NOTE ON PITYOPHTHORUS CONIPERDA, SCHWARZ

Extract

This species was described in the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, Vol. III, p, 144, 1895, and the author stated: “I offer herewith a description of this species, being solely tempted thereto by the interest attached to its life-history; for, as far as I am aware, there is no other Scolytid known which normally develops within the cones of pine trees.” Possibly since that time a similar habit may have been observed in regard to other members of the Scolytidæ, but I cannot recall any reference to such observations. The beetle in question was first collected by me on May 24, 1884, and its capture was quite accidental. Mr. Fletcher and myself had that day visited a grove of white pines on the Gatineau, a few miles north of Ottawa, with the special object of collecting the somewhat rare little butterfly, Thecla Niphon, of which we succeeded in capturing several good specimens.