34 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



humeral lunule. Length (cf ) 10.5 mm.; width 3.5 mm. New Mexico 

 (Jemez Springs), Woodgate. 



My chief reason for separating this form specifically from chi- 

 huahucB, is, besides coloration, the entire and rather uniformly wide 

 humeral lunule. In no one of a great many specimens of chihuahua 

 which I have seen, is there the faintest trace of more than two 

 small spots representing the anterior and posterior limits of the 

 lunule. The prothorax also is somewhat smaller and the habitus 

 quite different. 



Mr. Leng (Bull. Am. Museum, XXXIV, p. 562) refers to the 

 probability of my Cicindela extenuata being an "absolute synonym" 

 of scabrosa Schpp., and intimates that Schaupp's published length 

 of 10.5 mm. is unaccountable, but that he himself has a specimen 

 10 mm. in length. I very much doubt the absoluteness of the 

 synonymy proposed. Individuals in Cicindela vary as a rule only 

 to a moderate degree in size of the body and their constancy in this 

 respect is indeed rather notable on the whole. The most variable 

 in size, as shown by the material in my collection, are punctulata, 

 chihuahua, knausi and the lincolniana described above. Measuring 

 the smallest and largest specimens in these four species, I find for 

 punctulata 10.0 and 12.5 mm., for chiJmahuceg.6 and 12.5, for knausi 

 9.5 and 11.3, and for lincolniana, as stated above, 10.0 and 13.0 mm. 

 That is, the ratio of the largest to the smallest in these four cases is 

 in succession 1.25, 1.30, 1.19 and 1.30. Now my smallest extenuata 

 is 7.5 mm. in length and Mr. Leng's largest is 10.0 mm. The ratio 

 of the largest to the smallest in this case would be i .33, and if we take 

 Schaupp's 10.5 mm., the ratio would be 1.4; so it can be seen that 

 in Mr. Leng's specimens of scabrosa, the variation in length of body 

 must be greater than in any other Cicindelid species, so far as I can 

 judge by accessible material. The chances against this are rather 

 weighty, and I think the rightful conclusion is that extenuata should 

 be considered, at any rate, as a variety or subspecies of scabrosa, 

 which I am glad to see Mr. Leng admit as a completely valid species. 

 It is a type confined to the warmer parts of Florida, where offshoots 

 in the form of varieties and races have probably developed.* 



* The name extenuata was not chosen because of any "extenuating circumstances," 

 and I had no thought of any such thing by innuendo or otherwise. The Latin word 

 extenuatus means weak or weakened and, figuratively, small, insignificant or slight, 

 and it means nothing else. Its suitability is evident in this case. 



