AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGY. 105 



Obs. This pretty little species is common in various parts of 

 the United States, extending as far south as Florida, and north 

 at least to Massachusetts, from whence Dr. T. W. Harris sent me 

 a specimen. It resembles several foreign species, and particularly 

 the A. Selene, for which it may be easily mistaken, but on com- 

 parison, that species will be found to have the third series of 

 silvery spots widely interrupted in the middle, and the small 

 ocellate spot near the base is not silvery, but black, with a pale 

 pupil; still, however, they are so very closely allied, that in con- 

 sidering them as distinct species, I rely on the authors whose 

 synonyms are quoted above. 



The plant is the Claytonia virginica. 



PLOIABJA. Plate XL VII. 



Generic character. Body elongated, filiform ; feet ambulatory, 

 very long, with distinct nails ; anterior pair shortest, raptatory, 

 with elongated coxae ; eyes moderate ; labrum very short ; an- 

 tennae elongated, setaceous, four-jointed; beak inflected. 



Obs. Such is the particular form and appearance of the an- 

 tennae in insects of this genus, that on a slight inspection, a per- 

 son would almost be disposed to pronounce them ambulatory, 

 and that there are therefore eight feet. But no true insect yet 

 known, has more or less than six feet. As respects the remark- 

 ably long and slender form of some of the species, they have con- 

 siderable affinity for the genus Spectrum, and the anterior pair 

 of feet may be compared to those of Mantis and Empusa, with 

 ecpual aptitude. These feet are much shorter than the others, 

 are used almost altogether for the purpose of seizing and convey- 

 ing the prey to their mouth ; whilst the two posterior pairs sup- 

 port the body, and move it from place to place. Their move- 

 ments are rather slow and unsteady, moving up and down upon 

 their legs as they proceed forwards, in the manner of the Crane-fly. 

 (Tipula). They feed on small insects. Scopoli first established 

 this genus ; the species were referred to Cimex, by Linne and 

 others, and Fabricius, unacquainted with what Scopoli had done, 

 perceived the necessity of forming a genus for them, and this he 

 called Emesa, of which he describes four species ; three belong- 

 ing to America, and one to the East Indies. Cimex vagabundus 



