132 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. Ill 



(1870, p. 520) and Henriksen (1911, pp. 260-261) described the 

 larva from that country and Beling (1883, pp. 268-270) from Ger- 

 many. The larvae are reported to occur in soil in meadows, par- 

 ticularly in woodland meadows. Beling found one larva under moss 

 in a beech grove. According to Slater (1869, p. 276) pectinicornis 

 abounds at low altitudes, but decreases at elevations above 800 feet. 



Structurally, this larva is virtually indistinguishable from the larvae 

 of cuprcus and kendalli. Minor differences in punctation, setation, 

 and in urogomphi were observed between individuals of these species, 

 but these characters proved to be so variable that when all the available 

 material was examined no clear and constant difference remained. 

 Beling and Henriksen record pectinicornis larvae measuring 28 mm. 

 in length. This equals the largest known specimens of kendalli and 

 exceeds by 3 mm. the largest cupreus larvae reported. 



The mediotergites of the first 8 abdominal segments usually have 

 small sparse punctures on each anterior half, the posterior half being 

 less punctate, hence smoother, However, in some specimens the punc- 

 tation is much coarser and resembles the typical condition found in 

 cupreus. In general, setae are somewhat shorter and finer in pectini- 

 cornis than in cupreus; thus where cupreus has very small setae, pec- 

 tinicornis usually has still smaller hairs, or, as in some cases, lacks such 

 hairs. The most important setal characters are the following : On each 

 mediotergite of the seventh and eighth abdominal segments, pectini- 

 cornis larvae have a posterior transverse row of 5 to 7 setae, rarely 8, 

 cupreus larvae usually have a row of 7 to 10 setae; on the antero- 

 lateroventral aspect of stipes, pectinicornis usually has 4, rarely 5, con- 

 spicuous setae, cupreus usually has 5 such setae. 



Beling (1884, p. 208), in his conspectus, separates the larva of 

 cupreus (color form aeruginosus) from that of pectinicornis on the 

 basis of stronger punctation and rugosity on the mediotergites of the 

 abdominal segments. He distinguishes these species in a similar 

 manner in his detailed descriptions (1883, pp. 269 and 271), but at 

 the conclusion of his description of pectinicornis he states (p. 270) 

 (translation) : "With the meager research material which has been at 

 my disposal so far, I am forced to leave the question open to doubt 

 as to whether the difference previously mentioned, of wrinkling and 

 pitting on the upper surface of the first eight abdominal segments 

 of the larvae of Corymbites pectinicornis and aeruginosus, is constant 

 and characteristic to the extent that it could serve for definite distin- 

 guishing of the two larvae in question." Saalas (1923a, p. 128) states 

 (translation) : "This larva [cupreus, form aeruginosus] is very simi- 



