REGARDING THE IDENTITY OF OXYPORUS 

 RUFIPENNIS AND STYGJCUS'' 



LeConte, in his paper on certain genera of Staphylinidae 

 Oxytelini, etc. (Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. vi, October, 

 1877), says in reference to Oxyporus rufipennis Lee: 

 "This is perhaps only a color variation of the entirely 

 black O. stygicus Say, but as yet I have seen no intermed- 

 iate specimens. There is no difference in form or 

 structure." 



A year ago last summer, while doing some collecting at 

 Bear Lake, Pa., I took a large number of both stygicus 

 and rufipennis, and also what appeared to be an inter- 

 mediate form having the elytra black with two yellow 

 vittae plainly evident on each elytron. The occurrence 

 of this form, together with the fact that all were taken 

 on the same piece of fungus, would seem to bear out 

 LeConte's supposition as to rufipennis being merely a 

 variety of stygicus. Having sent some specimens to Dr. 

 Horn, he says: "While I believe the two are one species, 

 something more than an opinion is required to corroborate 

 it," referring to the fact that it would be necessary to take 

 them in coitu to bring in the conclusive proof. 



•^Reprinted from Entomological News, vol. J (1894), p. 13. 



