A DESCRIPTION OF THE MALE OF SYMPHEROBIUS 
ARIZONICUS BANKS (NEUROPTERA: HEMEROBIIDAE) 
By Ellis G. MacLeod 
Biological Laboratories, Harvard University 
The genus Sympherobius Banks, 1904, is represented in the Nearctic 
Region north of Mexico by seventeen rather well-defined species. All 
but two of these were treated in detail by Carpenter (1940) in his 
revision of the Nearctic Hemerobiidae, while the remaining two species 
have been described more recently by Gurney (1948) and Nakahara 
(i960). Unfortunately, as the species S. arizonicus Banks and S. 
pictus (Banks) have been known only from females and as Nakahara’s 
S. stangei was described from a single specimen lacking an abdomen, 
information concerning the taxonomically important structures of the 
male genitalia of these species has remained unknown. Recently Mr. 
John B. Ward of the University of Arizona has collected and for- 
warded for study a series of female specimens accompanied by males 
which he felt belonged to S. arizonicus. A comparison of Mr. Ward’s 
specimens with the female type of this species shows the correctness 
of Mr. Ward’s identification so it now becomes possible to supply a 
portion of the missing taxonomic information on our species of this 
genus. The author is indebted to both Mr. Ward and to Dr. F. M. 
Carpenter of Harvard University for the privilege of studying this 
material. 
The following descriptions are based on specimens of S. arizonicus 
collected at Tuscon, Arizona, in November, 1961, and February, 
March, April and May, 1962. Male and female specimens of this 
species are being deposited in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 
Harvard University, and in the U.S. National Museum, Washington, 
D. C. 
Description of body pigmentation (based on three male and seven 
female specimens, all pinned) — Face with frons, clypeus and labrum 
tannish yellow and with a rather wide, dark brown interantennal 
mark extending about one-half way from lower rim of antennal fossae 
to epistomal sulcus; frontogenal and epistomal sulci brown, nearly 
black; genae medium to dark brown, this color extending as far an- 
teriorily as the frontogenal sulci ; vertex dark brown ; antennae with 
scapes dark brown above, light tan beneath ; pedicels and flagella nearly 
black. Pronotum nearly black with small area of light grey on lateral 
margins; meso- and metanota black; plurae medium brown; legs and 
abdomen brown. 
The markings of the female holotype differ only in being somewhat 
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