MORGAN HEBARD 191 



ticular, but also in the open in many types of natural under- 

 growth, over the Saw Palmetto flats and in the beach vegetation 

 on the upper levels of the sea beaches. Still other species are 

 now known which are much more local in distribution, limited 

 to xeric areas of sandy scrub. 



Three species were originally described, sphenarioides, rufo- 

 vittata and aptera, of which the second was made a synonym 

 of the first by Rehn and Hebard in 1916. 20 In 1902 Rehn de- 

 scribed clara, which was placed as a geographic race of sphe- 

 narioides by the present author in 1915. 



In 1920 the capture of remarkably large specimens on the rare 

 Silver Palm, Coccothrinax argentea Lodd, in tropical Florida 

 led the author to believe that a distinct race or species from the 

 one found generally in the pine woods of that region might be 

 represented. Laboratory examination, however, showed them to 

 be identical except for size. 



In 1930 and 1934 receipt of material found to include three 

 new species led to further investigation, particularly as exami- 

 nation of the series which had been recorded as aptera by Rehn 

 and the author, substantiated information which T. H. Hubbell 

 had written me to the effect that that species divided into several 

 races. Not until the present time has it been possible to examine 

 the very large series of sphenarioides which has been assembled 

 by Rehn and Hebard, and that is now found to include an un- 

 described race as well as series from certain areas which indi- 

 cate definite progress toward the development of still other 

 geographic races, the differentiation in which has not, in my 

 opinion, as yet reached a degree sufficient to warrant nominal 

 recognition. 



The presence of so many species and races peculiar to so 

 small an area shows that an unusual amount of plasticity once 

 existed in the stock, which resulted in many changes and that a 

 number of these have since become fixed. Of the species, only 

 sphenarioides and aptera extended their distribution over much 

 the greater part of the region occupied by the genus. These 

 are not corresponding conditions occupying the same niche in 

 the biota of the region, as both are often present at the same 



20 By selection of the described (immature) female as type, the four 

 males originally described as rujovittata actually representing aptera. 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC., LXII. 



