CYDNIDAE OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE — FROESCHNER 615 



(not now in Distant or Signoret collections) of semilevis was from 

 "Mexique"; and his type (not yet located) of pangaeoides was from 

 "Guayra et du Mexique." The Barber and Bruner type (USNM) 

 was from "Mayaguez, Puerto Rico." 



Specimens studied: 39 males, 84 females: 



United States: Alabama: Mobile; November. Louisiana: Gueydan, Morgan 

 City, June, July. Mississippi: Harrison Co.; August. Texas: Brazos Co., 

 Brownsville, Harlingen, Mission, Victoria, Weslaco; March, May, June, Septem- 

 ber, October, November. 



Mexico: Veracruz: C6rdoba, Pureza, Trcs Zapotes; April, September. Yucatdn: 

 Merida; June. 



Guatemala: Coban; July. 



Nicaragua: La Calera; September. 



Costa Rica: San Jos^; June. 



Panama: Canal Zone: Barro Colorado Island; April to December. 



Brazil: Chapada, Rio de Janeiro, Santarem, Taperina; Februa.y, November, 

 December. 



Bolivia: Santa Cruz de la Sierra; January, November. 



Argentina: San Pedro de JuJuy; July. 



Puerto Rico: Gurabo, Rio Piedras, Vieques; April, November. 



Discussion. — The author proposes the above synonomy because 

 it has not been possible in this study to differentiate population 

 segregates based on discontinuities in variation of anatomical struc- 

 tures. A frustrating array of variations are shown by the specimens 

 which in the key run to lugubris. The gonostyli likewise offer no 

 help in separating these specimens, as they appear similar (fig. 275) 

 in all parts of the geographic range. The above variations all extend 

 uninterruptedly from one extreme of geographicrange to another, and 

 occur in unpredictable combinations from one locahty to another. 



The geographic range, although greater than that known for any 

 other species in the Western Hemisphere, has satisfactory specimen 

 representation from all its main areas. Some localities are repre- 

 sented by goodly series of specimens. It is in these larger series that 

 the combina tions of variations, although appearing to tend in certain 

 directions, are most confusing. This geographic picture is even 

 more complicated by the spotty occurrences of these "tendencies" 

 within groups; i.e., the specimens from the southern United States 

 appear more similar in combinations to some of the Brazilian groups 

 than to the Mexican or West Indies specimens. 



When an intense study of this kind reveals no way to separate 

 such an array into definable taxonomic categories, there is reason 

 to surmise that perhaps the specimens all belong to one species. 

 Supporting this possibility is the fact that this part of the family 

 represents the least specialized portion. To begin with, Dallasiellus 

 is a "residual" genus that appears at the end of the key after all the 

 more strongly marked genera have been removed. Then, within the 



