344 FAMILY XI. — LYG^ID^. 



pubescence, this scarcely evident in turcicus. Other characters as in that 

 species. Length, 10 — 12 mm. (Fig. 72). 



Common throughout Indiana and to be found throughout the 

 year. Hibernates both as nymph and imago beneath logs, 

 mullein leaves and other cover in the vicinity of its most com- 

 mon food plant, Asclepias syriaca L. When it emerges from its 

 hibernaculum it has often been noted running rapidly along 

 pathways, especially those in sandy regions, and on several 

 occasions I have taken it crawling across sidewalks near the 

 center of Indianapolis. From late July to mid-October it may 

 be found in all stages on the pods of milkweed, usually A. syri- 

 aca, but also on those of A. tuberosa and verticillata L. The dis- 

 tribution of A. leal in ii is a wide one, extending from Nova Scotia 

 and New England west across the Continent to the Pacific and 

 south and southwest to Georgia, Texas and Mexico. A speci- 

 men in the Ashmead collection is labelled "Florida," but Bar- 

 ber (1914, 509) seems to doubt the correctness of the label. 



Parshley (1919, 14; 1923a, 81) has separated the form oc- 

 curring east of a north and south line running near the 97th 

 meridian between Canada and Texas, giving to it the subspe- 

 cific name angustomarginatus. He characterizes this eastern race 

 as having the "membrane usually without discal spots, rarely 

 with small ones ; white margin extremely narrow or rarely ab- 

 sent (fig. 72) ; red band between corium and membrane almost 

 or quite as wide as that between corium and clavus." Of the 

 19 Indiana specimens before me, two have the membrane de- 

 void of spots, in eight it has distinct spots at middle, base and 

 side as above described, while nine have the spots at side and 

 base only. The white margin of membrane is very evident in 

 all. He states that the two subspecies merge just east of the 

 line stated, but according to these Indiana specimens inter- 

 mediates occur in this State. One of the Indiana specimens, 

 with four rather large white spots on membrane, was once 

 identified for me by Uhler as L. reclivatus Say, 4 " while those with 

 small spots or none he called L. turcicus Fab. Van Duzee (1923a) 

 points out the distinctions between kahnii and its nearest allies, 

 and regards Parshley 's name as a synonym of kahnii. 



277 (439). Lyg^eus formosus Blanchard, 1840, 130. 



Elongate-oval. Black; a small triangular spot on vertex, hind por- 

 tion of basal lobe of pronotum (except two large quadrate spots) and 



'"See Psyche. 1S!C 



