ITU TIIK tANAUI.W < N i<tMiiUMtl»T. 



ijFK-msrokiKS of north amkkican uaikk iiuc.s. iii. 



IIV J. K. UK I.A lOKkK IIUKNO, NKW VtiRK. 



Miiroveliii Atnericana IHiler. 

 I. 



Ill 18,^4 Wcslwood' placed Velia py^mta I,., Diif.,* in a section or 

 subgenus, which he called Mkroveliii. In the following year (1835) 

 IJurmeistet* erected a new genus to contain tliis species, and with the calm 

 that characterized him, ignored Westwood's |)revious work and named the 

 genus Ifyiirociia. l".ntomologists of the (German school to this day persist 

 in the latter generic name, although Westwood's is universally recognized 

 to have priority. 



No North American species of the genus had been recognized till 

 1883, when Uhlcr* described his Hebrus amfticanus, which a careful 

 reading of the generic characterization shows not to be a Hebrus at all, 

 but a true Microvclia. His description, however, leaves no doubt as to 

 the insect he had before him. Nevertheless, he appears not to have 

 considered this a sufficient description, or else recognized his initial error 

 in placing the species in Hebrus, since he redescribed it as new in iJ^vs,* 

 and this is the date commonly quoted. 



Hrietly, the synonymy is thus : 



Microvelia Weslwood, 1834. 

 Hydroissa Hurmeister, 1835. 

 Hebrus Uhler (not Curtis), 1883. 

 Veliomorpha Carlini, 1S95. 

 Species: americana Uhler, 1883 (as Hebrus). 



The species is widely distributed, and it lias been recorded by various 

 writers from Ontario, in C'anada ; and from Maine, New York, New 

 Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Kansas and Colorado, in 

 the United .'states. It is probably spread throughout all the .\ilantic and 

 middle Western Slates, but i)ossibly it does not range as far to the south 

 as I'lorida and the Culf Stales, where we should e.xpect to find other 

 species. California is also said to be within its range, but this at best is 

 doubtful. 



1. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr., lit : 647. PI. VI, fig^. 5. 



2. Op. f., II : 115, PI. \\ fi>f u. 

 J. Ilandhiuii l-liil., I( : ji,;. 



4. Standard Nat. I list., II : 273. 



5. Hull. ji. Col. Affr. Exp. Sla., Hem. of Col., p. oi. 



