116 IOWA STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY 
juga a little longer than tylus. Rostrum reaching almost to posterior 
ecoxae; basal segment bluish, shining; remaining segments somewhat 
fuscous, paler at the incisures. Antennae blue black, the two apical seg- 
ments fuscous, all the segments thickly clothed with fine yellowish hairs. 
Pronotum blue black, convex, coarsely, irregularly punctured; humeri 
rounded, sub-prominent; antero-lateral margins smooth, orange yellow, this 
yellow line expanding before the humeri, usually enclosing or almost en- 
closing a rounded blue black area; anterior margin just behind the eyes 
produced into small orange colored points; below blue black, coarsely, 
heavily punctured, the concave anterior margin orange yellow. Scutellum 
large, broadly rounded behind, extending almost to tip of abdomen, sparse- 
ly but more finely punctate than pronotum; ground color blue black with 
irregular area on basal fourth and apical lunule orange yellow punctured 
irregularly with fuscous. Hemelytra blue black with orange at apex of 
coriaceous portion; rather finely and more closely punctate than scutellum ; 
membrane fuscous, somewhat surpassing the abdomen in length. Venter 
blue black, distinctly, irregularly punctured; the edges of the second, third, 
fourth and fifth visible ventral segments bordered with orange yellow en- 
closing a blue dot; posterior margin of sixth visible ventral segment also 
bordered with orange yellow; angles of segments blue; ventral spine and 
median half of segment following orange yellow. Legs shining blue black, 
the tibiae and tarsi with long yellowish hairs beneath; anterior femora 
armed with a long spine; claws yellowish tipped with fuscous; coxae 
fuscous, somewhat shining. On either side of the median line of the last 
three segments in the male is a slight depression thickly covered with long, 
reddish yellow hairs. Length, 8.0-11.0 mm. Width across pronotum, 5.0- 
7.0 mm. 
This form is exceedingly variable in both size and coloration 
the latter ranging from almost a uniform yellow to almost a 
uniform violet; these differences have been made the basis for 
separation into varieties of which four have been recorded from 
North America. As a species it has been recorded from most of 
the southern states and from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New 
York and other northern states. Professor Osborn has _ indi- 
eated it as ‘‘common, not abundant,’’ in Iowa but our collect- 
ing in the state has not thus far brought to ight any specimens. 
Professor Uhler states that in Maryland this form frequents 
the smooth sumach (Rhus glabra Linn.) and attacks the larvae 
of Galeruca sp. which feed on that plant. It has also been re- 
eorded as feeding on the larvae of Papilio asterias Fabr., Lep- 
tinotarsa decemlineata Say and Epilachna borealis Fabr. 
