Abstracts.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 42, 1909, Unnumbered Page

Abstracts.

Part I. 1. Brunner v. Wattenwyl and Redtenbacher: “Die Insectenfamilien der Phasmiden” (1906-8). 2. Karny, H.: “Revisio Conocephalidarum.” Abh. zool. bot. Ges. Wien, iv, 1–114 (1907). 3. Shelford, R.: “Studies of the Blattidœ x.” Trans. Ent. Soc. London, –327, pls. 7–9 (1909, June 4). 4. Kellogg, V. L.: “The Mallophagan Parasites of the Kea.” Psyche, xiv, –23 (1907, December). 5. Kirkaldy, G. W.: “A Catalogue of the Hemipterous Family Aleyrodidœ.” Bull. Board Agric. Hawaii, ii, 1–92 (1907, September 21). 6. Id.: “On a New Derbid Homopteron from New Zealand; and Notes on other Hemiptera.” P. Haw. E.S., ii, –81 (1909, September). 7. Id.: “Notes on the Hemipterous Genus Œchalia.” Op. cit., –84, pl. 2, text figs. 8. Reuter, O. M.: “Capsidæ quattuor novæ regionis australicæ.” Ann. Mus. Wien, xxii, –86 (1908). 9. Broun, T.: Numerous papers on Coleoptera in the Ann. Mag. N.H. (7), xix, 56 onwards (1907-9). 10. Champion, G. C.: “Notes on Cossonidœ (2).” Ent. Mo. Mag. (2), xx, –23 (1909, June). 11. Donisthorpe, H. St. J.: “A Few Additions to the Coleoptera of the Isle of Wight.” Ent. Mo. Mag. (2), xix, 255 (1908, November). 12. Enderlein, G.: “Die Russelkafer der Falklands-Inseln.” Stett. E.Z., lxviii, –69 (1907, May). 13. Schwarz, O.: “Coleoptera, Fam. Elateridœ.” Wytsman Gen. Ins., 45, pp. 1–370, 6 pls. (1906-7). 14. Id.: “18 neue Elateriden Arten von Australien.” Stett. E.Z., lxviii, –86 (1907, May). 15. Hampson, G.: “Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalœnœ in the British Museum.” Vol. vii (London, 1908), pp. i-xv and 1–709, pls. –22 and text figs. 1–184. 16. Froggatt, W. W.: “So-called Fruit-flies that are not Fruit-flies.” Agr. Gaz. N.S.W., xx, –69 (1909, May 3). 17. Id.: “Report on Parasitic and Injurious Insects, –8.” N.S.W., Dept. Agr., 1–116, 8 pls. and other figs. (1909). 18. Theobald, F. V.: “A Monograph of the Culicidœ or Mosquitoes.” Vol. iv, pp. i-xix and 1–639, pls. 1–16 and text figs. 1–297 (1907, probably December). 19. Morley, C.: “The Antipodean Genus Proloboides, Morl.: A Correction.” Entom., xlii, –20 (1909, May). 20. Id.: “On the Ichneumonidœ of the Banksian Collection in the British Museum.” Op. cit. –37 (1909, June). 21. Silvestri, F.: “Sguardo allo stato attuale dell’ Entomologia agraria negli Stati-Uniti del Nord America e ammaestramenti che possono derivarne per l'A gricoltura italiana.” Boll. Soc. Agr. Ital., xiv, No. 8, pp. 1–65 (1909, April 30). [Translation in Hawaiian Forester and Agric., vi, –336 and –86 (1909, August).] 22. Cockerell, T. D. A.: “Descriptions and Records of Bees, xxii.” Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (8), iv, –17 (1909, October) and –404 (1909, November). 23. Gestro, R.: “Rhysodidœ.” Coleopt. Cat., i, 1–11 (1909). 24. Johannsen, O. A.: “Diptera, Fam. Mycetophilidœ.” Wytsman's Gen. Ins., xciii, 1–141, pl. 1–7 (1909).

Orthoptera. I have not seen Brunner and Redtenbacher's monograph of the Phasmidœ (1), but I believe that, up to the present, 589 pages and 27 plates have appeared. In Karny's revision of the Conocephalidœ (2) a new species is described, Xiphidium brunneri. According to Kirby, this is properly Conocephalus brunneri. Shelford (3) notices Polyzosteria novœseelandiœ (p. 279, pl. 7, f. 12), Cutilia sedilloti and brunni (p. 292), and Temnelytra undulivitta (p. 304, pl. 9, f. 36). Shelford cites a note from Walker that Polyzosteria eats bugs found under bark of trees. Mallophaga. The following parasites of the kea are described by Kellogg (4): Lipeurus circumfasciatus, var. kea; Colpocephalum setosum (originally described from a vulture); and Menopon fulvofasciatum, var. kea (the typical form originally from a buzzard). Hemiptera. Kirkaldy (5) enumerates the known species of New Zealand Aleyrodidœ, with their food-plants, &c. The same author describes (6) Cenchrea maorica, a new homopteron from New Zealand, from specimens collected by Messrs. A. Hamilton and G. Howes, and notes the occurrence of Siphanta acuta in New Zealand, a specimen having been sent him from Auckland by Mr. Hamilton. The cimicid Pœcilmetis gravis, described from New Zealand in 1781 by Fabricius, is noted as being Australian and not New Zealand. The same author writes on the genus Œchalia (7), incidentally describing a new subgenus for the Hawaiian species, the Australo-New Zealand Œ. consocialis being left for the typical subgenus. A summary of the habits of the latter is made. Reuter (8) describes two new mirids (capsids), Oxychilophora marginicollis and Lygus plebejus. Coleoptera. Broun (9) has described a considerable number of Coleoptera, and the series is apparently not yet finished. Champion (10) remarks (p. 123) that the genus Dioedimorpha, Broun, will probably prove to be inseparable from Stenotrupis. Donisthorpe (11) has a note on the question as to whether Trogolinus anglicus has been introduced into England from New Zealand; Fowler, in a note attached, considers that T. unicolor is distinct from T. anglicus. Enderlein (12) describes sixteen species of Curculionidœ from the Falkland Isles, forming two closely related genera, one new, the other characteristic of the subantarctic region, and consisting of a number of species from Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, Chile, as well as some from a more northern fauna. The Falklandic species are all endemic, and only a few species have a close relation to continental forms. The paper also includes a list of twelve others on the Antarctic land Arthropoda by the same author. Schwarz (14) has described Crepidomenus bruneus (p. 85), and the same author in another contribution (13) describes Panspœus biguttatus (p. 148). According to Gestro's catalogue (23), just published, four species of Rhysodidœ are found in New Zealand (see Index Faunæ N.Z., 167). They are: Rhysodes pensus, R. arcuatus (=aterrimus = brouni), R. luscus (= eminens = orbitosus), and Clinidium (?) proprius. Lepidoptera. The seventh volume of Hampson's “Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalœnœ” (15) was published in 1908, probably in December. It deals with a portion of the Acronyctinœ. Only one species is figured—viz., Bityla pallida (p. 42, pl. cix, fig. 6). Hymenoptera. Morley (19) provides some synonymy in the Ichneumonidœ. He maintains that Proloboides sollicitorius and deceptus are from New Zealand, not from Britain. It is, however, by no means certain that these species are endemic in New Zealand, and thus may actually occur in Britain. The same author (20) has published some notes on certain Ichneumonidœ, which can scarcely be reproduced here. Morley says, “It may be well to mention that the antipodean insects were taken by Sir Joseph Banks while on his memorable voyage round the world with Captain Cook; most of them when the latter was stranded at Endeavour River, where Cooktown now stands, in 1770, and where he had to remain for repairs for four months.” Cockerell (22) has described a new species of Prosopis (P. maoriana), adding a table for the separation of the six New Zealand species (313-14).

Diptera. Froggatt (16) notes Lonchœa splendida from New Zealand. The same author, in another place (17), describes and figures Dacus xanthodes (91, pl. 1, fig. 3) and Ceratitis capitata (100, pl. 5, fig. 18). The fourth volume of Theobald's Monograph of the Culicidœ appeared in 1907. It is supplementary to the previous three (18). The list of New Zealand Mycetophilidœ is very little changed in the latest arrangement. When Marshall's work came out in 1896 it was very severely criticized in “Natural Science” (x, –26, 1897), but all Marshall's species are now accepted, and only two genera placed in synonymy! S. fagi and hirtus are considered as doubtful in Sciophila; Euryceras is a syn. of Boletina, Brachidicrania of Exechia, and Brevicornu of Corydyla. Mycetophila antarctica remains undescribed; Aneura boletinoides is wrongly included by Johannsen from Australia. In the Index Faunæ N.Z. (133-34), for “antennatis” read “-alis,” and for “ninor” read “minor.” General. Silvestri (21) has given an account of his tour of investigation into the methods taken by other countries (than Italy) for the control of insect pests. There is a considerable amount of information on New Zealand insects. Part II. In the third, eighth, and tenth volumes of Dalla Torre's “Catalogus Hymenopterorum,” the Austrian author has substituted new names for certain preoccupied ones in New Zealand Hymenoptera. These were ignored in the “Index Faunæ Novæ-Zealandiæ,” probably because of the obscure method of publication, the new names being quite incidentally included, and not specially indexed or indicated. I now enumerate those that I have traced, and add two new ones that appear to be required. It may be added that Dalla Torre's catalogue has been carelessly prepared as regards the habitats of the New Zealand species, one being recorded from Sokotra, and most of the rest from Australia! The pagination on the left-hand side is that of the “Index”:— 96. Dasycolletes hirtipes, not hirticeps. Halictus smithii, D.T., 1896, vol. x, p. 85=familiaris, Smith. Prosopis relegata, not regelatus (sic). P. maorica, nom. nov. = P. lœvigatus, Smith. 98. Rhopalum carbonicolor, D.T., 1897, viii, 586=R. carbonarium, Smith. Tachytes depressus and helmsii are spp. of Tachysphex. 100. Platylabus decoratorius, Fabricius = Ichneumon decoratorius of the Index. 101. Ichneumon placidulus, D.T., 1902, iii, 970 = I. placidus, Smith. I. lotatorius, Fabricius = pascoei = cinctus = Colobacis forticornis = C. insidiator Smith (sec. Morley). Cryptus geiri, D.T., 1902, iii, 573 = C. penetrator, Smith. Mesostenus novozelandicus, D.T., 1902, iii, 545 = albopictus, Smith. 102. Ophion maoricum, nom. nov. = O. ferrugineus, Smith. O. skeltoni, not skelloni. Rhyssa, not Rhyssus. Add to Tryphoninœ,— Bassus lœtatorius (introduced). [N.B.: Bassus in “Index,” p. 358, should be Ballus.]