574 HYDROMETRINA. 



Species 1. — Microvelia pygm^a. 



Velia. PYGJiiEA, L. Diif. Aau. Soc. Eat. France, ii, 115, t. 6i5, fig. 1 



(1833). 

 Microvelia — Westw. Aun. Soc. Eut. France, iii, 647 (lS3i). 

 HvDROESSA. RETICULATA, Btirm. Haiidb. ii, 213 (1835). 

 Hydroessa pyGM.EA, Cart. B. E. xv, p. & pi. GSl (1838). 

 Hydroessa — Flor, Rliyn. Liv. i, 719, 1 (18G0) ; Fleb. Europ. 

 Hem. 101, 1 (1861). 



Undeveloped l^orm. Apterous. Dusky black, densely clothed with 

 very short pile. 



Head dull, with a shining white line on each side. Antennae black, 

 1st joint fulvous on the basal half. 



Thorax. — Pronotum dull ; anterior margin ochreous, the colour 

 interrupted in the middle. Legs black ; coxcb and basal 3rd of the 

 thiglis fulvous. 



Abdomen dull in the middle, sides and Connexivum with a shining 

 silvery gray gloss. 



Underside entirely clothed with lustrous silvery gray pile. 



Developed Form. "Winged. 



This we have not seen, and therefore copy the following description 

 of the developed parts. " JElyira white at the base, with 5 or 

 ochreous spots on the cells, 2 elongated ones towards the base, a 

 large one on the disk bearing a longitudinal curved brown line, 

 2 large roundish spots above, one nearly apical, and 2 lines near the 

 inferior margin. Wings yellowish-Avhite and slightly iridescent, with 

 2 short brown basal nervures." {Curtis, 1. c.) 



Length, 1 line. 



" Taken in a marsh near Belfast in June and September ; they 

 move on the water more slowly than Velia, mostly among aquatic 

 plants ; the females seem more numerous than the males, and the 

 winged specimens are very rare" Haliday {CurtiSf 1. c). Plumstead 

 Marshes, 27th April. 



