12 Journal New York Entomological Society. fVoi. xxv. 



the structure of the mouthparts, pharynx, gizzard, etc. Especially 

 valuable is the portion relating to the operation of the mouth-parts in 

 connection with the poisonous secretion which is emitted through the 

 mandibular canal. 



Among those who have contributed to the life-history of North 

 American Lampyridse, Barber (1905 and 1914), Mast (1912), and 

 McDermott (1910-1912) are deserving of special mention. 

 Photinus consanguineus Lec.i 



This is a rather slender, quite depressed insect, with the head well 

 retracted under the prothorax. The antennae are eleven-jointed and 

 moderately slender, and the eyes are larger in the male than in the 

 female. The prothorax is rounded anteriorly and at the sides, and 

 truncate behind, with the posterior angles rather acute, the disc 

 is convex with the margins broad and thin. The elytra have rather 

 narrow side margins and two or three subobsolete caringe, the 

 legs are rather short, with the femora and tibiae rather compressed. 

 The abdomen is depressed, and in the male, bears the light-organ on 

 the sixth and seventh sternites, while in the female it occupies the 

 greater part of the seventh sternite. The head is largely blackish, the 

 thorax yellowish, with a broad black median bar on its posterior half 

 and bordered on each side with pinkish. The elytra have the suture 

 and side margins pale yellowish, the legs are brownish and the ab- 

 domen, except for the pale yellow luminous area and the pale seg- 

 ments beyond on the ventral side, is blackish. The elytra are granu- 

 late and rather densely pilose, while the antenna and the legs have 

 short, glossy brown pile. The beetle measures from 8 to 12.5 mm. in 

 length. 



During June and July, this firefly is very abundant about Boston, 

 and in the evening may be seen flashing its yellowish light in the low 

 moist meadows. The males are active though not rapid flyers, but the 

 females, while provided with wings, are not taken in flight. It is evi- 

 dent that the light-organ (situated on the sixth and seventh sternites 

 in the male and occupying the greater part, of the seventh in the 

 female) serves as a secondary sexual character, but it is difiicult, if 

 not impossible, to explain the purpose of the larval light-organ. The 

 mating responses of fireflies have been studied by McDermott (1910- 



'^ Photinus consanguineus Leconte ; Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., V, 335, 



1851. 



