228 



Usinger: Hemiptera 



Fig. 7:43. Cryptostemma usingeri Wygodzinsky, Hot Creek, 

 Inyo Co., Calif., July 17, 1953 (R. L. Usinger, J. D. Lattin). 

 a, head and pronotum of macropterous male; b, same, brachypter- 

 ous female; c, fore wing of brachypterous male; d, fore wing of 

 macropterous male; e, spermatheca of female; f, fore leg of 

 macropterous male; g, abdomen of male, dorsal view; h, same, 

 ventral view (Wygodzinsky, 1955). 



Life history. — Butler (1923) summarized information 

 on the biology of the British Cryptostemma alienum 



H.S. Adults were found from March to October, and 

 nymphs were found with the adults throughout much 

 of this period. Therefore it is surmised that a con- 

 tinuous succession of broods occurs. No life history 

 data are available on California species, but possibly 

 the occurrence in the vicinity of hot springs would 

 permit year-round development. 



Habitat and distribution. — It has long been known 

 that the European C. alienum is an inhabitant of the 

 shore line of streams, running about beneath stones 

 at the water's edge. Haliday (1855) described it as 

 "gliding among the wet gravel, its silky down protect- 

 ing it from the wet." A similar habit has been de- 

 scribed for American species in Georgia and Puerto 

 Rico (Usinger, 1945), and the California species, 

 C. usingeri Wygodzinsky 1955, likewise occurs at 

 the water's edge. In the latter case, the species was 

 found under rocks along Hot Creek, in Inyo County. 

 A single female of a much larger undescribed species 

 was taken at a hot spring in Death Valley, California. 



REFERENCES 



BUTLER, E. A. 



1923. A biology of the British Hemiptera — Heteroptera. 

 London: H. F. & G. Witherby, pp. 1-682 (pp. 308-309). 

 McATEE, W. L., and J. R. MALLOCH 



1925. Revision of bugs of the family Cryptostemmatidae 

 in the collection of the United States National Museum. 

 Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 67, Art. 13:1-42, pi. 1-4. 

 USINGER, R. L. 



1945. Notes on the genus Cryptostemma with a new 

 record for Georgia and a new species from Puerto 

 Rico. Ent. News, 56:238-241. 

 WYGODZINSKY, P. 



1955. Description of a new Cryptostemma from North 

 America. Pan-Pac. Ent., 31:199-202. 



