﻿681. 

 HYDRCESSA PYGMyEA. 



Order Hemiptera. Fam. Hydrometidae. 



Type of the Genus, Velia pygmsea Biif. 

 Hydrcessa 5Mrm.— Microvelia Westw.—VeYi^ Bufour. 



Antenna; inserted before and near to the eyes, on each side of 

 the head, as long as the thorax, pubescent and pilose, genicu- 

 lated and 5-jointed, basal joint long and nearly linear, •2nd 

 rather shorter and clavate, 3rd minute obovate, 4th not longer 

 than the 2nd and much more slender, 5th the longest sublan- 



ceolate (4). . , . ,„, 



Rostrum bent under the head, reaching the anterior coxse (2). 

 Mandibles and Maxilla setiform. 



Labium stout and attenuated, composed of 3 joints, 1st short 

 and broad, partly concealed under the clypeus. 2nd the longest, 

 attenuated, 3rd very much shorter, slender and conical at the 



apex (2 #). 7^777 



Head ovate, the crown convex (l, the profile) : eyes lateral, globose 

 and prominent. Thorax much broader than the head, concave and 

 narroioed before, the sides dilated and angulated, the hinder portion 

 triqonate : scutel none ? Abdomen rather short and linear in the 

 male the sides reflexedand the apex slightly emarginate, with a small 

 lobe 'in the centre ; ovate in the female, ivith the apex rounded. Wings 

 decumbent in repose, superior elongate-ovate, narrowed at the base, 

 with 6 indistinct cells formed by large nervures not touching the 

 margins ■ inferior wings shorter, broader, and somewhat ovate, and 

 exceedingly delicate. 'Legs equal: thighs simple sublinear : tibiae 

 short simple and slightly clavate : tarsi short, especially the anterior, 

 which are also a little the thickest, biarticulate, basal joint very small 

 in the anterior (6 #), 2nd elongated, the apex projecting in a lobe 

 over the claws, which are slender and curved; in the other feet the 

 basal joint is nearly as long as the •2nd (f, a hind leg). 



Pygm^a Difr.—Curt. Gen. 1081^. ^ • , i,- • 



Velvety ohve-brown : margins of eyes and underside shming 

 with white pile : head and thorax with a faint ridge down the 

 back an ochreous band on the collar, divided mthe middle and 

 appearing in some lights whitish : abdomen dead black, except- 

 ino- 2 shining lines at the base and a few spots down the mid- 

 dle : elytra white at the base, with 5 or 6 ochreous spots on the 

 cells 2 elongated ones towards the base, a large one on the disc 

 bearing a longitudinal curved brown hue, 2 large roundish spots 

 above, one nearly apical, and 2 lines near the inferior inargm : 

 wings yellowish white and slightly iridescent with 2 short 

 brown basal nervures : base of antenna and of thighs bright 

 ochreous. 



In the Cabinets of Mr. Haliday and the Author. 



