organ? of these insects and the mesonephros of some vertebrates, where a second, third, etc., generation of tubules is added to the primitive metarneric series. When the embryonic number of Malpighian vessels- persists in insects, the demand for greater excreting surface is supplied by a lengthening of the individual vessels.
NOTE ON A SCUTELLERID ON NATIVE TOBACCO IN ARIZONA. BY C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND, KINGSTON, JAMAICA. At Cedar Ranch, Arizona, which is
and is on the edge of the somewhat
the half-way station on the stage route
mountainous country which lies to the
from Flagstaff' to the Grand Cafion, I
south of it, a more or less level plateau found on July 6, 1892, a scutellerid in
extending to the north between it and
numbers on a species of native tobacco,
the canon.
The native tobacco upon
Nicotlana sp. probably attenuata. which the insects were found grew in This locality is also called Hull Spring, patches about the spring, which is
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548 PSYCHE. [November 1893.
located a few hundred yards to the
south at the base of the north slope of
the wooded hills. The scutellerid was
very numerous on the Nicotiam, and
lives on the juices of the plant. About
thirty adults were taken, but only one
larva. This was the only larva seen at
this date, but hundreds of the adults
could have been collected. Some ants
-were observed, which appeared to
linger about the scutellerids.
Specimens of the latter were sent to
Mr. Uhler and Dr. Riley, and deter-
mined by them as Corimelaena extensa
Uhi. This record is of interest as
noting a scutellerid which affects
Nicotiana. I know of no previous
mention of a member of this family of
insects living upon this plant.
The adult of C. extensa is shining
black, with the hemelytra widely,
almost wholly creamy on the sides.
The larva is very similarly colored,
being also black with a patch of
creamy on the sides of body, the hem-
elytra being not yet developed. It may
be more definitely described as follows : Larva of Corhzelaena extema.- Length,
14 rnm. ; width, I rnm.
Body clothed some-
what sparsely with short pubescence.
Head
'triangular in outline from above, narrower than thorax, shining black above and below, the usually invisible membranous neck-like portion which attaches the head to the thorax 'being pale or light colored. Eves brownish. Antennae pale-colored, pubescent, 4-jointed, last joint longest and stoutest, three basal joints nearly same length and size. Beak elongate, reaching beneath body as far back as origin of hind pair of legs, pale colored, 3-jointed, basal joint a little the longest, last two joints nearly the same length, the second joint a little stouter than the last. Thorax about one-third broader than head, shining black above and below. Legs pale colored, except femora which are mostly darker. Ab- domen as wide as thorax, rounded behind, vaulted and convex, cistudinate (in the dried specimen), exposed and bare, widely shining black on the median portion longitudinally, narrowly so on the lateral edges, between the two with a lateral longitudinal stripe of creamy whitish which gradually narrows to a point posteriorly. Ventral surface
of abdomen very concave, and showing
same coloring. Scutellum and wings
wholly undeveloped.
One specimen, July 6, on Nicotiana.
Arizona.
In the adult the last joint of antennae
is no longer nor larger than the preced- ing two joints, to each of which it is
nearly equal. The legs are almost
wholly blackish or brownish, except
the tarsi and tips of tibiae. The beak
is brownish and 3-jointed, antennae
pale. Whole upper surface of head,
thorax and scutellum is dark metallic
green. Wing covers are extremely
narrow, creamy except a narrow dark
green line on inner edge which
broadens at base.
A NEW ENTOMOLOGICAL JOURNAL.- The
Most of the articles, as is fitting, bear particu- New York entomological society began early lar reference to the insects of the neigh- this year the publication of a quarterly jour- boring region, and render the journal of nal, of which three parts have already special value in this respect; besides which appeared, extending to nearly 150 pages. are not a few papers of permanent interest.
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