Bittacus punctiger Westwood, 1846

Stark, Bill P., Lago, Paul K., Harrison, Audrey B. & Smith, William E., 2016, A Preliminary Annotated Checklist of Mississippi Mecoptera (Insecta), Insecta Mundi 2016 (469), pp. 1-15 : 3-4

Bittacus punctiger Westwood

Bittacus punctiger Westwood, 1841:195 . Georgia

Distribution. AL, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV.

Published Mississippi Records. The insert map (Fig. 44) in Webb et al. (1975) includes Mississippi in the range of this species and Byers (1996) gives the following record: Lauderdale Co., 6 miles east of Meridian, 24 May 1986, W. Bicha, 1 ♀. Byers (1962a) includes a single record from Oktibbeha Co., State College, no date, 1 specimen without abdomen.

New Mississippi Records. Clarke Co., 15 miles SSW Enterprise, 14 June 1987, P.K. Lago, 1 ♀ (UMIC). Copiah Co., Turkey Creek, 2.2 miles ESE Dentville, 31˚ 56’ 57” N, 90˚ 31’ 11” W, 12 July 1993, D. Pollock, T.L. Schiefer, 1 ♂ (MEMU). Franklin Co., Porter Creek, T5N, R4E, Sec 8NW, 2-8 June 1992, Malaise trap, T.L. Schiefer, R. Fontenot, 2 ♀ (MEMU). Grenada Co., T22N, R3E, Sec 31 NW, 31 July-7August 1991, Malaise trap, M. MacGown, 1 ♂ (MEMU). T21N, R2E, Sec 12, 13 N & R3E, Sec 7S, 18N, 5-18 May 1992, Malaise trap, G. Snodgrass, 1 ♂ (MEMU). Same site, 18 May-2 June 1992, Malaise trap in woods, G. Snodgrass, 2 ♀ (MEMU). Hinds Co., Clinton, 20 May 1985, B. Stark, 1 ♂ (BPSC). Choctaw Trails , 32˚ 18.292’ N, 90˚ 17.868’ W, 31 May 2013, B. Stark, 1 ♂ (BPSC). Lauderdale Co., 6 miles east of Meridian, 25 May 1986, W. Bicha, 1 ♀ (INHS). Lawrence Co., Robbins Lane, Jayess, 1 June 2013, W.E. Smith, 2 ♂ (WESC). Lincoln Co., Caseyville, 24 May 2014, W.E. Smith 2 ♂, 5 ♀ (WESC). Marshall Co., Wall Doxey State Park, 29 May 1986, S. Testa, 1 ♂ (UMIC). Noxubee Co., S.D. Hamilton Noxubee Wildlife Refuge, Education Center nr Bluff Lake, 33˚ 15’ 52” N, 88˚ 46’ 50” W, 17-19 May 2013, W.L. Grogan, Jr., Malaise trap, 2 ♀ (FSCA). Perry Co., 6 mi SW New Augusta, 24 May 1987, P.K. Lago, 1 ♂ (abdomen missing), 1 ♀ (UMIC). Warren Co., Jeffers Hollow Road, Redwood, 32.478772˚ N, 90.781704˚ W, 16 May 2013, A. Harrison, 1 ♂ (ABHC). Same site, 18 June 2013, A. Harrison, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (ABHC). Wilkinson Co., Mississippi River, 7 miles NNW Ft. Adams, 24 May 2005, P.K. Lago, J.G. King, 2 ♀ (UMIC). Yazoo Co., Woods Road, Eden-Midway Road jct, 32˚ 56.626’ N, 90˚ 15.473’ W, 27 May 2013, B. Stark, A. Harrison, 1 ♀ (BPSC). Woods Road, N of Teshiva Creek, 32˚ 57.011’ N, 90˚14.511’ W, 27 May 2013, A. Harrison, B. Stark, 1 ♂, 2 ♀ (ABHC).

Comments. Bittacus punctiger is known from Wilkinson Co. in the far southwestern region of the state to Marshall Co., in the northern tier of counties, and from Warren Co., near the western boundary with Louisiana, to Lauderdale Co., near the eastern boundary with Alabama. The species, though seldom common, was collected with B. pilicornis , B. stigmaterus and B. strigosus at the Jeffers Hollow Road site, with B. pilicornis and B. strigosus at the Woods Road site, north of Teshiva Creek in Yazoo Co., and the Caseyville site in Lincoln Co., and with B. pilicornis and B. stigmaterus at the Robbins Lane site in Lawrence Co.