1364 



FAMILY LXV. RHIPIPHORIM. 



VIII. Pomphopcea Lec. 1862. (Gr., "a blister.") 

 The only characters separating this genus from Pyrota and Can- 

 thans are those set forth in the key. One of the five species occurs 

 in the State. 



2530 (8124). Pomphopgea ^enea Say, Jonrn. Phil. Acad. Nat Sci III 

 1824, 301 ; ibid. II, 168. 

 Elongate, slender, subcylindrical. Under surface, head and thorax 

 greenish, rather thickly clothed with long gray hairs; elytra bronzed and 

 with a few short, scattered hairs; antennas black; legs reddish-yellow, the 

 knees and trochantins black. Upper surface alutaceous, the head and tho- 

 rax sparsely, irregularly and rather finely punctured. Thorax bell-shaped 

 and with distinct median impressed line. Elytra finely rugose, not dis- 

 tinctly punctate. Front tibiae of male straight and with two spurs; hind 

 tibial spurs unequal, the outer broader. Length 10-16 mm. 



Putnam and Vigo counties; rare. 

 April 20-May 4. Occurs on blossoms of 

 apple, pear, etc. 



P. sayi Lec. (Fig. 595), length 15-18 

 mm., and P. unguicularis Lec, length 

 18-20 mm., were both described from 

 Illinois and may occur in Indiana. Ac- 

 cording to the descriptions, they differ 

 very slightly from cenea, the elytra being 

 glabrous and the legs more or less blue- 

 black In unguicularis the hind tibia? of 

 male are dilated toward apex and 

 Fig. 590. Pomphopcea Sayi x 2| stron gl.Y compressed, while in sayi the 



(After Chittenden in Bull. 38, U. S. Div! tibige are normal 



Family LXV. RHIPIPHORID^E. 



The Rhipiphorid Beetles, 



A small family of wedge-shaped beetles resembling the Mordel- 

 li(ta closely in general appearance, but having the sides of thorax 

 without a sharp edge; hind body not terminating in a spinous 

 process as in most Mordellids ; elytra usually shorter than the abdo- 

 men and narrowed behind, with the inner wings longer and usually 

 more or less projecting; antenna- pectinate or fan-shaped in the 

 males, frequently serrate in the females. The adults occur on 

 flowers and are much less common than the Mordellids. The larvae 

 that are known are parasitic, some in the nests of wasps and others 

 on cockroaches. 



In addition to the general characters mentioned, the Rhipiphori- 

 dse have the head vertical, the neck very slender and entirely im- 



