known to be pine and it is strongly suspected that this is 

 the host of the other species. The species have been found 

 only in regions where the pine occurs and usually from 

 August to October. 



Pallida and floridae are very close, and without the two 

 for direct comparison it is difficult to distinguish satisfac- 

 torily between them. The species, septentrionalis Prov., is 

 proportionately broader than our other species and has a 

 shorter vertex than pallida and floridae. 

 Our species may be distinguished by the following key : 



Color black, front white or banded with white 1 



Color brown or grayish 2 



1. Vertex about as long as broad, front white with a black basal 

 band, : opaca Say 



2. Vertex very short, distinctly broader than long, about the length 

 of the eye in its superior diameter; elytra brown varied with 

 gray patches .variegata Van D. 



... Vertex considerably longer than broad, much longer than in 

 opaca and variegata, 3 



3. Pale brownish-yellow; length to tip of elytra 10 mm pallida Say 



... Uniform fuscous-brown, elytra proportionately narrower; length 



to tip of elytra 8 mm floridae Walk. 



Dark brown; length to tip of elytra 6.50 7 mm brittoni Metcalf 



Epiptera opaca SAY 



(1830 Jr. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila:, vi, p. 239; comp. Writ, 

 ii, p. 374, Plata). 



Recorded from Ont., N. H., N. Y., Pa., Md., N. C., Ga., 

 Ind., and Ohio. It probably occurs in Florida, but it is 

 scarce everywhere. 



Fig. 14 Epiptera opaca Say, showing characteristic white banding 

 of the frons. (Original) 



Blackish, beneath with a white band, head a little produced. 



Body brown black above, closely dotted with pale, a pale yellow 



spot on the costal border near the tip of the elytra, a small yellow 



43 



