﻿36 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol. 
  loa 
  

  

  P. 
  lucricrescens 
  Barber, 
  1951, 
  or 
  P. 
  hebes 
  Barber, 
  1951, 
  all 
  of 
  which, 
  

   had 
  been 
  collected 
  during 
  the 
  same 
  summer 
  in 
  northern 
  Delaware. 
  

   The 
  characteristic 
  male 
  flash 
  is 
  much 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  Photinus 
  consangui- 
  

   neus 
  LeConte, 
  1851, 
  two 
  short, 
  bright 
  coruscations 
  separated 
  by 
  a 
  

   distinct 
  interval 
  perhaps 
  somewhat 
  longer 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  corus- 
  

   cation, 
  but 
  is 
  quite 
  greenish 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  yellow 
  light 
  of 
  

   consanguineus. 
  Occasionally 
  the 
  second 
  coruscation 
  may 
  be 
  much 
  less 
  

   bright 
  than 
  the 
  first, 
  even 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  specimen, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  appar- 
  

   ently 
  gave 
  only 
  a 
  single 
  flash 
  but 
  were 
  indistinguishable 
  from 
  those 
  

   giving 
  the 
  double 
  flash. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  male 
  specimens 
  were 
  taken 
  on 
  July 
  11, 
  1951, 
  over 
  the 
  same 
  

   field 
  where 
  the 
  single 
  female 
  was 
  taken 
  in 
  1949, 
  and 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  

   still 
  scarce, 
  but 
  two 
  days 
  later 
  a 
  large 
  colony 
  was 
  found 
  flying 
  over 
  the 
  

   vegetation, 
  largely 
  bayberry, 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  road 
  leading 
  south 
  

   from 
  the 
  town, 
  at 
  about 
  two 
  miles. 
  Trips 
  to 
  areas 
  a 
  mile 
  or 
  so 
  inland 
  

   from 
  the 
  beach 
  yielded 
  only 
  Photinus 
  pyralis^ 
  here 
  very 
  abundant 
  at 
  

   the 
  time, 
  and 
  an 
  occasional 
  stray 
  Photuris 
  versicolor^ 
  so 
  the 
  new 
  species 
  

   seems 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  rather 
  strictly 
  seacoast, 
  almost 
  a 
  sand-dune, 
  form. 
  It 
  

   has 
  not 
  been 
  seen 
  in 
  several 
  visits 
  along 
  the 
  southern 
  New 
  Jersey 
  coast, 
  

   particularly 
  at 
  Stone 
  Harbor, 
  but 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  somewhat 
  surprising 
  if 
  

   it 
  were 
  not 
  present 
  there. 
  

  

  In 
  view 
  of 
  these 
  circumstances, 
  this 
  insect 
  is 
  here 
  described 
  from 
  

   the 
  males 
  collected 
  in 
  1951, 
  and 
  the 
  single 
  female 
  of 
  1949, 
  as 
  a 
  new 
  

   species. 
  

  

  Photuris 
  bethaniensis, 
  new 
  species 
  

  

  Description. 
  — 
  A 
  rather 
  small 
  lampyrid 
  for 
  a 
  Photuris, 
  9.0-10.75 
  

   mm. 
  long 
  by 
  3.5-4.0 
  mm. 
  wide, 
  with 
  a 
  black 
  pronotal 
  mark 
  tending 
  

   to 
  be 
  densest 
  tow^ard 
  the 
  apical 
  edge. 
  The 
  characteristic 
  male 
  flash 
  is 
  

   two 
  greenish 
  coruscations 
  separated 
  by 
  a 
  short 
  interA^al. 
  

  

  Head: 
  Width 
  across 
  eyes 
  2.1-2.45 
  mm. 
  in 
  male, 
  1.8 
  mm. 
  in 
  female; 
  

   eye 
  length 
  1.15-1.3 
  mm. 
  in 
  male, 
  0.85 
  mm. 
  in 
  female. 
  Frons 
  ivory 
  to 
  

   yellow, 
  about 
  0.8-1.0 
  mm. 
  wide; 
  interocular 
  margins 
  usually 
  rather 
  

   divergent. 
  Mandibles 
  fairly 
  large, 
  0.65-0.8 
  mm. 
  across 
  in 
  closed 
  posi- 
  

   tion; 
  proportionately 
  larger 
  in 
  the 
  female. 
  Maxillary 
  palpi 
  dark 
  

   brown, 
  apical 
  joint 
  conoidal 
  ; 
  labial 
  palpi 
  lighter 
  brown, 
  apical 
  joint 
  

   mitten-shaped. 
  Clypeus 
  dark 
  brown, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  tridentate. 
  

  

  Antennae: 
  Dark 
  brown, 
  5.0-6.25 
  mm. 
  long 
  in 
  male, 
  4.25 
  mm. 
  in 
  

   female 
  ; 
  joints 
  may 
  all 
  have 
  pale 
  bases, 
  or 
  this 
  may 
  be 
  limited 
  to 
  basal 
  

   three 
  joints 
  in 
  the 
  female. 
  

  

  Pronottjm: 
  Scutate, 
  sometimes 
  extended 
  apically, 
  2.0-2.5 
  by 
  

   2.55-3.0 
  mm. 
  ; 
  rounded 
  posterior 
  angles 
  may 
  or 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  appreciably 
  

   produced 
  ; 
  red 
  pigmentation 
  may 
  extend 
  to 
  the 
  basal 
  edge 
  ; 
  black 
  spot 
  

   of 
  variable 
  shape, 
  and 
  characteristically 
  mainly 
  toward 
  the 
  apex, 
  or 
  

  

  