520 I.^VMIL^- .W'l. roCf'IN'KLT.ID,!^. 



XIII. BRACiiyACANTiiA (Miev. 18:-)4. (Gr., "short + spine.") 



(J\;il. sti-oiiiily foiivcx. l)l;ick licclli's in mii' spci'ies having each 

 elytron marked with either two or five distinct, rounded yellow or 

 orange spots. Four .«:pecies occur in the State. 



KKY TO INllIANA SPECIES OF P.RACHYACANTHA. 



((. F.lytra (■:iili witli five clcjirly (Icliiicd .vollciw spots, (ine limiHM-al. (Hic 

 lar.^^tM- basal, two near the middle and one siihapiral. 

 h. Klyti-al siK)ts, e.xcept the luiiut'ral, well devoloiicd and subesiual in 

 size. 

 c. Larger, 2.5-3 mm.; basal spnt never mucli more tlian semicircular, 

 broadly truncated by the basal margin. t»;t2. cksina. 



re. Smaller, 2-2.2 mm.; basal spot almost fully circular. 



993. stellata. 

 hi). Elytral spots smaller aud uno(pia]. tlie two median much smaller 

 than the otbers. 994. 10-pustulata. 



ua. Elytra each with two spots, one basal, one subaploal. 



995. QUADRIPUNCTATA. 



992 (3095). Brachyacantha cksina Fab., Mant, 1798. 01. 



Elongate-oval, convex. Black, shining; head yellow; thorax with apical 

 margin yellow in male, the region of apical angles only, yellow in female; 

 elytra with spots ,is described in key. Beneath black; legs pale, the base 

 of femora darker. Thorax and elytra both linely but distinctly and evenly 

 punctate. Length 2.7-3.5 nun. 



Throughout the State; frequent. ^NFay '21 -.July 20. Occurs es- 

 pecially on tlie leaves and flowers of the coinmon niillvweed (As- 

 clfpias s)/riaca L.) 



<)()p, ( ). Brachyacantha stellata Casey, Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc, VII, 



1899, It 7. 

 Close to iirsiiia and perhaps only a variety. Color nearly the same, 

 the spots proportionally larger. Punctures of elytra coarser and sparser; 

 surface more shining. Length 2-2.2 mm. 



Putnam. Lawrence, Orange, Posey. Perry and Crawford coun- 

 ties; frequent. May 11 -June 1. The legs are not always "pale 

 throughout" as mentioned l)y Casey, the basal half of femora being 

 sometimes dark. 



994 (3095a). P.rachyacantha IO-pistt^lata Mels.. Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci., Ill, 1847. 179. 

 Resembles nrsiiia but smaller. I'ale front border of thorax wider in 

 male; head of female sometimes black with an orange spot on vertex. 

 Punctures coarser and much less numerous. I>ength 1.8-2.3 mm. 



Throughout the Slate ; scarce. May 31-June 24. Usually given 

 as a variety of i(r.si)ui. but the differences are sufficient to justify its 

 holding specific rank. 



