PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES ON PERUVIAN SIMULIIDE. BY FREDERICK KNAB. Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Just after the appearance of my paper on Peruvian Simuliida (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXVII, pp. 81-85) an additional small lot of specimens was received from Peru, recently collected by Professor Townsend. These comprise another new species and enable me to add other interesting data. Simulium gaudeatum Knab. The specimens described under this name were taken by Townsend in Verrugas Canyon, June 25, 1913. Simulium seriatum Knab. Two more females, taken at Chosica. Townsend observed that in this species the eyes are brown during life. Simulium escomeli Roubaud. A single female of the typical form, that is, with the mesonotum striped ferruginous yellow and pale grey, was taken by Townsend at Santa Clara, altitude 1300 feet, in April. A female, taken on the window of the hotel at Matucana on April 22, is extreme in the dark ground-color of the mesonotum. The three stripes of ground-color are velvet black in direct light, deep brown when viewed obliquely. In the typical form the mesonotum is black before the scutellum; in this specimen the antescutellar region is grey. The scutellum is pale yellowish. In other respects the specimen agrees with typical escomeli. It would seem that these dark variants are peculiar to the higher altitudes. Simulium glaucophthalmum new species. Female.-Occiput, frons and face black, grey pruinose, the frons broad, its sides rectilinear and slightly converging. Antenna with the two basal joints ferruginous yellow, the others brown, shading to blackish towards the tip, whitish pubescent. Scutum uniformly black; vestiture of bright metallic green, hair-like scales disposed in little groups which form indistinct longitudinal series. Scutellum black, moderately broad, bluntly subtriangular, the scales like those on the mesonotum, but longer and lying transversely. Pleura black. Abdomen black throughout, somewhat shining, rather narrow, without marked folds. Legs slender, largely ochraceous; anterior pair with the coxa, femur and tibia yellowish, the latter infuscated towards the tip, the tarsi blackish, the first joint luteous on the basal half and dilated towards the apex; median pair with the coxa blackish, the femur, tibia and first three tarsals yellowish, the last two tarsals blackish; hind legs with the coxa black, the femur dark, broadly luteous at base, tibia yellowish white basally, blackish beyond the middle, tarsi with the first three joints yellowish, darkened along under side, the last two all dark. Claws unarmed, with obtuse basal thickening. Wings hyaline, broad, the venation normal, the thick veins yellowish; posterior iridescent spot diffused, nearly obsolete, with yellowish luster. Halteres with dark base and large creamy yellow knob. Length: body about 1.2 mm., wing 2 mm. Santa Clara, Peru, 1300 feet, April, 1914, 2 specimens; Chosica, Peru, April, 1914, one specimen (C. H. T. Townsend). Type.-Cat. No. 18494, U. S. Nat. Mus. (Santa Clara). Professor Townsend has noted that in this species the eyes are green during life. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON KEY TO THE NEARCTIC GENERA AND SPECIES OF GEOCORINE. (HETEROPTERA; LYGAEIDE.) BY W. L. MCATEE. U. S. Biological Survey. This paper is based largely on material contained in the U.S. National Museum, for the privilege of using which the writer is indebted to Messrs. J. C. Crawford and Otto Heidemann. Mr. W. D. Pierce also kindly submitted for examination the specimens collected by the staff of the Southern Crop Insects Investigation. The key includes 9 species and 8 varieties, and the paper makes some reference to every form known to have been described from the Nearctic realm except Geocoris duzeci Montandon. The earlier descriptions of species of Geocorina, like those of many other groups, often are descriptions of single specimens. As a rule, one may also say, color characters only are mentioned. It remains therefore for subsequent writers to fix the description upon some form, and to point out structural characters sufficient to properly distinguish the species. Color is not only extremely variable, but in the Hemiptera at least depends very much on age of the individual. In using color characters it must also be remembered that albinistic or melanistic forms of any of the species may occur, and that the structural characters variable as they also are must be allowed to decide the identification. In the species of Geocorinæ represented in the United States, the color pattern of the undersurface is remarkably uniform. This is not to say that there may not be considerable variation in the details, but any of the species may have the following pale markings: spots antero-laterad of each coxa, front margin of prostethium, triangular outline or area on underside of head, and whole of legs. The coxae themselves and narrow lateral margins of abdominal segments also are commonly pale. Because of this uniformity of lower surface, little attention is paid to that part of the body in the following pages. Unless otherwise stated, it will be understood that descriptions of form as well as color apply to the insect as viewed directly from above. The typical color pattern is most persistent on back part of head, middle of pronotum, base of scutellum and inner angle of corium. These parts should be scrutinized when there is doubt as to the ground color. All of the species may have brachypterous forms, and these sometimes differ remarkably in appearance from the typical aspect. These short-winged specimens appear more oval and broader, this being intensified by the fact that the hemelytra usually are not overlapped so closely as in perfect-winged individuals. This condition also alters the apparent shape of the scutellum, allowing more of it to be seen. The corium of brachypterous specimens is invariably more densely and uniformly punctate than in the macropterous forms. Finally it should be remembered that there are few hard and fast lines and that it can not be expected that a key will be simple and unerring when the group it is intended to analyze is complex and confusing. KEY TO THE GENERA OF GEOCORINE OF THE WORLD. The following key is made largely from descriptions and for that reason is undoubtedly less satisfactory than would be the case were specimens of all the groups in hand. A. First joint of antenna longest; clavus widened posteriorly; eyes on long slender styles, directed outward and forward. Epipolops Herrich-Schaeffer. AA. First joint of antenna shortest; clavus not at all or only slightly widened posteriorly. B. Eyes somewhat pedicillate. C. Part of head bearing eye not at all or very little retrorsely |