THE FIREFLIES OR LIGHTNING BUGS. 



817 



cc. Last joint of antennae bearing a small, jointed, needle-shaped ap- 

 pendage ; female with short elytra. XII. Lampbohiza. 

 aa. Antennae with second joint not transverse; head exserted, narrowed be- 

 hind the eyes. XIII. Photubis. 



VI. Polyclasis Newm. 1838. (Gr.. ''many + branches.'') 



Antenna? moderately separated at base, and strongly bipectinate 

 from the third to tenth joint in the male, less so in female ; second 

 joint small, third not shorter than fourth. The two processes 

 spring from the base of the joints in male and from the middle of 

 the sides in female. One species occurs in the eastern United 

 States. 



1551 (4809). Polyclasis bifaria Say. Bost. Jonrn. Nat. Hist, I. 1S35, 157; 



ibid. II, 635. 



Elongate-oval, densely and roughly punctured. Black; thorax with 

 sides and apex reddish-yellow and with a median impressed line. Male 

 with seventh and eighth ventral segments dull yellow, seventh with a small 

 triangular notch, eighth narrow, parallel. Female with sixth and seventh 

 segments yellowish, the seventh triangular, rounded behind. Length 9- 

 10 mm. 



Marshall and Crawford counties; scarce. -June 2-June 15. Oc- 

 curs on trunks of trees in upland woods. 



VII. Lucidota Cast. 1833. (L., ''shining.") 



This genus and the next four are grouped by LeConte under 

 the name Pkotini. All five genera have the head covered by the 

 hood-like thorax. The elytra vary in color, but in all our species 

 without well developed light organs they are black. Of the group 

 he says: "There are in many families of Coleoptera strong resem- 

 blances between species of different genera, but I know of none 

 more deceptive than those presented by this group of Pkotini. The 

 inexperienced student should, therefore, always ascertain the genus 

 to which his specimen belongs before attempting its specific deter- 

 mination." The genus Lucidota is easily known by the very 

 broadly compressed antennas which are not serrate, but gradually 

 narrowed externally, with the second joint very short and trans- 

 verse. The light organs are feebly developed and indicated by yel- 

 low spots on the last ventral of the female or last two ventrals of 

 male. The two species belonging to it are diurnal and frequent 

 shady places. 



1552 (4810). Lucidota atra Fab.. Ent. Syst.. I. 1798. 101. 

 Elongate-oblong, depressed. Black, sides and apex of thorax dull yel- 

 low, with a reddish or orange spot next the black median space. Thorax 



