THE TUMBLING FLOWER BEETLES. 



2424 (7780). Mordella scltellaris Fab., Syst. Eleut., II, 1801, 123. 

 Dull black, clothed with brownish pubescence; scutellum somen mes 



ash-gray; sides of meso- and metasterna and front margins of ventral seg- 

 ments more or less ash or silvery gray. Length 3-0 mm. 



Throughout the State ; common. June 2-September 23. Oc- 

 curs in numbers on the flowers of Solidago and other Composite 

 M.irrorata Lee. is a variety with single ash-gray hairs scattered 

 over the elytra, and with the under surface dull black. 



2425 (7782). Mordella octoptjnctata Fab.. Syst. Blent, II, 1801, 123. 

 Head grayish pubes- 

 cent; thorax with a net- 

 work of lines of grayish- 

 yellow hairs; elytra as 

 mentioned in key. the basal | 

 curved spots each partially 

 enclosing a round black - 

 one. the subhumeral spot 

 narrow and oblique; under 



surface spotted with ash- - - ^ h , p upa ; c , beetle outline «de of fe^e; d. 



gray pubescence. Length • of same; e, antenna; /, tarsal claw ot same. (After Kiley 



6-7 mm. (Fig. 575.) f . r , nv( . 



Southern half of State: frequent. June 2-August 1 Occurs 

 especially on flowers of Jersey tea. The young are said to feed on 

 the wood of very rotten oak stumps. 



2426 (7783 



Mordella mahgisata Welsh., Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat Set. II, 

 1845. 312. 



Thorax with the margins, a narrow stripe each <**<«J«™>^ 

 short one extending forward from base near hmd angles, si yerj or ash 

 tZ EKt" with the spots varying much in size and disposmom 

 surface varied with silver-gray and black. Length SM.5 mm. 



Throughout the State: common. June 1-August 2 Occurs es- 

 peciallv on flowers of dogwood. Jersey tea. and wdd hydrangea. 

 The markings on the thorax are distinct only when held m a certain 

 light. 



2427 (7784). Mordella lltnuiata Helm.. Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat Set. XVII. 

 1S65. 06. 



Head and thorax sparsely clothed with yellowish-gray pubescence; the 

 P.ttcr wKh an indistinct stripe extending forward from base on each ^de, 

 ^ densely pubescent ; under surface with sides and front margtus ot ven- 

 tral segments with sparse ash-gray hairs. Length 4 mm. 



Orange County ■ rare. June 1. The single specimen agrees per- 

 fectly with the descriptions of Hellmuth's type collected m Illinois, 

 the elytra having the "narrow basal margin, humeral lunule and 

 suture cinereous pubescent." In LeConte's obliqua, described from 



