520 



FAMILY XVI. — COCClNELLlD^. 



XIII. Brachyacantha Chev. 1834. (Gr., "short + spine.") 



Oval, strongly convex, black beetles, in our species having each 

 elytron marked with either two or five distinct, rounded yellow or 

 orange spots. Four species occur in the State. 



KEY TO INDIANA SPECIES OF BRACHYACANTHA. 



a. Elytra each with five clearly defined yellow spots, one humeral, one 

 larger basal, two near the middle and one subapical. 

 1). Elytral spots, except the humeral, well developed and subequal in 

 size. 



c. Larger, 2.5-3 mm. ; basal spot never much more than semicircular, 

 broadly truncated by the basal margin. 992. ursina. 



cc. Smaller, 2-2.2 mm. ; basal spot almost fully circular. 



993. STELLATA. 



bl). Elytral spots smaller and unequal, the two median much smaller 

 than the otners. 994. 10-pustulata. 



aa. Elytra each with two spots, one basal, one subapical. 



995. QUADRIPUNCTATA. 



992 (3095). Brachyacantha ursina Fab., Mant, 1798, 61. 

 Elongate-oval, convex. Black, shining ; head yellow ; thorax with apical 



margin yellow in male, the region of apical angles only, yellow in female; 

 elytra with spots as described in key. Beneath black ; legs pale, the base 

 of femora darker. Thorax and elytra both finely but distinctly and evenly 

 punctate. Length 2.7-3.5 mm. 



Throughout the State; frequent. May 21 -July 20. Occurs es- 

 pecially on the leaves and flowers of the common milkweed (As- 

 clepias syriaca L.) 



993 (— — ). Brachyacantha stellata Casey, Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc, VII, 



1899, 117. 



Close to ursina and perhaps only a variety. Color nearly the same, 

 the spots proportionally larger. Punctures of elytra coarser and sparser; 

 surface more shining. Length 2-2.2 mm. 



Putnam, Lawrence, Orange, Posey, Perry and Crawford coun- 

 ties; frequent. May 11-June 1. The legs are not always "pale 

 throughout" as mentioned by Casey, the basal half of femora being 

 sometimes dark. 



994 (3095a). Brachyacantha 10-pustulata Mels., Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. 



Sci., Ill, 1847, 179. 

 Resembles ursina but smaller. Pale front border of thorax wider in 

 male; head of female sometimes black with an orange spot on vertex. 

 Punctures coarser and much less numerous. Length 1.8-2.3 mm. 



Throughout the State ; scarce. May 31-June 24. Usually given 

 as a variety of ursina, but the differences are sufficient to justify its 

 holding specific rank. 



