82 the canadian entomologist 



Nabid^. 



Nabis suhcoleoptratus Kirby. 29 July, '18. 



Nabis ferus (Linne). 31 July, '19. 



Nabis roseipennis (Reuter). 25 July, '18; 1 Aug., '19. 



There is difference of opinion concerning what I take to be the short-winged 

 female of this species. Some are inclined to consider that such specimens 

 represent the Nabis inscriptus of Kirby, as redefined by Reuter,^ but the only 

 distinctive character given by the latter author, applicable to the female, is the 

 short first antennal segment, and I have yet to see a specimen exhibiting this 

 feature; moreover, Reuter states that inscriptus is very similar to brevis, from 

 which it is distinguished by its smaller head and less prominent eyes, and, it 

 would seem, its shorter first antennal segment. 



Nabis rufuscuhis (Reuter). 26 July, '19. 



Certain of the commonest species of Nabis present perplexing difficulties 

 in determination. It is hoped that the following key to the north-eastern 

 species will aid in identification of specimens and serve to draw the attention 

 of students to these interesting forms. Some time ago I was privileged to 

 spend an evening with my friend H. G. Barber in the study of his collection 

 and MS. notes on this group, and with his permission I have incorporated 

 in this synopsis the pertinent results of that conference. Subsequent study 

 has shown that Reuter's subgeneric criteria are of great value in understanding 

 the group, and that the male genital characters, emphasized by Reuter, should 

 not be neglected. 



1. Body in large part shining black; head distinctly and obliquely narrowed 



behind eyes; front femora without spines; wing cell with hamus arising 

 from origin of decurrent vein (Subgenus Nabicula Kirby); length 9-10.5 



mm subcoleoptratus Kirby. 



Body wholly or in large part pallid or brown; head parallel or nearly so 

 behind eye 2. 



2. Front femora with minute spines below; wing cell with hamus; connexivum 



more or less distinctly spotted; femora spotted, annulate at apex; tibiae 



annulate (Subg. Hoplistoscelis Reuter) ; length 6.4—7 mm. sordidus Reuter. 



Front femora without spines; connexivum usually not spotted 3. 



3. Femora with a subapical dark ring; wing cell without hamus; hind lobe of 



pronotum distinctly punctate (Subgenus Lasiomerus Reuter) ; length 



8—9.5 mm annulat-iis Reuter. 



Femora without ring; wing cell with hamus; hind lobe of pronotum almost 

 or quite impunctate .4. 



4. Form elongate; short-winged forms with hemielytra less than three times 



length of scutellum; first antennal segment generally about as long as 

 head; hamus arising very near or at origin of decurrent vein; long-winged 



forms extremely rare (Subgenus Doliclionabis Reuter) 5. 



Form broader, more or less ovate; short-winged forms usually with much 

 longer hemielytra; first antennal segment generally shorter than head; 

 hamus arising from decurrent vein; long-w'inged forms common as a 



rule (Subgenus Nabis Latreille) 6. 



3. Bemerk. ueb. Nabiden, Mem. Soc. Ent. Belgique, Vol. 15, 1908, pp. 87-130. 



