Sept., i 9 o S .j Bueno : Notonecta of North America. 161 



The presence of Notonecta In tea in the northwestern extremity of 

 this continent is one of the curious facts in faunistics that are used as 

 arguments to bolster up theories. I express no opinion on it, beyond 

 calling attention to the fact that no theory of importation by man can 

 account for its presence here, since it is not one of the parasitic 

 Hemiptera, and the only seemingly reasonable explanation is a migra- 

 tion by some obscure means. 



9. Notonecta shooterii Uhler. 



A T otonecta shooterii. 



1S94. Uhl., Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., 2d ser. , vol. IV, p. 292. 



1897. Kirk., Tr. Ent. Soc. Lond., p. 406. 



1901. Champ., Biol. C.-A. Rhynch., vol. II, p. 368. 



1904. Kirk., Wien. Ent. Zeit., pp. 94 and 132. 



Description. — "Head short, notocephalic lateral margins slightly diverging 

 from the base and slightly converging towards the vertex, which is about one third 

 larger than the synthlipsis. Pronotum large, rather longer in proportion to its width 

 than in the other species, lateral and humeral margins sinuate. Scutellum small, 

 nearly one third shorter than the metanotum ; black, base purple-brown. Sterna 

 sordid rufo-testaceous, hair-tufts black. Hemelytra black; clavus (apex excepted) 

 dull ivory-white, corium more or less concolorous, forming with the clavus a blotch 

 of varying extent, and usually with a whitish spot along the apical margin, the claval 

 and corial markings very similarly disposed to those of X. triguttata ; apex of mem- 

 brane, smoky. The hemielytra, vary, however, very much, being quite violet black 

 in some individuals (inelcrna, var. nov. ), while in others they are concolorous pale 

 luteous. Membrane lobes always subequal in ordinary forms ; generally unequal in 

 the leucochroic varieties {ochrothoe, var. nov.), and rarely subequal (iearca, var. 

 nov.). Alar nervures rich brown. Pedes: intermediate coxse black, tibial spur 

 small, rather blunt. Abdominis dorsum: segment I black, 2-5 violet-brown (the 

 fifth apically black), 6 blackish, genital segments greenish-testaceous, all the seg- 

 ments more or less dull blackish laterally. Venter varying from green to black, 

 carina and cilia black." (Kirk., Rev., pp. 407-8.) 



Long., 8 to 13 mm., lat. pron., 4 to 4.7 mm. 



Distribution. — San Diego, Ca!., (51); Los Angeles, (U. S. X. M.), San 

 Francisco (coll. Am. Mus. N. H. and mine), and Palo Alto, California. "Cali- 

 fornia " (23). 



Kirkaldy (1. c, p. 407), says: "Prof. Uhler informs me 

 that in the U. S. National Museum there is a specimen of this species 

 pure ivory-white. . ." I have had the good fortune to examine 

 this and another similar specimen very closely. AYhile in the absence 

 of a long series and in deference to Prof. Uhler's determination they 

 may for the time being be allowed to remain in this species, never- 

 theless they differ from the typical shooterii in being far more convex, 

 the head apparently more flattened anteriorly, and in having a more 



