RKO,” 20] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 213 
The two species credited to North America are Laphria 
dorsata Say (1824) and Laphria melanopterum Wiedemann 
(1828). The former is cited as ‘‘taken near Philadelphia”’; 
the latter as ‘‘Vaterland?’’ but credited by all students to 
North America. Williston notes what he considers Wiede- 
mann’s species from Florida, and states that it differs from 
dorsata in having the wings black and broader, the face being 
clothed with black, and the dorsum being shining. I cannot 
distinguish melanoptera from dorsata either by descriptions 
or notes relative to these supposed species. The former is 
probably a very dark form of the latter, and as the material 
before me shows much variation in the wing color, I do not 
think that Wiedemann’s name can be retained for any North 
American species or variety. 
Pogosoma dorsata Say. 
1824. Laphria dorsata Say, Amer. Ent., i, pl. vi, page 5. 
Q 1828. Laphria melanoptera Wiedemann, Ausser. Zweifl. Ins., i, 514. 
Say’s description agrees so well with my eastern material 
that I do not doubt the determination. As there is very 
much variation in the color of the wings, this character can- 
not be taken seriously. What I consider dorsata may be 
described as follows: 
3. Black entirely, except more or less brown on post alar calli and on 
the pleural and ventral sutures. Shining to polished, with some bluish 
metallic or grayish reflections. Face especially below, occiput especially 
post orbits, one or two pairs of spots on mesonotum (one at each dorsal 
end of the two sutures, the anterior pair being most pronounced), suture 
above base of wings, pleura especially towards pectus, silvery according 
to the angle of vision. All true bristles black. Pile or bristle-like hairs 
black as follows: on first and second joints, face above and upper part of 
mystax, occiput above, palpi, apex of proboscis, prothoracic collar, humeri, 
mesonotum posteriorly, sometimes a few on margin of scutellum, pleura, 
and abdomen. Pale (white) pile on frons, around base of antennae, lower 
part of mystax, lower occiput, proboscis below, mesonotum anteriorly, 
disc of scutellum and all coxae. Pile long and mixed on legs, but paler 
on femora becoming black on tarsi. The pile is long and abundant on 
the lower surfaces of head and legs; long and woolly and rather sparse on 
scutellum. Wings very variable, from evenly subhyaline, grayish to 
densely fuscous with lighter areas in the cells especially along the inferior 
margin. 
