l82 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, O2 



but nearly sessile, the very short petiole thickened ; while out- 

 wardly the bounding veins of this cell diverge rather promi- 

 nently, not being parallel as in the male. 



12. Ocnaea helluo Osten Sacken. 



A specimen of this large species was taken entangled in a 

 small spider-web at Marble Falls, Texas. As it presents the 

 same differences in neuration as does the specimen mentioned 

 by Dr. S. W. Williston (Trans. Am. Ent. Soc., XIII, p. 294), 

 in that the outer first posterior cell is but slightly narrowed 

 towards the margin, we are led to believe that Osten Sacken' s 

 specimen was a sport. The blue-black body, black coxae, and 

 shortened abdominal fasciae are but a slight variation from the 

 type which I have examined, and which otherwise is quite 

 similar. 



As nearly all the foregoing insects differ from the types, we 

 are brought to realize the instability of characters in this family, 

 and to notice that individual variation is strikingly prominent. 



THE GENUS Lilhurgopsis. I would add two remarks to the interesting; 

 paper by Mr. Fox in your May number : (i) L. echinocacti is best distin- 

 guished in the $ from apicalis by the face being more narrowed below and 

 the distance between the prongs of the facial prominence less. (2) I will 

 accept Mr. Fox's identification of L. gibbosus, although Smith's descrip- 

 tion appears to agree equally well with my insect. The form I called 

 gibbosus, with the dark hair on end of abdomen, may stand as L. apicalis 

 var. opuntice, since it is a fairly distinct geographical race. 



1 may also note that Mr. E. E. Green has discovered that Pseudole- 

 caniuni is a synonyn of Aclerda, so Mr.- Kuwana's species (p 134) 

 becomes Aclerda disticlium. T. D. A. COCKERELL. 



NOTE ON LITHURGOPSIS. Since my article on Lithurgopsis appeared 

 in the May issue of ENT. NEWS, Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell has written to 

 me saying that the labial palpi of that genus are 4-jointed, and not 3- 

 jointed as stated by me. 1 have examined these palpi again and concur 

 with Mr. Cockerell's statement. The third joint is easily missed, appear- 

 ing in line with the second, but if the specimen is carefully examined the 

 two joints are seen to be well differentiated. WILLIAM J. Fox. 



