Dec, i9i9-] Ferris: Some Records of Polyctk.md.v.. 2tU 



SOME RECORDS OF POLYCTENID^ (HEMIPTERA). 



G. F. Ferris, 

 Stanford University, California. 



Of all the assemblage of wierd parasites that infest bats, the 

 rarest are the members of the Hemipterous family Polyctenidae. 

 There are less than a dozen described species (some of these are in 

 all probability synonyms) and even as late as 1910 an author has 

 stated that there were at that time less than two dozen recorded 

 specimens in collections. 



Four species have been recorded from the western hemisphere, 

 one of these being from Jamaica, two from Nicaragua and one from 

 Brazil. As far as I can learn no species of this group has ever been 

 recorded from the United States and as a consequence of this none 

 of our standard textbooks contain any reference to the family. It 

 is therefore something of a privilege to be able to record the first 

 specimens from the United States, even though these appear not to 

 represent an undescribed species. In addition to this I present some 

 records of certain Old World species that greatly extend their known 

 ranges. 



Hesperoctenes longiceps (Waterhouse) ? 



? 1880. Polyctcncs longiceps Waterhouse, Trans. Ent. Soc. London, p. 

 3i9, PL 9- 



? 1910. Hesperoctenes longiceps (YYaterh.) Horvath, Mem. I" Cong. In- 

 ternal D'Ent , Vol. 2, p. 251. 



Previous records. — From Molossus abrasus Guatemala. 



Material examined. — From Eumops calif ornicus, near San Ber- 

 nardino, Calif., three adult females, two adult males, two nymphs and 

 one first stage larva. For these specimens (as well as for other in- 

 teresting things) I am indebted to Mr. A. B. Howell, of Covina, 

 Calif. 



Notes. — This determination is entirely provisional. I am not able, 

 on the basis of the literature alone, to indicate any characters by 

 which my specimens may be separated from H. longiceps. although 

 it is possible that a direct comparison of specimens might lead to a 



