Article beginning on page 281.
Psyche 7:281-284, 1894.

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September 1Sgs.1 PSYCHE. 281
62, Hydrotrechus remigus Say.
Frequent. Hibernates beneath logs
and piles of drift along the border of
streams. Sometimes seen warm days
in latter part of February on the
surface of the water.
63, LimnotrecJms marffinaius Say.
Frequent. All that I have found in
winter were beneath logs on hillsides,
200 yards or more from water.
64, Limnoforus rufoscutellatzts
Lat. This species, abundant on the
lakes of northern Indiana, has been
found only in small numbers on a
large pond in Vigo Co.
Two living
specimens were found beneath a pile
of drift near the border of the pond
on Jan. I, 1893.
The species of Zaitha, Belostoma,
Ranatra, and, perhaps, Notonecta,
presumably pass the winter as nymphs,
inhabiting the mud in the bottoms of
ponds and streams; but as I have
taken none of them at that seawn they
are not incorporated with the above
list of winter Heteroptera, which
includes only such species as I have
actually found hibernating'.
SOME HABITS OF FORMICA OBSCURIPES FOREL, WITH NOTES ON SOME INSECTS FOUND ASSOCIATED WITH IT. BY GEORGE B. KING, LAWRENCE, MASS.
It is generally believed and is also
stilted by the majority of writers upon
the liabits of ants, that in such clinlates as we have in our northern States and
Canada, the ants just before the ground
begins to freeze go down into their bur- rows below the freezing point, and re-
main there until the approach of spring, when they ascend again, attend to their
accustomed avocations, and repair their
nests.
To satisfy myself as to whether or
not this were true, I last year located
and marked three of the mounds in
,
which this ant lives ; they were several miles apart. On November 25 at 3
P. M. I went with my son to nest no. I.
The temperature of the air was 38', the
snow which had fallen on the morning
previous had nearly disappeared, and
it was gradually growing colder. We
removed some of the earth from the top
of the nest, and at the depth of six
inches we found plenty of ants. They
were in a sluggish condition and appar-
ently asleep and when disturbed could
barely move about. We continued
digging down to the depth of two and
one-half feet and found ants huddled
together in little piles all through the nest. I took the temperature at this
depth, 33' F. The ground froze the
following night and remained frozen all
winter. We collected 177 of the ants,
and brought them home to look for
winter parasites on ants. I found 8




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282 PSYCHE. [September 1855.
specimens of Urofoda ricas&ana
Berlese. They were all fastened to the
tibiae and in every case but one at-
tached to the middle leg. I also found
5 mites of another genus LaeZa$s equi-
tans ~ichael. I did not observe where
they were attached as they became
loosened by my handling of the ants.
The Uropodas did not loose their grip.
We also found one coleopteron Serica
sericea Burin, hibernating with the
ants; it is frequently found with ants
in the spring under stones.
We did not disturb this nest again
until March 17 of 189; when we
found snow and ice on the top of the
nest averaging in depth nearly ;
inches. The atmospheric temperature
was 33' F. We cut through the frozen
earth which was a little over a foot in
thickness and in doing so observed a
number of ants. We continued digging-
to the depth of two feet and found
plenty of ants in the same condition as
wc did on November 25, 1894. The
temperature of the nest below the fnr/.en parts was 33' F.* We again collected
42 of the ants for the purpose of exam-
ining them for mites and found 4 of the
Uropoda so. attached to the legs of the
ants as before, but did not find at this time any of the other mites.
On March 23 we wcnt to nest no. 2.
Snow and ice was still on the ground,
but had nearly all thawed off' from the
nest. The northern portion of the nest
was still frozen, but the other parts
more exposed to the mys of the sun had
- ~ -
'We covered the nest up veiy carefully after our first i t with the same material of which the nest was corn. posed.
thawed out and were quite wet.
Upon
removing the soil from the top of the
nest we found ants plentiful at 3 inches from the top of the nest. The temper-
ature of the nest at the depth of 8 inches was 39' F. All of the ants were in a
sluggish condition, and could move
slowly about when disturbed. The
temperature of the air was 49O V. and
the sun was shining. I placed some
of the ants in the sun and in about fif- teen minutes they began to appear
active. We collected 141 of them for
the examination of mites arid fonnd 8
of the Uropda sp. We also found
another species of ant Cremasfogasfer
lineolata in large numbers and but very
few of them alive; this species of ant
usually occurs under stones and old
cord-wood, sticks, logs, etc. Why these
ants wcnt into this mound with the
oilier ants I am not able to say. We
found a number of the common earth
worms, L~~mbricus sp., two species of
Juhcs canadensis Newp., two speci-
mens of a Porcellio, a male and female
of Platymts czt$ri$ennis Say, and a
large species of staphylinid.
April 6 wc made a visit to nest no. 3.
Here we found a number of the ants at
work ; several of the doors were open
and the ants moved about quietly, not
as they usually do when the weather is
wag mer and the season mole advanced.
The thermometer stood at 58' F. and at
the depth of two fcct down into the nest at40å F. The day was clear. We found
a number of the Uropoda walking
around among
the ants and some at-
tached to the ants' legs as before men-
tioned. We found one staphylinid.




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September I~QS.] PSYCHE. 283
Nest no. I measured three and one-
half feet across the top and was elevated but little from the surrounding surface, being nearly flat. The ground was of
a light sandy soil and situated beside a road passing through a young growth
of woods. Nest no. 2 was on the road-
side elevated somewhat above the water
gutter. It was covered with sod similar
to the surroundings and measured three
feet across the top and was elevated
above the surfice nearly six inches; it
was a long distance from any woods
and composed of a coarse sandy soil.
Nest 110. measured four and one-half
feet across the top and was elevated
eight inches above the surrounding sur-
face situated beside a public highway
and a long distance from any woods ; it
was composed of a very light soil cov-
ered with small sticks and pebbles and
was much the largest colony of the three nests examined.
One ofour warmest days last summer,
we visited this nest no. 3, approached it carefully, just before n A. M. We 011-
served none of the ants coming or going
from the nest ; its doors were all closed. On removing a little of the loose cover- ing of the nest not more than two inches deep we found the ants in great abiin-
dance and to all appearances these ants
were asleep.
The ants that we collected in
November from nest no. I we exposed
to a temperature of z6å F. for one
hour in a bottle. They immediately
collected into a cluster. On taking them into my study which was 72' F. they
became quite lively in half an hour.
Dr. McCook, who has given much of
his time to the study of some of our ants, performed a number of experiments
with Camponotus penns+vZvanicas,
and found it to live and to be quite
active after being put on ice for forty- eight hours and sluggish at a tempera-
ture of 30' F. He also found Formica
~zJa to be active in its nests at 34' F. and both of these species to stand a very high degree of heat. I have also found
Camponoius $ennsyZvanicus in 11ollow
trees in the woods imbedded in ice and
the decomposed portion of the tree. I
have taken them home, thawed them
out, and they became lively and ap-
peared vi-ell and healthy, and went to
work in my artificial nest.
I do not mean to have it understood
that all of our ants can or do stand this low degree of temperature, but only
that those writers who claim that all of our ants go down below the freezing
point in the fdl of the year are mistaken iind in all probability have never ob-
served these creatures.
There is, however, very little indeed
known in this country about our For-
micirlae in general, there being very
few entomologists that have made any
study of this group of insects.
In regard to the literature relating
to mites found associated with ants,
the latest work that I know of is that
of Dr. E. Wasmann of Berlin on Myr-
tnecophilous insects found with ants.
He mentions 34 Acarina found with ants
through the world. I have one-half of
this number found in Massachusetts
and New Hampshire alone, and expect
to find more. The number of ants that
I have found to inhabit Essex County,
Massacl~usetts, are 41 species and I have a large part of it to look over yet.




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284 P.S2TflE. [September 1895.
THE SEVENTH VOLUME OF PSTCHR
Began in January, 1894, and continues through three years. The subscription price (~ayable in advance) is $5.00 per volume, or $2.00 per year, postpaid. The numbers will be issued, as in Vol. 6, on the first day of every month and will cou- tain at least 12 pages each. No more than this was promised for the sixth volume but the numbers have actually averaged more than 16 pages, and in addition 21 plates have been given and more than 50 other illustrations. We prefer to let
performance outrun promise, but when a larger subscription list warrants it, we shall definitely increase the number of pages. Vols. 1-6, Complete, Unbound, - Now sold for $29.00. Vols. 1-6, and Subscription to Volume 7, - - $33.00. The Butterflies of the Eastern United States and Canada, With special reference to New England.
~y SAMUEL H. SCUDDER.
Illustrated with 96 plates of Butterflies, Caterpillars, Chrysalids, etc. (of which 41 are colored) which include about 2,m Figures besides Maps and Portraits. 19.58 Pages of Text.
Vol. I. Introduction; Nymphalidae.
Vol. 2. Remaining Families of Butterflies. Vol. 3. Appendix, Plates and Index.
The set, 3 vols., royal 8v0, half levant, $75.00 net. HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO.,
4 Park St., Boston, Mass.
A. SMITH & SONS, 269 PEARL STREET, New York. BANUFACIIIHERS ANDIMPOETERSOF
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Special Labels, Forceps, Sheet Cork, Etc. Other articles are being added, Sendfor List. JOHN AKHURST,
TAXIDERMIST AMD DEALER IN ENTOMOLOGICAL SUPPLIES. Fine CarlsbnJer Insect Pin? a spe-
c'lalty.
Prix List scnl on tippliciiion.
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BROOKLYN, N. Y.




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Septewibtr 1895 1 SI/ppLEflfEiVT TO W C H E . 5 that on 2 broadly interrupted in the middle. Hairs of tip of abdomen yellowish.
Hab., on Salix (narrow-leaved willow),
by the acequia in Las Cruces, New Mexico, early in May, 1895 (Ckll., 2908),
This species is evidently distinct, but it must be separated from its allies with
care.
In its general appearance, and the color of its wings, it resembles the $ of A. jiauody- $eda Smith. T have an Illinois specimen
of the latter from Mr. Robertson, and can distinguish it from sdicinella by its duller granulated mesothorax, not showing distinct sparse punctures as in our species. The
clypeus also is comparatively impunctale in fiavoclypeata; the abdominal bands also are thinner, Mr. Robertson describes fmm Illi- nois a species, A. salicis, which is evidently very near to sa-licinella. On going through the description I find that our species differs thus :-
The pubescence of head and thorax is
white or dirty-white, not fulvous; the bassi1 process of labrum is triangular, not truncate; the wings are not clouded beyond the mar- ginal cell; the abdominal fasciae are dirty- white, not fulvous. Otherwise the two seem to agree.
A species I found in Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado, to the best of my recollection on willows, was named by Mr. Ashmead CiZissa trizonata. A. salicinella differs from A. trizonata (Ashm.) thus :-
The thorax is not closely punctate; the
pubescence is not dense; all the tarsi are rufous, not black or piceons; the ocelli are not pale; the wings are yellowish. I have no doubt that other differences could be demonstrated by actual comparison of
specimens.
Perdita nitidella var. exclamans n. var - <^ about 5 mm. long. Head moderately
broad, vertex minutely roughened and
sparsely punctate. Pubescence hardly
noticeable, but cheeks beneath bear long hairs. Antennae yellow, with the flagellum black above. Vertex and upper half of
cheeks metallic greenish-blue. Face at and below level of antennae entirely pale yellow, the labrum and mandibles becoming nearly white, except that the latter are ferruginous at tips.
Above the level of the antennae the
yellow extends irregularly upwards, becon- ing deeper in tone. The median upward
extension of the yellow is broad and rounded and just reaches the anterior ocellus. It shows a slight projection on each side not far from its top; and on each side of its base close to the origin of the antennae, it
encloses a dark spot by sending a bridge to join the lateral yellow extension.
The lat-
eral upward extension of the yellow follows the margin of the orbit, at first rapidly nar- rowing; and then continuing, narrow but
of uniform width, to its oblique termination at about the level of the lateral ocelli. These
face-makings strikingly resemble a person with uplifted arms in the act of making an exclamation - hence the varietal name.
The median extension of the yellow repre- sents the head, the lateral ones the arms. If the resemblance were not so obviously purposeless, I presume we should call it mimicry! Prothorax yellow, neck with a
short dark band on each side. Pleura with its anterior half yellow,
its posterior half
covered by two large metallic blotches,
separated by a narrow yellow band. Dor-
sum of mesothorax very shiny, hardly
punctured, very sparsely hairy, dark metallic green, with the lateral margins yellow.
Tegulae yellow, metathorax blue, in strong contrast with the green mesothorax, sides of tnetathorax with white hairs; its exposed dorsal surface minutely striolate. Four
anterior legs entirely yellow; hind legs yellow with a spot at end of femur, posterior side of tibia, posterior side of first joint of tarsus and whole of remaining joints, dark brown. Wings hyaline, nervures pule
brown, third discoidal cell excessively
indistinct; stigma hyaline margined with brown. Abdomen yellow with a brown
band at apex and base of each segment.
Venter entirely yellow.
Hub. Close to the Agricultural College,




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6 SUPPLEMENT TO PSYCHE. [September 1895. Las Cruces, N. M., 13th May, 1895.
(Miss
Jessie Casad, no. 296.) Taken on mesquite. I had described this as a distinct species, but after prolonged consideration I believe it to be but a varietal form of P. nitidella Ckll. In typical nitidella the median excursion of the yellow does not extend to the middle ocellus, while in the variety it may be said to do so, the interval between its upper border and the ocellus being scarcely observable with a strong lens. In f;i;'idella the incur- sion of the blue terminates in a right angle, whereas in the variety its termination is much more acute. Other differences will ap- pear to any one comparing the descriptions. Typical nitideUfl was taken in September. Perdita punctosignata, n. sp.- $ about
44 nim. long. Head moderately broad;
vertex minutely roughened, not punctate. Checks beneath with sparse hairs, An-
tennae yellow; tip of scape, funide, and flagelkim except last two joints, brown
above. Head, including face and cheeks,
entirely dull yellow except a broad transverse black band stretching from eye to eye on vertex, and enclosing the two lateral ocellj; a black basi-occipital band connected with that on vertex in median line; and a con- spicuous black spot close to the anterior orbit about as far above level of insertion of antennae as length of scape. The yellow of the face becomes paler downwards, the
labrum being rather whitish.
Thorax bright lemon yellow, with two
broad black bands extending backwards from near the anterior margin of the inesothorax to the metathorax, where they meet; making the whole of the dorsum of metathorax black except a couple of yellow spots in the median line near its anterior border. The dors~lm of scutellum arid post-scntellum are broadly greenish-yellow. Tegulae hyaline. Wings
hyaline, nervures pale, stigma hyaline with a brown margin, third discoidal excessively indistinct. Legs all yellow, except a brown- ish shade behind middle tibiae, and a still stror.ger shade on hind tibiae and a slight brown spot at end of hind femora.
Abdomen yellow with sepia bands; first
segment mostly sepia, with an interrupted yellow band and yellow anterior border;
second and third segments each with a
narrow proximal and a broad distal band, the latter narrowing suddenly before lateral margin; fourth segment similar, but the
distal band narrower; fifth segment with the hands becoming obscure, or at least the
distal one. Venter all yellow.
Hat. Close to the Agricultural College,
La6 Cruces, N. M., 13th May, 1895, on
mesquite.
(Miss Jessie Casad, no. 297.)
By the face-inakings, this might be con- founded with P. ma~Iini Ckll., but the
yellow thorax with broad longitudinal bands will at once separate it,
Sphaerophthalma gloriosa Saubs., var.
nov. pseudopappus.-? about 13 to 16 mm.
long, entirely dull black, clothed with very long pure white hairs. The long hairs on the dorsum of the second segment of abdo- men are about 5 mm. long. The first
abdominal segment widens gradually to the second, and is dorsally bare, with white hairs at base and apex.
Hub. La6 Cruces, New Mexico, in June.
One also on September 6. Mr. Fox knows
it also from Arizona and California.
I have never seen typical gloriosa, in
which the body color is reddish, but Mr. Fox assures me that the present insect is but a variety of it. It is, perhaps, rather a sub-