338 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



are jet black, appearing dark blue in some lights, whitish on the 

 under side of the femora, and with a large white dot at the apex 

 of the femora and tibiae, which have a delicate tinge of blue. 

 The claws of the anterior tarsal joint of the male are eqtial, the 

 outer half sharph^ curved at right angles to the base, as in figure 

 io6, 3, the mid tarsal joint with but a single long curved claw 

 (fig. io6, 4) set in the joint below the apex, and the posterior the 

 same as those of the anterior, but smaller. The claws of the 

 female are the same as in the male, except that the middle are like 

 the anterior. 



Th abdomen is dark brown above, paler beneath, with whitish 

 apical bands, on the dorsal surface prolonged forward in the 

 middle on some of the segments, largest on segments three and 

 five in all specimens examined. 



Habits of the Adult. 



\'er3- little is known of this handsome species, which has been 

 actually captured on one or two occasions only. There is no 

 record of its biting at any time and we have no evidence that it 

 can bite. It occurs, probably, throughout the State, actual 

 records coming from Cape ]\Iay, Lahaway, ]\Ietedeconk Xeck, 

 Trenton and Ir\4ngton. The dates are always after midsummer. 



There is absolutely no chance of mistaking this little species 

 when it can be seen under a sufficient magnification to bring out 

 the sapphire blue scales and lines on the sides and top of the 

 thorax. 



How the winter is passed, we do not know ; but it would seem 

 as if this were a species that might live over in the adult stage. 

 The eggs, forming a floating mass on the surface of permanent 

 water bodies, are not well adapted to live through in that shape, 

 the larvae have never been found in winter and their surface habit 

 opposes that suggestion. 



Description of the Larva. 



The larva is illustrated on figure 107, with details of structure. 

 When full grown it is 5-5.5 mm., =.20-. 22 of an inch in length 

 to the end of the ninth segment and yellowish brown or grayish 

 in color. The head is small, elongated, broadest immediately 

 behind the eyes, excavated a little before the antennae and rounded 

 in front. It is generally an even dark brown in color, though 

 often irregularly marked with yellow or pale brown. Four stout 

 setae arise from the vertex in the anterior part, each from a sep- 



