64 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 52. 



BICYRTES PARATA Provancher. 



Figs. 115, 116. 



Monedula parata Provancher, Add. Hym. Quebec, 1888, p. 416. 

 Bembidula parata Fox, Proc. Acad. Sci. Phila., 1895, p. 353. 

 Bembidula meliloti Rohwer, Ent. News, vol. 19, 1908, p. 376, male. 



Male. — Black: Scape and first two joints of flagellum beneath, 

 large spot on clypeus, frequently spot on base of mandibles, broad 

 abbreviated anterior and narrow posterior orbits, posterior margin 

 of pronotum including tubercles, tegulae anteriorly, lateral stripe on 

 scutum at base of anterior wing, rounded lateral spots on scutellum, 

 transverse fascia on metanotum, lateral angles of median segment, 

 broad fasciae on tergites 1-6, the more anterior of which, and in some 

 specimens all, may be narrowly interrupted medially, triangular 

 lateral spots on apical tergite, lateral spots on sternites 2-6, which 

 may or may not be connected by apical bands, tarsi, tibiae, and 

 femora distally, yellow or greenish yellow. Wings clear; eyes diver- 

 gent at vertex; punctures of dorsum of thorax fine, close, and even, 

 those of median segment somewhat larger; punctures of mesopleurae 

 and apical tergite coarser and less evenly distributed. Segments 

 6-10 of flagellum rounded out below; intermediate femora with 

 tooth at base posteriorly; hind tibiae with carina on inner surface of 

 apical half. 



Female. — In general appearance and coloration similar to the male: 

 Clypeus and labrum entirely, spot on mesopleura variable in size, 

 usually pair of discal spots on scutum, more or less well-developed 

 curved fine on dorsal surface of median segment, fasciae on tergites 

 1-5 broad, all of which may be continuous, lateral spots or the entire 

 surface of sixth tergite, lateral spots on sternites broadly connected, 

 apical sternite usually in part, and sometimes entirely, yellow. Apical 

 tergite without pygidial area or lateral ridges, apical sternite with 

 faint longitudinal median carina. 



Length. — 12-15 mm. 



The clypeus, on both males and females, may be wholly yellow or 

 may have only a narrow apical border of black. In specimens on 

 which all or only part of the fasciae on the tergites are continuous, 

 such fasciae are more or less deeply emarginate anteriorly in the 

 middle. The apical sternite of the male and occasionally of the 

 female lacks the yellow spots; usually in the female these spots are 

 large and may be confluent or the entire segment may be yellow. 

 The extent of the yellow on the sternites of the female is variable. 

 On one specimen the venter of the abdomen is almost entirely yellow; 

 on another the bands on sternites 2-4 are almost interrupted medially, 

 and on all the fifth is almost completely yellow. 



