53° The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. IX, No. 8, 



that but one other species is liable to be confused with L. pusillus, 

 this is L. purpureus Lubbock. This species is intensely deep 

 blue, while the third joint of the antennae is shorter than the 

 second, which is not true for L. pusillus. 



The Ohio specimens agree very closely with Nicolet's descrip- 

 tion of L. pusillus, with the exception of the "granular, deep 

 gray antennae," which probably represent only a variation, or a 

 difference in the interpretation of the iridescent reflections. My 

 specimens do not agree with Guthries' description in the "clear, 

 nearly uniform tint of the body," but are rather as Nicolet 

 described the species, "d'un bronze fonce et chatoyant." The 

 antennae are longer in proportion to the body than Guthrie gives 

 them, and the colorless spot mediad to each e3^e was not notice- 

 able. There seems to be many local varieties of this species, 

 which may account for the confusion in the literature. The 

 bent hairs on abdominal segments IV and V may be broken off 

 in mounted specimens, but are always characteristic of living 

 ones. In fact, the Ohio specimens, if we have correctly identified 

 this species, are at once distinguished by the presence of these 

 bent hairs and the bluish-bronze tint of the body. 



Lepidocyrtus Purpureus Lubbock. PI. XXIX. 



1873. Lepidocyrtus purpureus Lubbock. Monog. Coll. and Thvs., 



pg. 155; pi. XXX. 

 1903. Lepidocyrtus purpureus. Guthrie. Coll. of Minn. pg. 87. 



(Description taken from living specimens.) 



Color: to the naked eye a deep, grayish blue, with purple reflections, 

 varying to lighter shades. Under the microscope the color appears a 

 more intense purplish blue. Antennae grayish blue, lighter than body; 

 II nearly twice as long as I ; III shorter than II, and nearly one and a half 

 times longer than I; IV over three times as long as I, or nearly equalling 

 II plus III. Eyes: black, eight ocelli. A thick border of clubbed hairs 

 on mesonotum. Fringed hairs are found on the abdomen, legs, manu- 

 brium and dentes. Mesonotum in dorsal view almost three times as long 

 as metanotum. Abdominal segment IV three times as long as III. Legs: 

 tibia and tarsi nearly white; coxa, trochanter and femur mottled with blue; 

 the claws are quite characteristic in having a small notch at l)ase of the 

 larger claw, and a slight indentation at the base of the smaller. The 

 ante-apical tooth on the larger claw is opposite the apex of the smaller 

 claw, and the apical tooth a short distance below the ante-apical. Both 

 claws curve in the same direction. True tenent hairs are absent from the 

 tibia. Spring: white; manubrium but little shorter than dentes; the 

 sub-annulations on the dentes not so deep as in some species ; apical hook 

 of mucrones more slender than ante-apical; a spur extending from base of 

 mucro to opposite ante-apical hook ; long, barbed hairs extending from 

 dentes to apex or slightly beyond apex of mucrones. Total length, 1 mm. 



L. purpureus is at once distinguished from L. pusillus the 

 most closely allied form, by the much deeper blue color, the 

 absence of curved hairs on the abdomen, and the relative pro- 

 portion of the segments of the antennae. III being shorter than 



