FIREFLY GENUS PYRACTONEMA — McDERMOTT 139 



elytra appear black in the closed position over the wings, but are a 

 somewhat translucent dark brown by transmitted light; in all species 

 they are finely and densely granulose. Costae usually number two 

 or three but are often indistinct and frequently evanescent apically; 

 explanate margins are generally narrow, except in the smaller variety 

 of P. haemorrhoa. 



The head and eyes are relatively rather small as compared with 

 those of the luminous lampyrids. The frons is black or dark brown, 

 and in some species appears to project bulbously between the antennal 

 sockets. The mandibles are brown, approximately circularly curved. 

 The maxillary palpi are black or dark brown, with a terminal article 

 of conoidal outline flattened on the inside, and are rather large. The 

 labial palpi are relatively small, brown, and modified securiform. The 

 clypeus is not connate with the front, is short, black, or dark brown, 

 and is usually semicircular, but it may be sinuate or even tridentate. 

 The labrum may project forward of the clypeus as a white, membran- 

 ous area. 



The presternum is usually almost entirely pink, as is most of the 

 mesosternum. The metasternum is entirely black. Except in P. 

 haemorrhoa, the abdominal segments are all black or dark brown, 

 though the pygidium may be partly translucent. The "dentate" 

 abdominal structure mentioned in the older descriptions refers to the 

 posteriorly projecting lateral lobes on tergites 5, 6, and 7. 



The legs are all black, although their vestiture may be brown. 

 Claws are usually entire, rarely cleft, and sometimes with a short 

 basal spur. Tibial spurs are very small, frequently indistinguishable 

 at 30 X magnification. 



The antennae are of the same general type in all of the species. 

 Articles number 11, of which 1 is club shaped, 2 is short and conical, 

 and 3-10 are usually wide and much compressed, this widening being 

 much more pronounced in some species than in others. Articles 4 to 

 1 1 are attached at their bases to the outer edge of the apex of the pre- 

 ceding article, and thus give a somewhat serrate appearance, which 

 is most pronounced in P. depressicornis. The terminal article is nar- 

 rowly elliptical, and 4 to 1 1 are more or less hairy. In the males, the 

 antennae are usually somewhat more than one-half the total length 

 (pronotum plus elytra), and less than one-half in the females. 



Remarks: From my work on this genus, it appears that the fol- 

 lowing species are valid: albomarginata, bifenestrata, depressicornis, 

 haemorrhoa, nigripennis, obscura, rhododera, subulipennis (not seen), 

 vicina, and the new species, angustata, latior, and minor. 



On the basis of the comments of Ferris (192.8), it has seemed worth- 

 while to redescribe the known species recognized in the material stud- 

 ied. The descriptions of new species and redescriptions of old species 



