1S(;2.] 201 



On the synonyms of CIMBEX AMERICANA. 

 BY EDWAUl) NORTON. 



Cimbex Americana. 



Cimbex Americana Leach, Zool. Misc, ;i, 104. %. Harris Cat. Mass. "J, . St. Far- ■ 

 geau. Mon. Tenth. 38, 87. Geo. % . 

 Cimbex dcccm-maculata D'Urban, Can. Zool. 18, 7085. Can. 9 • 

 Var. Civibcx Ulmi Peck, Harris Cat. Mass. 9- Emmons, Nat. Ilist. N. Yurk, Agric. 

 5, 101. New York. ? % . 

 Cimbex Viardi St. Fargeau. Ann. See. Eiit. de France, 2, 454. N. Am. 9- 

 Cimbex luctifera King, Verhandl. &.Q. Berlin, 1, 85. Georgia. 9 '^ •• 

 Var. Civibcx LaPortci St. Farg. Ann. Soc. Ent. de France, 2, 454, N. Am. % . 

 Cimbex Kirbyi St. Farg. Hym. 4, 672. N. Am. % . 



For the convenience of the student and collector, these are specified as 

 varieties, the 0. x\niericaua having clear wings, the var. Ulmi dark wings 

 and the var. LaPortei the abdomen mostly rufous. 



After a careful examination ol' a number of specimens 1 think that they 

 are not sufficiently distinct in their character to be called separate species. 

 The wings of C. Americana are hyaline with the radial cellule and apex 

 of both pair fuscous; while the wings of C. Ulmi and C. LaPortei vary 

 from obscure semitransparent to dark violaceus, but are darkest at the 

 same points. In the form and marking of the body and legs, neither 

 males nor females difier materially, Of the females both Americana and 

 Ulmi have six, eight and ten spots on the abdomen, in different specimens ; 

 sometimes they are six in number, on the sides of the 4th, 5th and 6th 

 segments (all round, all oval and both round and oval), in two cases seven 

 in number (dark wings. Coll. Ent. Soc. Phil.j, four spots on one side and 

 on the other three; often eight in number (3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th), and 

 often ten in number (ord, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th), differing very much in 

 size and form, and in two eases (one clear and the other dark wings) nearly 

 meeting on the ord, 4th and 7th, and coalescing on the 5th and 6th seg- 

 ments. These last I take to be the Cimbex luctifera of King. The color 

 of the abdomen varies in some cases from steel-blue through shades of 

 purple to brick-red. These last are all males and dark winged. 



Through the kindness of Mr. Shurtleff, of Cambridge, Mass., I have 

 examined two males of C. LaPortei, one of Ulmi, and two females of 

 Ulmi with blue (8-spotted) abdomens, all bred from pupa; found together 

 beneath a willow tree on which he had previously seen them feeding. 



Beside the red abdomen I find no peculiarity in the dark winged speci- 

 mens which does not occur in those having clear wings. 



It may be that the C. luctifera of King will prove to be a different 



