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REPORT

ON THE INSECTS COLLECTED ON THE PENOBSCOT AND ALLEGUASH RIVERS, DURING AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 1861.

BY A. S. PACKARD, JR.

I here enumerate most of the species of insects collected during a rapid canoe journey through the northern part of the State, undertaken at the close of the season, when very many insects had already disappeared. The considerable number of new species noted shows how much remains to be done by our naturalists in this department.

I am indebted to Messrs. Ulke of Washington, Norton of Farmington, Conn., Uhler of Baltimore, Scudder of Boston, and Baron Osten Sacken of Washington, for naming insects of the several orders Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera and Neuroptera, Orthoptera, and Diptera.

Between Bangor and the Piscataquis River the following specimens occurred: Acheta n. sp., a small black Phryganid, Eshna 4-guttata, Gomphus n. sp., Diplax costifera, Agrionidæ, Cicindela hirticollis on the sandy shore, Aphodius fimetarius, Eumolpus auratus, Calligrapha scalaris, Galeruca rufosanguinea, G. sagittariæ, Lebia moesta, Ellychnia autumnalis, Bolboceros filicornis, Hallomenus scapularis, Paria oterrima, Anchomenus extensicollis, Cymindis n. sp., Dineutes sp., Buprestis fasciata, Leptura canadensis, with a Moraellistena, common on Golden Rod.

In the evening of the 8th August we found the army worm in considerable numbers in a barley field at Mattamiscontis. It did not occur on any farm above this point on our route. Polystœchotes nebulosus flew into our camp fire here. Oedipoda carolina and latipennis, Colias philodice, Satyrus alope and nephèle, Vanessa antiopa, Argynnis daphnis and Lycaena americana, Tipula costalis? with Phryganidæ and several moths, were common here. Upon De Grasse's farm the Grain Aphis was very abundant, on the oats especially. At the Grindstone Falls three species of Perla, Chrysopa sp., Phytocoris lineatus, Gomphocephalus nabiformis, Nabis

ferus, Capsus multicolor, Capsus non descr., Capsus n. sp., Alydus eurinus, Tettigonia 4-vittata, T. mollipes, Deltocephalus n. sp., Helochara communis, Aphrophora 4-notata, Capsus multicolor, Typhlocyba sp., and an Idiocerus? sp., were little hermipters common in the herbage. Calopteryx maculata, with the following beetles, also occurred: Attelabus rhois, Cryptocephalus nortus, Phaedon viride, Anaspis flavipennis, Sitonus lepidus, Octhredomus dorsalis, Anthrenus flavipes, Crepidodera nana, Mordella lineata, with several hymenopters: Bombus virginicus, Ammophila placida, Eumenes fraterna, Cerophales n. sp., Allantus verticalis, Emphytus mellipes, Crabro orcuatus, Halictus pilosus, Cerceris? n. sp., with Chrysops vittata, Authrax fulviana, or an allied species, Eristalis flavipes, Helophilus sp., Tabanus sp., Tachina sp., and Simulium ornatum, the "black fly" which is the terror of the forests of Maine and British America.

August 13th, while nooning at Whetstone Falls, I took on Apocynum cannabinum or Dogsbane, Chrysochus auratus; also Chrysobothris femorata. I tried unsuccessfully to capture Limenitis arthemis. At Hunt's Farm Pieris oleracea was frequent. Here also occurred a new species of Chloëaltis, and a fine large water beetle, Dytiscus confluens.

The 15th, warm and pleasant, was spent upon Mount Katahdin. Near the limits of trees, a Larentia, and a Crane fly, Credicia albivitta, and in the "slide" very near the summit above the limits of tree Locusta latipennis, were flying about the rocks. A diligent search in the low herbage, and under the stones upon the summit of the mountain, revealed the following beetles: Clytus speciosus, Acidota subcarinata, Coccinella picta northern var., Brachyacantha n. sp., Corybites aerarius, C. triundutatus, Syneta tripla, Thanasimus dubius, Crepidodera violacea, Buprestis maculiventris, with two staphylinids and another beetle. Caloptenus femur-rubrum, the common red-legged grasshopper, with its pupa, was frequent. Sixteen species of hymenopters, mostly ichneumons, including Formica pennsylvanica, and a small reddish ant, which was very abundant, represented this order. Two species of Phryganidæ, three homopters, and a fine Arma-like bug, with a large Aphis, and four species of Syrphi, including Spilomyia excentrica? and Eristalis dimidiatus; and Simulium ornatum, with five species of Muscidæ, and a Thrips, complete the list.

At the base of the mountains, among several moths not identi

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fied, was a pretty geometer, Stegania pustulata. In Beaver Brook, further on, occurred a larva of Belostoma.

At the foot of Grand Falls Systena frontalis was a common beetle on the wild peppermint. Galleruca marginella occurred in all its stages on myrica gale. The pupa of Eurypalpus lecontei occurred frequently in the river on stones. I took here a small butterfly very rare in New England, Poleommatus crategi, with Hesperia wamsutta, and also Bombus ternarius, B. virginicus, and a large red Tettigonia. Under stones Rhaphidophora maculata, and on the surface of the river Gerris paludum. Chrysopa vittala and niger were very annoying biting flies. Tachina vivida, Elephantomyia canadensis, Rhamphomyia sp., Dasypogon sp., with various Syrphi, Tipulidans, Chloroperla sp., Tetrix cristata, Chloëaltis n. sp., Ceresa bubalus, Homaemus exilis, Ptyelus bifasciatus, with other homopters, Adoxus vitis, Disonycha punctigera, Coccinella tricuspis, Photuris pennsylvanicus, Pterostichus luczotii, an Elaterid, a red variety of Formica pennsylvanica, and other hymenopters, Coelioxys octodentata, Odynenes pertinax, Pemphredon concolor, Osmia similima, Megachile perhaps brevis, and several ichneumons, and a new species of dragon fly of the genus Ophiogomphus, were captured here. Upon the logging road to the dam on Grand Lake Panorpa· americana? was more common than usual.

At Trout Brook Farm the following insects were noticed: Anchomenus extensicollis, Geotropes splendidus, Phyllobrotica decolorata, Staphylinus villosus; the common grasshoppers named before; Halictus imitatus, Allantus rufopectus, Vespa vulgaris, Ophion bilineatus; Corizus borealis, Sinea multispnosa, Gyphona flavilineata, a large aphis, besides the grain aphis, here also abundant on the oats, with Telanocera vicina, Ortalis closely allied to the European crassipennis, and other flies of the genera Chironomus, Dolichopus, Syrphus, and Asilus.

On the ten mile carry from Grand Lake to Webster Lake, I took under sticks and logs: Pterostichus coracinus, P. punctatissimus, Bradycelus quodricollis, Ochthedromus versicolor, Agabus angustus, Nomarctus bilobus, Cryptocephalus viridis, with Odynerus pertinax, Leptura vittata, Locusta flavovittata, Libellula rubicundula, Tingis hyalina, and on Eupatorium in flower Larentia russata, a fine Cidaria, and other moths, flies and ichneumons.

August 31, at Chamberlain Farm, we had a little more time to collect. Here in great numbers occurred a species of Syrphus,

and many bumble bees, Bombus vagans, B. fervidens, and B. Americanorum, and Crabro interruptus, with, besides the above mentioned grasshoppers, Chloëatis curtipennis, Orchilimum gracile, and a new species, and Nemobius vittatus, and the common cricket, Acheta. In the grass were many small homopters: Proconia costatis, Schirus ligatus, Acanthosoma cruciata, Prostemma, n. sp., Acocephalus acutus, Plyetus linearis, Helochara flavicephala, Capsus linearis, C. n. sp., and a species of Flata. Under stones, at the edge of Indian Pond, several beetles were taken: Cimindis reflexus, Pterostichus luczotii, Trechus micaus, and several staphylinids not named. On the alders were larvæ of Tenthredo, and on willows caterpillars of Cerura borealis. Here for the first time I took a large handsome green mayfly, Palingenia bilineata, either floating on the surface, or flying feebly on the grass by the shore. It occurred afterwards in greater abundance, with four other species of Ephemerids, on the Fish River lakes. Several Noctuids, among them Mammestra arctia, flew about lights at night. The dead cedars were much invested with an undescribed species of cylindrical bark borer, Hylesinus, which makes a central furrow, with smaller galleries branching out at right angles. This beetle was not noticed in upright healthy trees. On the grain upon the farm the aphis was abundant; on the turnip were small leaf-hoppers, Psyllyodes punctulata, which had eaten many holes in the leaves, besides other larvæ of beetles, and the caterpillar of Pieris oleracea.

Under stones at Churchill Lake three rare beetles were found: Harpalus pleuriticus, Anisodactylus nigrilus and Agonum metallescens.

At Monroe's farm on the Alleguash, the grain aphis was abundant in some oat and wheat fields, while others were free from them, but the grain thus attacked received, I was told, no injury, while farmers in Woodstock, N. B., were obliged to cut their grain green to save it from this aphis. In Mr. Monroe's garden I noticed Plecia longipes flying among the corn and other vegetables. Near here a handsome wasp-like fly, Spilomyia, was taken

on an aster.

Afterwards, on the Fish River lakes, I took Aphodius conspectus, Monohammus scutellatus, Tetrix harrisii, a new species of Gomphus, Pompilus funereus, Odynerus pertinax, Urocerus albicornis, Vanessa J-album and V. comma, Mammestra arctica, Ennomos magnaria, and a fine Cidaria, and the common Gerris paludum.

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