N. Banks.
Notes and Descriptions of Western chrysopidae. (Neuroptera).
Psyche 57:45-67, 1950.

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NOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF WESTERN
CHRYSOPIDAE (NEUROPTERA)'
By NATHAN BANKS
Holliston, Mass.
For some years Chrysopidae have been accumulating in the col- lection at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and in recent years I have received, with other Neuropteroids, many specimens from Grace H. and John L. Sperry, especially from California and Ari- zona, from Prof. A. L. Melander also material from the same states, and from P. H. Arnaud specimens from California. During the sum- mer of 1948 two students, F. Werner and W. Nutting, made an automobile trip to the southwest and to Mexico, and captured many hundreds more.
Most of the new species are from the western part of the United States and this paper is devoted to their description. Many of the new forms are in the Eremochrysa section, so I have tabulated them, and made new descriptions of some of the old species.
Genus Meleoma
The males of the species of Meleoma can be recognized by the interantennal process. In the western States are four species, to these I add three more, two of them from California; another spe- cies occurs in Arizona, but the specimen has no antennae, so I leave it undescribed.
Meleoma comata sp. nov.
A species similar to M. emuncta with a different interantennal piece, the wings less coarsely haired.
Green; a medium white stripe from vertex back over the abdomen; in the female there is a faint trace of a reddish stripe before the side-margin; legs greenish, tarsi soiled whitish; antennae mostly pale, first joint green. Venation green, a few crossveins dark, mostly toward wing-base; several costals toward base, and some Published with a grant from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College.
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AuAe 57d.5-67 (1950). hup //psyche cnlclub or-g/S7/57-W5 html



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46 Psyche [June
beyond dark at one end; gradates green. Cheeks with a narrow black line, interrupted near middle; palpi with a narrow black line above on one or two joints; in the male these lines more prominent, and the basal joint of antennae pale, with a reddish mark in front toward the tip, the basal joint extends laterally over the eye; the upper edge, seen from in front very concave ; the second joint is much longer than broad, constricted below the middle, the lower part bearing minute erect hairs. The third joint is elongate, swollen mostly toward the inner base, the outer edge there concave, the inner edge has the row of white curved hairs which extends, some- what obliquely upward. The interantennal process is much broader than long, concave in front (seen from above) each side at tip ex- tending somewhat laterally and tipped by some short bristles. On the front, just before the anterior slope, is a group of erect hairs, pointing toward the process.
The wings are more slender than in M. emuncta, the tip almost in a point. The hairs on the costal fringe are very much shorter than in M. enzuncta, and those elsewhere on the venation are much fewer. In the fore wing about twenty-four costals before stigma, the cells, except toward stigma, are plainly higher than broad; the costal area (at widest) hardly equal the radial area; the divisory cell two and a half times as long as broad, ending beyond cross-vein above; below there are seven cubital cross-veins. The hind mar- ginal area is one and one-half times as broad as the cubital, but not quite twice as broad as costal area. Seven to nine inner gradates and eight to ten outer ones, in parallel rows ; each gradate separated about its length from the next. In hind wings eight gradates in each row, about parallel. Beyond the end of medius (fore wing) there are five or six forks before wing tip. Length of fore wing, 14.5 mm.; width, 5 mm.
Male and female from Upper Santa Ana River, San Bernardino Co., California, 15 July, 6 Aug., 1948. (G. H. and J. L. Sperry). Also an old female from San Bernardino Mts., South Fork, 20 June, 6000 f t. (Grinnell) .
Type: M. C. 2. no. 28348.
Meleoma cavifrons sp. nov.
A small, slender-winged species, with few cross-veins, basal joint of antennae erect, and, seen from in front, each side convex, the



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19501 Banks - Western Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) 47 male with almost entire front forming a large heartshaped concavity. Body and wings pale yellowish, female rather more green, a broad black stripe on cheek, scarcely interrupted; palpi lined with black; pronotum broadly reddish brown on each side ; third antennal joint scarcely longer than second or fourth, not modified ; second j oint constricted below middle; vertex with the median raised area.mar- gined on sides and front by a dark line. Basal joints of antennae hardly one-half their diameter apart, erect, and sides convex, in both sexes alike. The inter antennal process is slender between antennae, but widened and forked in front, each arm with bristles at tip; below there is a great, heart-shaped concavity occupying almost entire dorsal surface of face, each upper corner reaching to the eyes; its surface and margin bears erect, short hairs, and below tip of inter- antennal process are two tufts of long, erect hairs; pronotum narrowed in front, behind as broad as long. Wings about three and one-half times as long as broad, tip nearly in a point; venation open, but eighteen to twenty costals, and only nine or ten radial cross-veins, mostly dark. Medius to tip of the second cubital cell is dark, also the basal part of the radial sector; branches of radial sector dark on basal part; also dark are the gra- dates, cubital cross-veins, and branches of anal vein near wing base; marginal veins pale. In hind wings not so many veins dark. The costal fringe is moderately long, but much shorter than in M. emuncta; hairs on cross-veins but few. Divisory cell ends at the cross-vein above.
The costal cells are higher than long, except near the stigma; radial cells about as long as high; the gradates in parallel rows, inner of three or four, outer of five, each widely separate from the next. Beyond the end of the medius but two and one-half forks be- fore wing-tip. Length of fore wings, 11.8 mm. ; width, 3.7 mm. Male type from Pinecrest, Tuolumne Co., California, 10 July, 1948. P. H. Arnaud, Jr., collector.
A female taken at the same locality, but on 19 July, is apparently the same species. The head and a median stripe on the pronotum are whitish, elsewhere and wings green. Nine radial cross-veins as in male, and other venation similar; the costal fringe longer than the male, but six cubitals beyond the divisory cell; basal antennal joint as in male; of same size.
Type: M. C. Z. no. 28350.




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48 Psyche [June
Meleoma delicata sp. nov.
A small species, the third antennal joint not modified, the basal antennal joint, slender, enlarged at tip in usual manner, but with a flat area or scar at tip; nearly all of the cross-veins are dark. Pale greenish, abdomen green, wings hyaline, cross-veins and branches of anal are dark. Basal antennal joints hardly diameter apart, cylindric, from in front outer side concave, somewhat shorter than usual, with a swelling near tip in front. Interantennal process broad, nearly truncate at tip, below it is a broad cavity, each side reaching to eyes, but not long, and reaching scarcely one-third way to tip of head; the margin is bordered with hairs, and a central group of hairs a little in front of it; from the side an erect process is seen, with an upcurved tip, pointing toward the front of the inter- antennal process. In certain views the upper outer corner of the basal antennal joint shows a short spur. Pronotum short, brown, with a pale median line.
Wings sparsely veined, but hardly as much so as cavifrons. Costal area quite broad, but the radial area broader, and about equal to marginal; cubital area almost as broad as costal; tip of wings al- most in a point.
Practically all cross-veins, and the gradates dark, or at least partly so, also the anal branches. Divisory cell about two and one- half times as long as broad, ending beyond the cross-vein above. Twenty costals before stigma, the cells higher than bro,ad, except those toward stigma; eleven radial cross-veins, three cells near mid- dle higher than broad; gradates parallel, seven in each row, mostly about their length apart; six cubitals beyond the divisory; hind margins of fore wing with four forks beyond end of medius and before tip of wing. Costal fringe fairly long, hairs on cross-veins few and rather short.
In hind wings the costal cross-veins and the radials mostly dark, nearly all the other venation greenish; six inner gradates, seven outer rows parallel. Length of fore wing, 12 mm.; width, 4 mm. A male from Ft. Wingate, New Mexico, 14 August 1908, John Woodgate.
Type: M. C. Z. no. 28349.
Another male from two miles southwest of Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona, 30 July 1948 (Werner and Nutting).



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19501 Banks - Western Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) 49 Chrysopa pinalena sp. nov.
Head rather short and broad, pale; directly below the antenna1 sockets is a transverse dark brown band from eye to eye, it bends upward in the middle, below it on the clypeal edge is another and similar band, almost as broad, reaching from eye to eye, and also bent up in the middle, a little more than the upper band; below this in the middle is a short, slightly down-curved brown band. At each end of both complete bands the dark is enlarged. In the specimen figured the antennae are strongly thrown back, in one with the antennae porrect, the upper band is almost hidden. Palpi black, with pale tips to the joints ( except last) ; antennae (including sec- ond joint) pale, unmarked. Vertex rufous, and somewhat swollen in middle, leaving only a very narrow groove between it and the eyes. Pronotum narrowed in front, longer than broad, at least a little; pale in middle, dark on sides, broadly so behind; also the meso- and metanotum pale in middle, the lateral lobes dull black. Legs pale, unmarked.
Abdomen pale below, and mostly on the sides; above with several segments toward base with a large dark mark, sometimes the marks hardly distinct.
Fore wings with anals black, the subcostal vein toward, but not at base and the upper side of third cubital cell dark, other veins slightly darkened, but often only at bases of hairs; gradates no darker than others.
Stigma1 area darkened for a long space, and with five to seven subcostal cross-veins ; twenty-four or twenty-five costals, twelve radials, four or five inner, and six to eight outer gradates, sub- parallel, the inner as near radial sector as to outer, seven branches of radial sector reach outer margin. Divisory cell slender, ending much beyond the cross-vein above, seven cubitals beyond the cell. Hind wing very similar, with seven branches of radial sector to margin, and one or two fewer gradates. Length of fore wing, 13.5 mm. ; width, 4 mm.
Two specimens from the Finals, Globe, Arizona, 18 July 1948. (Nutting and Werner).
Type: M. C. Z. no. 28345.
Chrysopa yuma sp. nov.
Body green as also venation, legs and antennae. Face scarcely marked; there is a very faint reddish tinge under the base of each



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Psyche
[June
antenna; there is no cheek mark, nor any spots on the clypeus; palpi wholly pale green. Antennae entirely pale greenish, no marks on basal nor second joint; in one specimen the vertex is faintly yellowish in front; the subtriangular elevated area is rather smaller than usual, the groove between it and the eye being quite broad. Pronotum nearly twice as broad as long, sides parallel, but in front narrowed at the head. Legs short, pale, unmarked. Abdomen of female about as long as usual, in male not reaching half way to tip of wings, its tip r,ounded. The hairs on abdomen (and pronotum) are wholly white.
The wings of male are almost acute at tip, but more rounded in female. The venation is the usual Chrysopa type; the sub-costal cross-veins at stigma weak and few. Sixteen costals before stigma, eight radials; costal area only a little more than one-half the width of the radial area; marginal area much broader than cubital; di- visory vein ends beyond the cross-vein above, but five cubital cross- veins beyond; three or four outer gradates, and one inner, about the same in hind wing. The third cubital cell has two branches to the hind margin, and the next cell beyond but one branch (as normal Chrysopa).
The costal fringe is quite long, but not dense, the hairs on the veins are long, but not numerous. Length of fore wing, 8.5 mm.; width, 2.8 mm.
M\ale and female from Ft. Yuma, California, 6 June, 13 June, Andahl collector, from G. H. and J. L. Sperry. This insect has no near relation to the plorabunda section of Chrysopa, which are almost wholly green. It has no sinuous costal cross-veins found in that section. The venation is more open than the usual Chrysopa. In the male the apical part of wing is more narrow and there are but three branches of the radial sector that reach the outer margin of wing.
Type: M. C. 2. no. 28346.
Chrysopa clarivena sp. nov.
Pale ; no marks on face nor cheek ; basal antenn'al joint unmarked, second joint black, beyond faintly darkened ; basal joint rather short and broad at base, little separated from each other, palpi pale, last joint darkened. Vertex with a red mark each side by eye, middle area elevated.




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19501 Banks - Western Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) 5 1 Pronotum pale, with sides parallel, but in front narrowed; no distinct m*arks ; meso- and metanotum dull, pale brownish ; legs wholly pale, hind femora unmarked. Abdomen pale, dull gray to brown above with the apical three segments pale yellowish, below with only the apical segment pale.
Wings hyaline, with hyaline or whitish (perhaps greenish alive) venation, the base of the second cubital cell and the cross-vein below it in certain views dark; no sinuous costal cross-vein; the costal area, which, at broadest, is much more than one-half of radial area, has three long cells near base (fourth, fifth, and sixth) which are almost or fully as long as high and beyond are several cells longer than usual. The divisory cell very slender, narrowed at base, and ending beyond the cross-vein above, six cubitals beyond the divisory cell; two inner gradates and five outer, the inner much nearer to outer than to the radial sector. Three branches of radial sector reach to margin, tip of fore wing rounded, that of hind wing plainly acute; costal fringe fairly dense and of moderate length, hairs on veins rather few and quite long. Length of fore wing, 10.2 mm. ; width, 3.7 mm.
One specimen from Ehrenberg, Yuma C,o., Arizona, 11 July 1948, mesquite area (Nutting and Werner).
Type: M. C. Z. no. 28347.
This species is peculiar in the long costal cells, but not unique; this character is found in Chrysopa apache Bks,, and in Chrysopa F a , the small green species described in this paper. For them I make a new subgenus with Chrysopa apache the type. It is based on the character of having especially long cells at the widest part of the costal area, at least one of them being as long as high; the antennae beyond the second joint, tend to be darkened, and the inner gradates much reduced, sometimes none; the number of branches of radial sector to reach hind margin is reduced so that the wings tend to have the shape of Eremochrysa. The three species now known to belong to this subgenus Yumachrysa, are apache with venation al- most wholly dark, longitudinal as well as cross-veins, and the hind femora have a black band. The others, yuma and clarivena (de- scribed in this paper) have almost wholly pale venation; yuma with the radial area but little broader than the costal, and clarivena with the radial area much broader than the costal, elsewhere also broader.



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52 Psyche [June
Genus Eremochrysa
This genus is represented in the western part of our country by many species. All have the cross-veins more or less darkened, and often the longitudinal veins dotted. As a rule the wings are less widened apically than in Chrysopa, and the tips more rounded. In Chrysopa the branches of the radial sector which reach the outer wing-marking are forked beyond the outer gradates, in Eremochrysa rarely more than one is forked beyond the outer gradates. The males have an extension at the lower end of the abdomen, not present in Chrysopa; in one group this process is upcurved, and with simple hairs, in the other group the process is straight and pro- vided with reclinate hairs or bristles.
Table of Species of Eremochrysa
Front and mid tibiae with a dark cross-band about one-third way from base, often also a dark spot at base of these tibiae; venation mostly dotted, vertex usually with reddish lines or spots ........................................................................ tibialis sp. nov. ................................. Front and mid tibiae without dark band 2
Antennae just beyond second joint with several joints black or with a black band; face with a reddish stain under bases of antennae .................................................................... rufina sp. nov. Antennae beyond second joint not at all black ................... ..3 Veins and many of the cross-veins dotted with dark .............. 4 ................ Veins not dotted, cross-veins mostly entirely dark 5
Face often with yellowish or reddish marks (sometimes united) vertex with reddish lines or spots; fore wings rather broad so that four or five of the branches of radial sector reach the outer margin ........................................ punctinervis McLach. Face usually without marks, vertex mostly rufous, at least in front, and few if any lines or spots; the apical part of wing more narrow so that only two or three branches of radial sector reach outer margin.. .................................. pumilis sp. nov. Four or five branches of radial sector reach margin; usually black or dark marks on face and vertex, and three stripes on the basal joints of antennae, and three on pronotum. fraterna Bks.
But two or three branches of radial sector reach outer margin. ........ Not so heavily marked, few marks on face or pronotum 6




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19501 Banks - Western Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) 53 6. Vertex at least in front rufous, no marks or few; cross-veins of fore wings rather fine, face with few or no marks. rufifrons sp. nov.
Vertex mostly pale, with reddish or darker lines; face below antennae more or less plainly rufous, cross-veins of fore wing noticeably heavy ........................................................ aMs sp. nov. Eremochrysa punctinervis McLach.
Female.-Head with line below each eye extending towards mouth ; a row of three black spots (often connected) across clypeus ; below antennal sockets usually a transverse band (yellowish to rufous); a black spot between the bases of the antennae, and ex- tended behind on vertex as two slender divergent lines. Palpi partly dark. Basal antennal joint usually with one nearly complete dark line and one or two dark spots; second antennal joint with a dark ring.
Pronotum with two broad brown or reddish brown spots on each side, usually more or less connected, and sometimes with median extensions; usually a dark median line; meso- and metanotum usually with dark or black spots laterally. Wings with both longitudinal and cross-veins dotted with black (dark), sometimes some of the cross-veins are wholly dark, espe- cially the costals; the markings are more prominent on the fore wings, and sometimes venation of hind wings is almost wholly pale. The hairs on pronotum are short and black, on the abdomen often longer but mostly, at least, black.
The males are usually less completely marked; at the tip of the abdomen of the male there is a lower process, projecting more or less conical, and provided with short hairs among which are some reclinate stiff bristles, some almost spine-like. The type is from Texas, but the species is widely distributed in the western states, most common in the southern ones; eastward it extends to Florida.
9
Eremochrysa fraterna Bks.
A long black streak on each cheek; three, usually elongate, dark spots form a line across clypeus; below antennal sockets sometimes a transverse dark line, or often broken in middle; between the antennae two dark (black) lines extend up and on the vertex and



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54 Psyche [June
diverge; often a dark line along inner edge of eyes. Palpi mostly black, including last joint. Basal antenna1 joint with two stripes nearly black, and very prominent, usually also a third shorter stripe; second joint with a black ring or more fully black; rest of antennae pale for some distance, but toward tip often a stretch of nearly black joints.
The pale legs nearly always have a dark spot on under side of the femur near tip, most prominent on hind legs; sometimes the tibiae show a cross-band of brown near base. Hairs on pronotum mostly black, and also most of those on the abdomen. Fore wings with many of the cross-veins, and the gradates wholly black, especially costals and radials; longitudinal veins often also may be almost wholly dark, but in many cases they are dark at connections and elsewhere more or less dotted. Radial area plainly a little broader than costal area, marginal area plainly broader than cubital area, six cubitals beyond the divisory cell, latter not much narrowed at base, ending beyond the cross-vein above. About eight- een to twenty costal cross-veins; three or four subcostal cross-veins at stigma, and each dark and bordered with yellowish brown; gra- dates two to four inner; and about as many outer ones, well sep- arated. Sometimes the cross-veins are not entirely black, especially in teneral specimens.
At the tip of the abdomen of the male the lower projecting piece is larger and less tapering than in punctinervis. This species occurs over most of the western states, and often in mountainous areas, but not as common as punctinervis. Eremochrysa rufina sp. nov.
Face with a reddish fan-shaped mark under antennae, broad below, ending on each side in three branches, other small reddish spots on lower face, palpi marked with dark; vertex with a narrow angulate line above antennae, another across the front margin of the elevated area, also somewhat irregular marks each side on the elevated area, and a reddish spot each side close to eye. Antennae not marked on basal joint, second joint faintly rufous, about three joints beyond are black, and four or five with a basal black ring. Pronotum narrowed in front, each side broadly dark reddish; rest of thorax and abdomen above dark reddish-brown, the abdomen near tip with some white spots; pleura and venter pale; hairs white, as also on pronotum; legs pale, unmarked. Wings with dull brown



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19501 Banks - Western Chrysopidae (Neuropiera) 55 cross-veins and gradates) longitudinal veins pale) without dark dots ; in hind wings the dark less distinct; stigma somewhat infuscate) but the cross-veins not bordered. Tip of hind wing pointed, that of the fore wing more broadly rounded; venation very similar to the other species; the costal area rather narrow near base; three inner and four outer gradates. Hairs on veins about as in allied species. The divisory cell is shaped much as in Nodita, with a broad) oblique base. The process at tip of abdomen is shorter than in the other species, and projects only a little; it is densely long-haired and I see no reclinate bristles, but there are raised conical processes tipped with a stiff hair (best seen on lower edge). The elliptical pale lobe on side of last segment is larger than in the other forms. Length of fore wing, 10 mm.; width) 3 mm.
One male from Grand Canyon) Arizona) 24 July. Type: M. C. 2. no. 28351.
Eremochrysa tibialis sp. nov.
Head) thorax, legs whitish; face with a reddish mark each side) divided inwardly; the upper, narrow part borders the antennal socket) the lower and broader reaching nearly to middle of face; clypeus with a dark median spot near lower edge) and a larger black spot at upper corner of clypeus) and extending a bit onto clypeus; cheek with a broad) dark brown (or rich brown) stripe, reaching to upper edge of clypeus; palpi dark, except tips of the joints. The basal antennal joint has a short black line or spot toward the inner tip; a black line on outer side and one above, and the second antennal joint dark (rich brown). The vertex has a dark spot each side on the raised area, with a short line extending for- ward, and a long dark spot close to the posterior part of eye; the collar (below the front of pronotum)) has two dark brown marks on outer side.
The pronotum has a dark margin (formed of dark lines)) broken near middle; there is a dark dot near the middle of front margin) another at middle before the cross-groove) and two behind the groove. The lateral lobes of meso- and metanotum have dark spots, and one on each lateral corner of the mid-lobe of mesonotum. Legs pale) all the tibiae have a dark dot near base) and a dark cross-line about one-third way down; the hind femur has a small dark spot