228 CHARLES W. J0HN80N. 



broadly sepanited in the female ; ocelli prouiinent, face rounded, 

 antennye inserted slightly a1)0ve the middle of the head ; first an- 

 tennal joint three or four times as long- as the second ; third joint 

 as long as the first and second together ; without style or bristle and 

 composed of five annuli. Thorax (juadrate, pilose in the male, to- 

 mentose in the female ; scutellum pr()minent and always with two 

 spines. Abdomen as long as the head and tliorax together ; ovate, 

 thick and convex, with five visible segments. Legs of moderate 

 size, with little variation ; tibiie without spurs. Wings brownish 

 hyaline, veins reddish brown, anterior veins crowded, third longitu- 

 dinal vein branched, discal cell emits three veins of equal size, thus 

 forming five distinct posterior cells ; discal cell subtriangular, first 

 and second basal cells equal, anal cell always closed, seventh longi- 

 tudinal vein rudimentary. 



Type of the genus S. chameleon Linne, of Europe. 



In comparing our species with those of Euro})e, we find, as is quite 

 characteristic of the North American fauna, that the species which 

 nearest resend)les the type are those from the Pacific slope : S. bar- 

 bufa and S. inelastoma. This remark also applies to the following 

 note on Thyreodoidd (S. maculosa Loew); and to the genus Odoitfo- 

 mijia; a western species, 0. blnotata, being the nearest representative 

 in size and color to 0. ornata of Europe, although it extends much 

 further east than the species of Stratiomijia referred to. 



While the foregoing description applies to the typical forms, there 

 are others included that show some modifications, but which are not 

 of sufficient importance to be of generic value. 



Rondani founded the genus Thijreodonta in "eyes hairy," type 8. 

 strigata Fabr. («S^. longicornw Scop.), of Europe. To this would 

 belong iS. maculosa Loew, of California. But, when we come to our 

 eastern species, S. badius Walk., we find that only the male has hairy 

 eyes. This character, therefore, can be considered only of specific 

 value, or at most a section or group. 



There are several species found from Texas to South America 

 which differ considerably from the typical form in general appear- 

 ance, yet lack distinctive generic characters. The head of both male 

 and female is much wider than the thorax, the third joint of the 

 antennoe flattened and sublanceolate, the abdomen somewhat fiattend, 

 the anterior third of the wing a reddish brown color, and, as a rule, 

 they are somewhat smaller. ' Gerstaecker (Linn. Entom. xi, 821) 

 speaks of this differentiation. It is really a Mexican and South 



