Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1913 — STUDENT HUNTS BUG [ARTICLE]

STUDENT HUNTS BUG

Member of Entomological Staff Tells of Expedition.

Small Beetle-Like Insects Are Never Known to Venture From Crevices During Daylight—Rare Species Are Worth $25. —f- . '

Washington.—Housewives who wage incessant war on cockroaches and other vermin are cautioned by entomologists to stay their hands and inquire carefully into the antecedents of any black beeltelike bug which peers around a corner of the kitchen sink. For the visitor may be none other than one of the amblychila baroni ciclndelidae, the most aristocratic family in bugdom, whose members retail at as much as $2.5 apiece, provided they are delivered with limbs and feelers intact. A former student of the University of Chicago, who is now on the en> tomological staff of the department of agriculture at Washington, a few days ago described his expedition into the native haunts of the amblychila, which he explored long enough to gather In considerable pin money by the sale of whole families. “When 1 learned the baroni bad been seen in an obscure part of Arizona only about half a dozen bugs were known to entomologists,” said the investigator. “One of these was in the Leconte and Horn collection in Philadelphia. Most of the others were in the River collection in San Francisco. i

“The first had been caught near Globe, Ariz. A naturalist named Schaeffer also located a few southeast of Nogales, Ariz. I was familiar with the characteristic of the creatures through my studies under Curator Snow of the University of Kansas, now deceased, and when he invited me to join a party into the mountains of Arizona to hunt the amblychila I was glad to go as if there had been buried treasure at the end of the journey. “We found conditions favorable at Peach Springs, near Ashford, Ariz. From there we went into the mountains. There were no amblychila to be seen, but we acted on the general supposition that they were in this neighborhood. We spent several days moving about in the mountains and finally selected a favorable spot for the bug to appear. “Now, the amblychila baroni family is most exclusive and has never been known to come forth In broad daylight Twilight and an hours before dawn are supposed to be the times when they appear. We tried several twilights and several dawns without result. One night a light rain s fell and we agreed that the dampness might invite the bugs out, although it made it decidedly uncomfortable for us.

"That night we scattered over the hills and kept watch near crevices in the rocks. I lay with my head resting on my elbow watching innumerable insects and bugs crawl by in the shady light Finally I saw the long, black feelers of what might be one of the amblychila appear, and then another. I waited until they got well out of the crevice, for they are decidedly cautious creatures, then scooped the two up In my hand. By their struggles I knew that I had the right species. No bug struggles as hard as the baroni. Then I stuck them into a small par of cyandie of potassium which I carried. The fumes killed them quickly. “I sold a number of my amblychila baroni for $25 r.nd some for sls and $lO. Our expedition multiplied the number of know specimens considerably and the price went down a little. I don’t know how many specimens our entire party captured, but altogther the expedition was a success from a monetary as well as an tentomological standpoint.”