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Florida Buggist 
Official Crees oO oe Hileige Entomological Society- - 
VOL. ie SUMMER NUMBER NO. 1 
JUNE, 1919 
A NEW SPECIES OF VELIA FROM FLORIDA (HEM.-HET.)* © 
By CARL J. DRAKE 
While collecting insects about two miles southwest of Gaines- 
ville, Florida, during the summer of 1918, the writer found 
numerous specimens of a species of a water-strider in an old 
swamp. A study of this material indicates the insect to be an 
undescribed species of the genus Velia, family Veliidae. The 
species is very closely allied to Velia stagnalis Burm. Mr. W. L. 
McAtee has very kindly compared a male and female with his 
series of V. stagnalis, collected in the vicinity of Washington, 
D. C. The insect is named in honor of Prof. J. R. Watson, who 
has taken a great interest in Florida insects. 
Velia watsoni new species. 
Head formed as in V. stagnalis Burmeister, the smooth impressed 
median line quite distinct. Eyes globose, strongly faceted. Antennae long 
and slender; basal segment curved, much stronger, also two-sevenths longer 
than the second; the second a little stronger than the third; the second, third 
and fourth about equal in length. Pronotum very coarsely punctured, longi- 
tudinally carinate in the middle, produced and rather narrowly rounded 
posteriorly, the tubercles large and prominent. Metapleura with the up- 
ward projecting spines visible from above, located, as in stagnalis, about 
the middle. First and second abdominal segments (dorsal surface) with 
a lateral carina on each side. Legs long and rather stout, the under sur- 
face of femora and tibiae denticulate; length of tarsi and tarsal segment 
proportioned about the same as in stagnalis. Antennae, legs and body 
pilose and setigerous, the hairs along the posterior margin of the pronotum 
becoming rather long. Length, male 4.2 mm. and female 4.1 mm.; width, 
male about 1 mm. and female 1.12 mm. 
Color: General color dark or blackish brown. Legs pale luteous, the 
bands varying from light brown to fuscous. Eyes black. Antennae pale 
*Contributions from the Department of Entomology, New York State College 
of Forestry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York. 
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