506 



FAMILY XVII. — PHYMATID^E. 



em counties, July — October. Occurs mainly on flowers of 

 goldenrod, boneset, ironweed, great ragweed and other Com- 

 positae, mating in August and September. The female of one 

 pair so taken was complacently sucking the juices of a bee 

 which she had just captured. The females are always paler 

 than the males, some of the latter, when fresh, being almost 

 wholly black above. This form, as above described, is usually 

 listed as a variety of the European P. crosa L. Stal and Hand- 

 lirsch thought it distinct, the latter describing it under the 

 name pensylvanica, a synonym. As they had examples of the 

 European species before them I place it under Stal's name. Its 

 known range extends from Quebec and New England west to 

 Illinois and south to Florida, the only record from Florida being 

 that of Handlirsch for his pensylvanica. 



479 (689a). Phymata fasciata (Gray), 1832, 242. 



Form of wolffii but larger. General color yellow or greenish-yellow, 

 the hind lobe of pronotum, scutellum except tip, corium except a spot near 



middle, membrane and a band 

 across the widest part of abdo- 

 men, pale brown or reddish- 

 brown ; pleura and ends of fourth 

 and fifth ventrals tinged with 

 brownish. Head as in wolffii; the 

 tubercles more prominent. Fourth 

 joint of antennae always shorter 

 than in wolffii, but little longer 

 than either 2 or 3, which are sub- 

 equal. Pronotum with notch of 

 side margins more acute, the hind lobe subtruncate with a single tooth at 

 its hind angle. Abdomen more gradually and more widely expanded, 

 the tips of both fourth and fifth dorsals obtuse and subequal in length. 

 Length, 9—12 mm. (Fig. 123). 



Frequent throughout Indiana, May 14 — Oct. 23, its habits 

 being the same as those of wolffii. Dunedin, Fla., Nov. 27. 

 This is the only definite locality record for that State, though 

 recorded from there by Handlirsch. Ranges from New Jersey 

 and Maryland westward across- the continent and southwest to 

 Texas, Arizona and Mexico. The larger size, paler color, more 

 widely and less angulately expanded abdomen and much shorter 

 fourth joint of antennae distinguish this form from wolffii. 

 Both it and guerini are usually listed as varieties of the Euro- 

 pean crosa L. 



^^3^=^ 



Fig. 123, a, dorsal view X 2 ; b, side view 

 c, front leg; d, beak. (After Riley). 



