Guide to the study of animal ecology

by Charles C. Adams

VI. IMPORTANT SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON THE LIFE HISTORIES OF INSECTS AND ALLIED INVERTEBRATES

Insects are to-day one of the dominant forms of life and are present in almost every large animal association or habitat. They therefore form an important element in a large number of ecological studies. And although facts of ecological significance have been accumulating for many years they are so widely scattered that to find them when needed is quite a serious problem. To aid in such a search the following references are given. It should be remembered that spiders, mites, and myriapods are commonly included in entomological literature and are therefore included in this list. The list is not intended as a substitute for the more elaborate sources such as the Zoölogical Record and similar standard works to be found in large libraries, but it includes publications that are more likely to be within the grasp of teachers and students not located at library centers. Many of these are public documents, and even if out of print, can easily be secured from second-hand dealers.

A student who has access to large libraries will find the following paper very valuable in suggestions as to the methods of finding the literature on many general zoölogical subjects.

Minot, C. S.

1896. Bibliography. A Study of Resources, pp. 149-168. Biol. Lectures, Wood’s Holl, 1895. Boston.

(Alphabetically arranged.)

Aldrich, J. M.

1905. A Catalogue of North American Diptera. Smithsonian Misc. Coll., Vol. XLVI, No. 1444. pp. 680.

Contains an extensive bibliography on flies.

Anonymous.

1906. Catalogue of Publications Relating to Entomology in the Library of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Library Bulletin 55. pp. 562. Washington.

Banks, N.

1892. A Synopsis, Catalogue, and Bibliography of the Neuropteroid Insects of Temperate North America. Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., Vol. XIX, pp. 327-373.

1898-1905. Bibliography of the More Important Contributions to American Economic Entomology, Parts VI, VII, and VIII. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology.

A continuation of the work begun by Henshaw (1889-1896).

1900. A List of Works on North American Entomology. U. S. Dept. Agr., Div. Ent., Bull. No. 24 (N. S.). pp. 95.

1902. An Index to Bulletins Nos. I-30 (N. S.), (1896-1901), of the Division of Ent. U. S. Dept. Agr., Div. Ent., Bull. No. 36 (N.S.). pp. 64.

1910. A List of Works on North American Entomology. U. S. Dept. Agr., Div. Ent., Bull. 81. pp. 120.

This and the preceding edition (1900) form a very useful index to the systematic literature of insects, spiders, myriapods, etc.

1910. Catalogue of the Nearctic Hemiptera-Heteroptera. Amer. Ent. Soc. pp. 103. Philadelphia.

1910. Catalogue of Nearctic Spiders. U. S. Nat. Mus., Bull. 72. pp. 80.

In the absence of special bibliographies these catalogues are the most convenient avenue to the literature.

Bethune, C. J. S.

1900. General Index to the Thirty Annual Reports of the Entomological Society of Ontario, 1870-1899. pp. 76. Ontario Dept. Agr.

Beutenmüller, W.

1891. Bibliographical Catalogue of the Described Transformations of North American Coleoptera. Jour. N. Y. Micros. Soc., Vol. VII, pp. 1-52.

1890. Preliminary Catalogue of the Described Transformations of the Odonata of the World, pp. 165-179. In Lamborn, R. H., Dragonflies vs. Mosquitoes. New York.

1893. On the Food Habits of the North American Rhynchophora. Jour. N. Y. Ent. Soc., Vol. I, pp. 36-43, 80-88.

1896. Food-Habits of North American Cerambycidæ. Jour. N. Y. Ent. Soc., Vol. IV, pp. 73-81.

Chittenden, F. H.

1893. Note on the Food Habits of Some Species of Chrysomelidæ. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., Vol. II, pp. 261-267.

1897. General Index to the Seven Volumes of Insect Life, 1888-1895. U. S. Dept. Agr., Div. Ent.

Commissioner of Agriculture.

1876. The General Index of the Agricultural Reports of the Patent Office for 1837-1861, and of the Department of Agriculture for 1862-1876. Washington.

Comstock, J. H.

1879. Report upon Cotton Insects. U. S. Dept. Agr. pp. 511.

This report, like those of the U. S. Entomological Commission, gives very full accounts of the habits and life histories of certain species and gives particular attention to their predaceous and parasitic enemies. The predaceous insects are seldom given as detailed study as the vegetable-feeding kinds.

Coquillett, D. W.

1881. Larvæ of Lepidoptera. Tenth Ann. Rep. State Ent. Ill., pp. 145-186.

Descriptions, figures, and keys to many common larvæ.

Cresson, E. T.

1887. Synopsis of the Hymenoptera of America, North of Mexico. Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., Supplem. Vol., 1887, Pt. 2. Catalogue of Species and Bibliography, pp. 155-350. Philadelphia.

Currie, R. P., and Caudell, A. N.

1911. An Index to Circulars 1 to 100 (Second Series) of the Bureau of Entomology. U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Ent., Circular No. 100. pp. 49.

The circulars contain a large amount of information on life histories of insects.

Dimmock, G., and Knab, F.

1904. Early Stages of Carabidæ. Bull. No. 1, Springfield Mus. Nat. Hist. pp. 55. Springfield, Mass.

Dodge, C. R.

1888. The Life and Entomological Work of the Late Townend Glover. U. S. Dept. Agric., Div. Ent., Bull. No. 18 (O. S.). pp. 68.

Dyar, H. G.

1894. A Classification of Lepidopterous Larvæ. Ann. N. Y. Acad. of Sci., Vol. VIII, pp. 194-232.

Edwards, H.

1889. Bibliographical Catalogue of the Described Transformations of North American Lepidoptera. U. S. Nat. Mus., Bull. 35. pp. 147.

Felt, E. P.

1905-06. Insects Affecting Park and Woodland Trees. Mem. 8, N. Y. State Mus., Vol. I, pp. 1-332, a435-a459, 1905; Vol. II, pp. 333-877, 1906.

Excellently illustrated, and with numerous references. This report and Packard’s Forest Insects form an excellent guide to the life histories and literature of forest insects.

1899. Memorial of Life and Entomologic Work of Joseph Albert Lintner, Ph. D. N. Y. State Mus., Bull. 24, Vol. V, pp. 303-611.

Contains an index to Lintner’s thirteen reports as State Entomologist of New York. These reports contain rather full references and good summaries of life histories.

Folsom, J. W.

1906. Entomology with Special Reference to its Biological and Economic Aspects, pp. 485. Philadelphia.

A very useful bibliography is given on pp. 409-466.

Forbes, S. A.

1885. General Indexes to the First Twelve Reports of the State Entomologists of Illinois. App. to Fourteenth Rep. State Ent. Ill. pp. 120. Springfield.

1909. Contents and Index of the Reports of the State Entomologist of Illinois, XIII-XXIV. 1884-1908. pp. 157. Office of State Entomologist.

Forbes, W. T. M.

1906. Field Tables of Lepidoptera. pp. 141. Worcester, Mass. Keys for the determination of larvæ.

1910. A Structural Study of Some Caterpillars. Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer., Vol. III, pp. 94-132.

Contains a very useful bibliography (pp. 125-127).

Forbush, E. H., and Fernald, C. H.

1896. The Gypsy Moth. Mass. Board Agr. pp. 495. Boston.

Also discusses predaceous and parasitic animals which prey upon the Gypsy Moth.

Hart, C. A.

1895. On the Entomology of the Illinois River and Adjacent Waters. Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., Vol. IV, pp. 149-284.

Keys to immature stages of aquatic insects and many biological observations.

Henshaw, S.

1887. The Entomological Writings of Dr. Alpheus Spring Packard. U. S. Dept. of Agr., Div. Ent., Bull. No. 16. pp. 49.

Biological observations.

1889-96. Bibliography of the More Important Contributions to American Economic Entomology, Parts I-V, and index. U. S. Dept. of Agr., Div. Ent.

Hubbard, H. G.

1885. Insects Affecting the Orange. U. S. Dept. Agr., Div. Ent. pp. 227.

Johannsen, O. A.

1903, 1905. Aquatic Nematocerous Diptera. N. Y. State Mus., Bull. No. 68, pp. 328-448; Bull. No. 86, pp. 76-327.

Immature stages of several families are rather fully treated and valuable references on life histories given.

MacGillivray, A. D.

1903. Aquatic Chrysomelidæ and a Table of the Families of Coleopterous Larvæ. Bull. No. 68, N. Y. State Mus., pp. 288-331.

Gives references to the most important papers on the immature stages of beetles.

Needham, J. G., and Betten, C.

1901. Aquatic Insects in the Adirondacks. Bull. No. 47, N. Y. State Mus., pp. 383-612.

Keys to orders to immature aquatic insects; keys to Mayfly and dragon-fly nymphs.

Needham, J. G.

1903. Life Histories of Odonata, Suborder Zygoptera. Bull. No. 68, N. Y. State Mus., pp. 218-276.

Keys to nymphs.

1905. Ephemeridæ. Bull. No. 86, N. Y. State Mus., pp. 17-59.

Keys to genera of adults and to nymphs.

1908. Report on the Entomologic Field Station Conducted at Old Forge, N. Y., in the Summer of 1905. Bull. No. 124, N. Y. State Mus., pp. 156-248.

Life histories of crane flies, Tipulidæ; table of larval habits, p. 239, and fish food.

Office of Experiment Stations, U. S. Dept. Agric.

1889. Experiment Station Record, Vol. I to date.

1903. General Index to Experiment Station Record, Vols. 1-12, 1889-1901, and to Exp. Sta. Bull. No. 2. pp. 671.

Useful for references to current literature on economic species, before they have appeared in the more slowly published bibliographies.

Packard, A. S.

1890. Forest Insects. U. S. Dept. Agr., Fifth Rep. U. S. Ent. Comm. pp. 957.

Almost an encyclopedia on forest insects, insects listed by food plants. Very useful.

Pierce, W. D.

1907. On the Biologies of the Rhynchophora of North America. Ann. Rep. Neb. St. Bd. Agr., 1906-07, pp. 247-319.

This is an annotated list of breeding and food habits of the snout and bark beetles. References to the literature, index of plants and beetles. Very useful.

1908. A List of Parasites Known to Attack American Rhynchophora. Jour. Econ. Ent., Vol. I, pp. 380-396.

Riley, C. V., Packard, A. S., and Thomas, C.

1878. First Annual Report of the U. S. Entomological Commission for the Year 1877, Relating to the Rocky Mountain Locust, etc. U. S. Geol. Surv. (Hayden). pp. 477.

Discusses predaceous and parasitic animals which prey upon the locust.

1880. Second Report of the U. S. Entomological Commission for the Years 1878 and 1879, Relating to the Rocky Mountain Locust, and the Western Cricket, etc. U. S. Dept. Interior. pp. 322.

Discusses predaceous and parasitic animals which prey upon the locust.

Rlley, C. V.

1880. Food Habits of the Longicorn Beetles or Wood Borers. Amer. Ent., Vol. III, pp. 237-239, 270-271.

1881. General Index and Supplement to the Nine Reports on the Insects of Missouri. U. S. Dept. of Interior. U. S. Ent. Comm., Bull. No. 6. pp. 178.

1885. Fourth Report of the U. S. Entomological Commission, etc. (On the Cotton and Boll Worm.) U. S. Dept. Agr. pp. 399.

Schwarz, E. A.

1890. Food-Plants and Food-Habits of Some North American Coleoptera. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. Vol. I, pp. 231-233.

Scudder, S. H.

1889. Classified List of Food Plants of American Butterflies, drawn from Scudder’s Butterflies of the Eastern United States. Psyche, Vol. V, pp. 274-278.

1901. Index to North American Orthoptera. Occasional Papers of the Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., VI. pp. 436.

This is a complete alphabetical index to the literature of the species of North American Orthoptera—a unique and very useful work.

Thomas, C., Middleton, N., and Martin, J.

1881. Descriptive Catalogue of Larvæ. Tenth Rep. State Ent. Ill., pp. 60-140.

Description and keys to saw-fly and Lepidopterous larvæ.

Townsend, C. H. T.

1893. A General Summary of the Known Larval Food-habits of the Acalyptrate Muscidæ. Can. Ent., Vol. XXV, pp. 10-16.

Ward, H. B., Whipple, G. C., and others.

Fresh Water Biology. (In press.) New York.

This work consists of chapters by numerous specialists on the various groups of fresh-water animals including insects, gives keys for the determination of specimens, short chapters on their general biological relations, and references to the literature.