SUBFAMILY VII. — HAMMACERIN.-E. 



563 



with a median groove. Two genera are known, both repre- 

 sented in North America, but only one in our territory. 



I. Hammacerus Laporte, 1832, 79. 



The members of this genus possess the characters set forth 

 above and have the front lobe of head over twice as long as the 

 distance between the eyes; antennae inserted on its sides about 

 the middle, their first joint very short, second elongate, flexible, 



composed of 23 — 28 short seg- 

 ments, thus resembling in 

 structure the antennae of the 

 Blattidae or cockroaches, third 

 and fourth joints more slen- 

 der, subequal, each about one- 

 half the length of second. Six 

 species have been described, 

 five from Tropical America, 

 the other from our territory. 



537 (754). Hammacerus purcis 

 (Drury), 1782, 63. 

 Elongate - oval, subdepressed. 

 Head, pronotum and scutellum 

 black, feebly shining; elytra with a 

 broad yellowish - white cross - bar 

 covering the basal third or more, 

 remainder fuscous-brown ; connex- 

 ivum red, the incisures narrowly 

 black; under surface, legs and an- 

 tennae fuscous-brown ; basal halves 

 of hind femora red. Structural 

 characters as above given. Length, 

 22—30 mm. (Fig. 139). 



Fig. 139, X 2. (Original). 



Crawford and Posey coun- 

 ties, Ind., Sept. 5 — Nov. 17; frequent beneath loose bark of 

 various kinds of trees; also at light. Ormond, Sanford, R. P. 

 Park, Sarasota and Dunedin, Fla., Nov. 29 — March 24 ; occurs 

 sparingly throughout that State beneath bark of dead pine and 

 oak. The known range of this large and handsome species ex- 

 tends from Virginia and southern Indiana south and southwest 

 to Florida, Oklahoma and Texas. Its food habits are not re- 

 corded but, as both adults and nymphs in all stages live beneath 

 loose bark, they probably feed on the various stages of insect 



