*mrt$ " ,, ,„,, ..,,„-,-,,',«'• - .> "^.A.-.'.'1 ^ rMA SwSiSB^4Siiill D~ r-R zr CD m a MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA BY THOS. L. CASEY III 1912 PUBLISHED BY THE NEW ERA PRINTING COMPANY LANCASTER, PA. PRESS OF THE NEW ERA PRINTING COMPANY LANCASTER PA CONTENTS PAGE I — Descriptive Catalogue of the American Byrrhidse I II — A Revision of the American Genera of the Tencbrionid Tribe Asidini 70 III — Studies in the Longicornia of North America 215 0 b 4 I— DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE AMERICAN BYRRHIDS. The Byrrhidae, in the most modern arrangement of the Coleop- tera, are held to form a part of a subordinal group called the Dascilloidea and are connected on the one hand, by way of the evidently related Dermestidae, with Cyphon and the Heteroceridae and on the other, through the Rhipiceridae and Cebrionidae, with the large families Elateridae and Buprestidae and finally with the Ptinidae, leading thence into the Heteromera. This appears to be one of the happiest strokes among the many efforts to arrive at a true generalization of amnites among the very puzzling groups, some clavicorn and some serricorn, of the old arrangement. Years ago (Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc., VI, 1898, p. 76) the writer alluded to the fact that the Clavicornia of the old school were by no means a natural aggregate, and it is with satisfaction that he finds this opinion is being corroborated, though he was in all probability by no means the first to offer the suggestion. In the following revision the Byrrhidae of LeConte and Horn are restricted to the series comprising the subfamilies Byrrhinae and Nosodendrinae of those authors, the genus Chelonaritim, which formed another subfamily under their conception of the Byrrhidae, having rather family than subfamily rank, being excluded from the present discussion. Chelonarium seems to be very rare in this country, but is more frequently met with in the warmer parts of the continent. It is said to be arboreal in habits and not epigeal, differing in this way as well as profoundly in structure from the Byrrhidae proper. The general anatomy of the Byrrhids is outlined with sufficient clearness in many comprehensive systematic works and need not be repeated here. The body is oval in form and very convex, of minute to moderate size and with hard integument. The Byrrhids are rather numerous in species, occurring under stones and logs, or more especially in the crevices between aggregated fragments or in sand near water courses; they are rather slow in movement, T. L. Casey, M?m. Col. Ill, Feb. 1912. 2 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA generally closely retracting their legs and feigning death when disturbed like Anthrenus and other Dermestids, as well as Ccenocara and some other Ptinids. They are essentially boreal in habitat, though a few more minute forms, belonging almost exclusively to the Limnichinse, extend the range of the family well into the tropics. They are evidently more numerous and structurally more diver- sified in North America than in the palsearctic provinces, the very aberrant forms having unretractile legs apparently being altogether wanting in the latter regions. As occurring north of the Mexican boundary in North America, they may be resolved into four sub- family groups by the following primary characters: Mentum very large, filling the entire buccal opening; legs closely re- tractile; antennae sheltered in repose beneath the anterior legs as in the Byrrhinae; clypeal suture obliterated completely. Palsearctic and nearctic ................................... NOSODENDRIN.E Mentum small or moderate in size ............................... 2 2 — Legs closely retractile ........................................ 3 Legs perfectly free; clypeal suture wholly obliterated ................ 4 3 — Antennae sheltered in repose beneath the anterior legs; clypeal suture obsolete. Palsearctic and nearctic ................... BYRRHIN/E Antennae in repose exposed along the sides of the front above the eyes or sheltered between the eyes and anterior part of the pronotum, rarely lodged partially in pronotal excavations; clypeal suture generally distinct, rarely obsolete; mandibles concealed in repose; body more or less minute in size, the crural excavations deep and sharply defined; last two ventral sutures stronger than the first two, arcuate. Palaearctic and nearctic to neotropical. 4— Antennae in repose wholly exposed along the under surface, sometimes very long and subfiliform; surface very convex and shining, the elytra sometimes substriate. Nearctic .................. AMPHICYRTINJE Nosodendron is considered the type of a separate family in the most recent European arrangement of the Coleoptera, but in its anatomical characters it agrees so closely with the true Byrrhids, that its very large mentum should seemingly be held to have much the same relative weight as the large mentum of Tentyria and allies has when compared with the smaller mentum of the majority of the Tenebrionidse. It would be far more rational to consider Amphicyrta as typifying a distinct family than it would to place Nosodendron in this category, but the number of groups having full family rank could easily be increased unduly. The prefixed asterisks in the various tables indicate exotic genera introduced for comparison. BYRRHID.E 3 Subfamily NOSODENDRIN.E. Widely extended in distribution over the palaearctic provinces and most of North America, the number of species is surprisingly small, showing that this is probably the oldest type of the Byrrhidse considered geologically ; the species are however moderately numer- ous in Mexico; they all belong to a single genus. Nosodendron Latr. The body in this genus is broadly oval or oblong-oval and is not quite so convex as in the other subfamilies of the Byrrhidse. The species are more or less shining in lustre, strongly, subevenly punc- tate and deep black in color; the elytra have no trace of striation. Our only two known species may be defined as follows : Form oblong-oval, evenly convex, strongly shining, deep black, the tarsi slightly piceous, the antennae ferruginous, short, slender, with a broad and very abrupt club of three subequal transverse joints, the last rounded at tip; head wider than long, strongly parabolic in outline, the eyes basal, well developed; prothorax two and three- fourths times as wide as long, the sides strongly, evenly converging from base to apex, evenly and very feebly arcuate, the base broadly and distinctly arcuate, the apex more feebly sinuate; surface strongly, sparsely punctate, more closely and coarsely toward the sides; scutellum acutely triangular, well developed, a little longer than wide; elytra about a fifth longer than wide, slightly widest before the middle, very little wider than the prothorax, very obtuse at apex, the punctures strong, well separated, becoming decidedly coarse but only a little closer laterally, each with a short erect and. squamiform parallel seta, more especially visible and sublinear in arrangement apically; sterna coarsely but not densely punctate; abdomen finely, sparsely and unevenly so, very convex narrowly along the middle, the sutures very coarse and deep, strongly arcuate- medially, becoming straight and transverse laterally, the excavation for the tibiae deep and extending obliquely almost across the second segment, with a lateral oblique connecting channel for the tarsi extending entirely through the second segment; legs short and very stout, the tarsi short and notably slender, simple. Length 4.7-5.2 mm.; width 2.7-3.0 mm. Northern Illinois and Kansas. [ Noso-- dendron unicolor Say, — Long's Exped., 1824, Vol. 2, p. 274]. unicolor Say Form slightly more narrowly oval, rather less deep black and notably less shining, similarly but more coarsely and notably more densely punctate above; elytral setae not solitary as in the preceding but aggregated into small fulvous clusters, especially visible toward the sides and apex and by oblique illumination; under surface opaque, the sterna deeply but rather sparsely punctate, the abdomen 4 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA finely, sparsely and unevenly; abdomen and the deep groove-like sutures nearly as in nnicolor, the oblique depressions for the hind tibiae much shallower and less abruptly limited but almost similar in extent, the fine grooves for the tarsi wanting; legs nearly as in unicolor but piceous in color, the antennae similar but piceous, with the club alone ferruginous. Length 4.6-5.0 mm., width 2.6-2.9 mm. California (Placer and Siskiyou Cos.). [Nosodendron californicum Horn,- — Tr. Am. Ent. Soc., 1874, p. 22} californicum Horn The mesosternum is nearly as in the Byrrhinae, except that the median apical notch receiving the tip of the prosternum, is much smaller and more angulate and the prosternum narrower and more attenuate posteriorly; the facets of the eyes are almost perfectly flat and denned only by a reticulation of very fine feeble lines. The general surface of the elytra under high power is seen to be closely, excessively minutely and evenly punctulate, the corresponding surface of the pronotum being finely and feebly reticulate in un- evenly wavy lines. The formation of the abdomen, and particularly the deep coarse groove-like sutures, is very remarkable and significant, because differences in the form of the abdominal sutures are valuable tax- onomic characters in separating genera in the tribe Pedilophorini of the Byrrhinae, and also since abdominal sculpture constitutes a prominent point of difference between Byrrhus and the closely allied Cytilus. Unicolor Say, is said by Dr. Sharp to belong to the sup- pressed Dendrodipnis Woll., while californicum is a true Noso- dendron. Subfamily BYRRHINAE. This subfamily is the largest of the four and also includes the greatest development of bodily size, although there are some minute forms also, such as Syncalypta spinosa Rossi. In North America we have four tribal groups, definable as follows: Mesosternum rather broad between the coxae, with a broadly rounded median emargination for the tip of the short and wide prosternal process; mandibles not concealed in repose; elytra generally sparsely and simply punctate as in Nosodendron and similarly never having a trace of striation PEDILOPHORINI Mesosternum as in the preceding tribe; mandibles generally not concealed in repose; elytra shining and very sparsely sculptured as in Pedilo- phorini, but having fine striae which are feebly impressed and pecu- liarly disposed, those toward the suture uniting posteriorly with the sutural stria; legs more feebly retractile than usual, the abdominal sutures straight; body small in size SIMPLOCARIINI BYRRHID^E 5 Mesosternum as in the two preceding tribes; mandibles concealed in repose by the prosternal lobe; elytra generally finely punctate and chagrined, the punctures generally fine and very close, the surface always striate, the striae generally shallow and fine though abrupt, not impressed, regular in position though sometimes contorted slightly BYRRHINI Mesosternum much narrower, wholly occupied by the deep transverse pit receiving the obtuse tip of the prosternal process; mandibles apparently not concealed in repose; elytra deeply sulcate; size minute EXOMINI The first three of these tribes are widely distributed throughout the subarctic regions of the world, while the fourth is represented by a single anomalous species from the coast regions of British Columbia. Tribe PEDILOPHORINI. In general form and sculpture, as well as in many structural features, this tribe plainly connects the more typical Byrrhids with the preceding very isolated Nosodendron. The several genera are definable and easily distinguishable by peculiarities of abdominal and tibial structure, as well as type of sculpture of the elytra and abdomen. The general structure is otherwise rather uniform throughout; and the antennae are moderately short, gradually broader and compressed apically through the last six joints, the first stout, the third more or less elongate, slender and cylindric. The seven genera in my collection may be defined as follows: Tibiae broad, very obtusely angulate externally or obliquely truncate externally at apex; crural depressions of the abdomen very shallow and gradual in formation, extending through the second segment, the sutures all fine, the first obsolete, the posterior feebly arcuate; frontal edge just behind the labrum sinuous, the sinus filled with pale coriaceous membrane. [Type P. anratus Duftsch.]. Palae- arctic *Pedilophorus Tibiae less broad to slender, straight or feebly and evenly arcuate in outline externally throughout; frontal edge behind the labrum transverse, straight and unmodified; crural depressions of the ab- domen never extending behind the first segment; all the sutures distinct 2 2 — Crural depressions of the abdomen very shallow and gradual in for- mation, undefined, the tarsi always free in repose 3 Crural depressions deep and abruptly formed, well defined to shelter the femora and tibiae, the tarsi free; punctures of the elytra not evenly disposed as in the genera preceding but denser or sparser at various parts of the surface 8 3 — Legs stout, the tarsi short: vestiture of the upper surface recumbent, 6 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA sometimes mingled with short feeble erect setse, which are never very conspicuous 4 Legs slender, the tarsi conspicuously long 7 4 — Abdominal sutures arcuate. 5 Abdominal sutures all perfectly straight from side to side 6 5 — First two abdominal sutures very fine, the last two strong. [Type Pedilophorus nitidus Schall.]. Palsearctic *Lamprobyrrhulus All abdominal sutures equally distinct, the abdominal sculpture always more uniform and denser. [Type Byrrhus cerieus Fabr.]. Palae- arctic and nearctic Morychus 6 — Abdominal sutures equally distinct throughout, the ventral sculpture uniform and very close-set; pubescence of the upper surface not uniform as in all the preceding genera but condensed into streaks and spots, the condensations independent of the distribution of the punctures, the latter being uniform. [Type Pedilophorus subcanus Lee.]. Nearctic Tylicus 7 — Body very small in size, the under surface throughout very sparsely punctate, the abdominal sutures equally distinct, arcuate; vestiture of the upper surface consisting of long, erect and bristling hairs. [Type Pedilophorus lariolosus Ferris]. Palsearctic. *Trichobyrrhulus 8 — Crural pits of the abdomen very deep, extending to and forming part of the hind margin of the first segment for a considerable distance at each side; first two sutures very fine, the last two coarse, nearly as in Lamprobyrrhulus; abdominal punctures very coarse and fovei- form, close-set; punctures of the upper surface irregularly aggregated into denser spots and areas, wherein the generally polished surface frequently becomes more or less chagrined. [Type L. fnrmosus n.sp.]. Nearctic Listemus Crural pits almost equally deep, their well defined transverse posterior walls parallel with the hind margin of the first segment and at some distance therefrom to the extreme sides of the abdomen, the ventral surface rather finely and loosely punctured almost throughout, the first two sutures nearly as distinct as the last two; body much larger in size than in any other genus and with radically different sculpture, the pronotum evenly and moderately punctate, the elytra with even vittae of aggregated punctures, separated by equally wide vitt?e in which the punctures are very minute and much sparser. [Type Pedilophorus lecontci Wickh.]. Nearctic Eusomalia That the lack of elytral striation is a character of tribal importance is shown by its constancy, no trace of striation ever being visible even in Pedilophorus lecontei Wickh., where the perfectly even, alternately metallic green, strongly punctured and brilliant coppery, feebly punctured vittae are unaccompanied by the faintest sug- gestion of striation.* Some species have an oblique spatuliform * The indistinct sulcation of the elytra mentioned by Wickham in describing his Pedilophorus hesperus, I cannot understand, but presume that it is rather a corrugation of the surface, perhaps accidental and in no way striiform in nature. BYRRHID/E 7 lobe extending inferiorly from the apex of the third tarsal joint, well developed in Morychus oblongus Lee.; but in the very similar and apparently perfectly congeneric subsetosus of Fall, becoming virtually obsolete. It is therefore of no great taxonomic importance, —rather a surprising condition for a structural character of that nature. The indications are, also, that it varies sexually to some extent. Pedilophorus Steff ., Lamprobyrrhulus Ganglb. and Trichobyrrhulus Ganglb., are purely European and need not engage our attention further at the present time; the first is an isolated monotypic genus, the radically distinct anatomic characters of which distinguish it from the other two on the most cursory examination. It is further- more not closely related to Morychus except in tribal features. The last two are considered subgenera of Pedilophorus in the recent European catalogue but erroneously, for, if they are subgenera, Morychus also must be so regarded and the latter is held to be distinct by the compilers of the catalogue. Morychus Erichs. The body in this genus is oblong-oval and convex, evenly and loosely punctate above, with short decumbent vestiture which is sometimes sparsely intermixed with short erect hairs and densely punctate and pubescent beneath. The three species in my cabinet may be defined as follows: Tarsi strongly lobed beneath 2 Tarsi with the lobe vestigial 3 2 — Form rather broadly, evenly oblong-oval, convex, strongly shining, with cupreo-aeneous lustre, the under surface and legs deep black, the tarsi alone pale; vestiture above rather fine, fulvous, unmixed with more erect hairs and easily removable; that beneath a little shorter, more cinereous and denser; head evenly convex, moderately closely and finely but deeply perforato-punctate, the antennae piceous-brown, slightly darker and gradually enlarged distally; prothorax but very slightly more than twice as wide as long; sides converging and very feebly medially arcuate from base to apex, the angles sharp, the posterior slightly, the anterior notably, acute; punctures like those of the head, well separated throughout; scu- tellum densely flavo-pubescent; elytra parallel, with but feebly arcuate sides, very obtusely rounded at apex, a third longer than wide, the punctures deep, perforate, not very coarse and well separated throughout; under surface very densely, rather strongly but only moderately coarsely punctate throughout. Length 5.0 8 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA mm.; width 2.8 mm. Vancouver Island and British Columbia (Goldstream). [Pedilophorns oblongus Lee., — Report Survey 1857, p. 39] oblongus Lee. Form nearly similar, the upper surface rather more convex, strongly shining, with brilliant metallic-green lustre, black beneath, the tarsi pieeous; pubescence of the upper surface notably longer, coarser, closer and more persistent than in oblongus and becoming somewhat bristling toward apex, rather coarse, close and pale yellowish- cinereous beneath; head nearly as in the preceding; prothorax less transverse, barely twice as wide as long, the sides and angles nearly similar, the base more angulate medially; punctuation nearly similar, the vestiture closer and coarser; scutellum similar; elytra fully a third longer than wide, the sides rather arcuate, the apex rather less broadly rounded than in oblongus, the width at the middle more evidently exceeding that of the prothorax, the punctures nearly similar and well separated but finer; under surface similarly very densely sculptured. Length 4.6 mm. ; width 2.65 mm. British Columbia (Vernon), — Venables insulsus n. sp. 3 — Outline and convexity as in oblongus, shining, rather obscure aeneous in lustre above, wholly black, with feeble pieeous [tinge beneath, the tarsi not paler; pubescence of the upper surface rather short, fulvous, plentiful and rather persistent, intermixed with numerous erect and bristling hairs laterally and toward tip, the erect hairs rather more cinereous or silvery; hairs of the under surface much shorter, more even and dense; head evenly convex as in the two preceding but with the punctures finer; prothorax distinctly more than twice as wide as long, the sides more strongly converging from base to apex, feebly arcuate, the punctures rather fine, distinctly separated but closer than in the two preceding; elytra as in oblongus, very obtusely rounded behind, the puncture? like those of the pro- notum but rather stronger, closer than in the two preceding; ab- domen equally densely and somewhat more finely punctured. Length 4.0 mm.; width 2.3 mm. Montana (Kalispell), — Wickham. [Pedilophorns subsetosus Fall, — Tr. Am. Ent. Soc., 1907, p. 224]. subsetosus Fall Besides the above, the four following species have been described as follows: Oval, convex, obliquely attenuate anteriorly, obtuse posteriorly, dark greenish-bronzed above, uniformly but not closely punctured and clothed with coarse white hairs; prothorax twice as wide as long, strongly narrowed in front, the sides oblique and scarcely rounded; scutellum clothed with white hair; elytra oval, wider than the pro- thorax, obtusely rounded behind; under surface pieeous, densely punctured, covered with brownish-gray pubescence; tarsi not lobed beneath. Length 4.2 mm. Nebraska. [Pedilophorns ccneolus Lee., -Sm. Misc. Coll., 167, 1863, p. 74] aeneolus Lee. Oblong, blackish, feebly shining, with faint aeneous tinge, the pubescence pale, recumbent and moderately coarse; head deeply and densely, rather coarsely punctured, the front with a distinct median fovea, BYRRHID/E 9 around which the punctures are less crowded; antennae piceous-red, gradually enlarged and blackish distally; prothorax distinctly, finely and rather closely punctured, narrowed anteriorly, the sides not arcuate but slightly sinuate, the lateral margin sharp, the angles all acute; scutellum with pale yellowish pubescence throughout; elytra continuing the outline of the prothorax, finely, distinctly and fairly closely punctured and indistinctly sulcate, the sides sub- parallel, the tips conjointly rounded; under surface rufo-piceous, thickly clothed with pale pubescence which almost conceals the sculpture, especially on the abdomen; legs piceous, the femora paler, all grooved for the reception of the tibiae; tibiae spinulose externally, the front and middle pairs with the external margin arcuate, the posterior simply broader toward tip, the anterior alone grooved for the reception of the tarsi; third tarsal joint lobed be- neath. Length 4.0 mm. Colorado (Leadville). [Pedilophorus hes- perus Wickh.— Can. Ent., 1903, p. 182] hesperus Wickh. Broadly oblong-elliptical, dark cupreo-aeneous, the pubescence very short, fine, sparse and recumbent; head coarsely, rather closely punctate throughout; prothorax with the sides nearly straight, the hind angles distinctly acute, the anterior only slightly less than right; surface more finely and sparsely punctured than the head, the punctures separated by from two to four times their own diameters at the middle, becoming closer and slightly larger at the sides, having a distinct foveiform depression within the hind angles; elytra punctured like the pronotum; under surface piceous, densely punc- tate and pubescent as usual; third tarsal joint lobed. Length 5.6 mm.; width 3.3 mm. Washington State. [Pedilophorus snbcnpreiis Fall, — Tr. Am. Ent. Soc., 1907, p. 225] subcupreus Fall Moderately broadly oblong-elliptical, blackish, with feeble green- bronze lustre, shining, clothed with recumbent black hairs, which become predominantly mingled with white and brown laterally, inclosing at the sides of the elytra a conspicuous dark spot; antennae black, the sixth joint as wide as long, the seventh distinctly trans- verse, eighth to tenth strongly transverse: head moderately closely, strongly punctate, with a smooth spot at the middle of the vertex but without frontal fovea; prothorax nearly as wide as the elytra, the sides nearly straight, the angles acute; surface deeply but not coarsely punctate, the punctures separated by a little more than their own diameters at the middle, becoming slightly larger and closer laterally; elytra with the sides parallel and very feebly arcuate in basal two-thirds, the punctuation similar to that of the pronotum; under surface rufo-piceous, densely, rather coarsely punctate, with recumbent ochreo-cinereous pubescence: tarsi not lobed. Length 4.0 mm.; width 2.4 mm. New Mexico (Las Vegas). [Pedilophorus lateral-is Fall. — 1. c., p. 225] lateralis Fall In noting the published characters of the four species last de- scribed, which are unknown to me and provisionally referred to Morychus, it becomes evident that some doubt may attach to io MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA hesperus Wickh., in this generic assignment. It is probable that the feeble sulcation of the elytra referred to is to some extent ac- cidental, as before remarked; and in fact one of my examples of oblongns exhibits a faint longitudinal costulation by oblique illu- mination, though this is unaccompanied by the feeblest trace of true striation. But in hesperus mention is made of a distinct frontal fovea, and it is said that the antennae are relatively much stouter than in lecontei; as the antennas in the latter are not materially more slender than in the prevailing type of Morychus, it may be that we have here another decisive divergence; these discrepancies, together with the aberrant coloration of the legs, render the as- signment of hesperus to Morychus somewhat doubtful. Lateralis Fall, is also doubtfully attached to Morychus and I would assign it to the genus Tylicus, which follows, in company with subcanus Lee., if it were evident that the abdominal sutures were perfectly straight and not arcuate. Subcupreus Fall, is almost undoubtedly a close congener of oblongus and subsetosus, but of ceneolus Lee., the pub- lished characters are not sufficient to warrant a decision. Tylicus n. gen. The perfectly rectilinear abdominal sutures in this genus form a striking and apparently valid taxonomic character, accompanied as it is by a number of other more or less evident differences. Thevesti- ture of the upper surface, for example, is not uniform in distribution as it is in Morychus, but is condensed into streaks and spots; but, singularly, this condensation is not accompanied by any material condensation of the punctures, for under sufficient optical power the punctures are observed to be distributed uniformly under these patches of condensed pubescence, just as they are in Morychus, showing that it is only those genera in the tribe Pedilophorini having deep and abrupt fossae for the reception of the hind legs, that the sculpture of the elytra becomes irregular. The single type of Tylicus may be known by the following short diagnosis of LeConte: Elongate-oval, convex, rounded behind, obliquely narrowed in front of the elytra, black, irregularly mottled with very short gray pubes- cence like hoar-frost and thinly clothed with short, erect, black bristles; under surface finely, densely punctured, finely pubescent; legs piceous, the tarsi paler, the fourth [third] joint with a long lobe. BYRRHID.E n Length 4.25 mm.; [width 2.4 mm.]. Escanaba (Lake Superior). [Pedilophorus subcanus Lee. — Pr. Am. Phil. Soc., 1878, p. 609]. subcanus Lee. The erect black bristles are very stiff but not squamiform as they are in the Syncalypta section of the Byrrhini ; they are short but numerous and somewhat conspicuous. The gray hairs are scattered more especially toward the sides and apex, but not con- densed into spots, the hairs forming the condensed streaks and spots alluded to above, being formed exclusively of decumbent black hairs. The abdomen is sculptured differently from any Morychus known to me; there the punctures are somewhat coarse, very dense and subconfluent; here they are notably fine and deep; but, though very close, they are well defined and isolated among themselves and very evenly distributed throughout. The second segment is longer than either the third or fourth. Listemus n. gen. In this genus the hind femora and tibiae are securely sheltered in repose within very deep fossae, extending fully to and for some distance along the hind margin of the first ventral segment, the tarsi being free. This is a radical taxonomic feature separating Listemus and Eusomalia from Morychus or any of the genera allied thereto. In addition, in Listemus the abdomen becomes very coarsely cribrate, but the sutures are arcuate as in Morychus, the last two coarse, the first two fine, which constitutes another struc- tural difference between the two genera. The tarsi are lobed be- neath throughout and strongly so as a rule. I have before me at present the three following species: Condensed areas of elytral punctuation very feebly defined and but slightly differentiated. Form elongate-oval, very convex, gradually and rather narrowly rounded behind when compared with Morychus, shining, bright aeneous in lustre, with feeble greenish tinge, deep black throughout beneath, the tarsi alone paler, piceo-testaceous; vestiture above consisting of rather long, sparse and decumbent pale fulvescent hairs, without intermixed erect hairs, on the under surface short, sparse, more cinereous but inconspicuous; head evenly convex, rather strongly, closely punctate, becoming almost im- punctate centrally; prothorax two and one-half times as wide as long, strongly narrowed from base to apex, the sides nearly straight, the apical angles produced and very acute; punctures fine, sparse and but slightly uneven in distribution, rather coarse but still widely 12 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA separated toward the sides; scutellum small, longer than wide, acute, with rounded sides, nearly nude; elytra a fourth longer than wide, near basal third but slightly wider than the prothorax, the sides continuing the sides of the latter, thence gradually narrowing, with broadly, then strongly, rounding sides to the tip; punctures not coarse but deep, sparse, larger and subserial in arrangement toward the sides, becoming finer and still sparser in a few indefinite, smoother and rather more shining areas on the upper part of the surface; under surface convex, densely and coarsely cribrate. Length 3.8 mm.; width 2.2 mm. Northern Pacific coast regions. [Morychus aciimi>iatnsMann., — Bull. Mosc., 1852, p. 341].. .acuminatus Mann. Condensed areas on the elytra abruptly defined, the smooth areas specu- liform and almost impunctate 2 2 — Form shorter and less posteriorly acuminate than in the preceding, broadly oval, very convex, black, with feeble aeneous to bright metallic green lustre, the under surface and legs deep black through- out, the tarsi not materially paler; pubescence of the upper surface short, rather coarse, recumbent, without intermixed erect hairs, very uneven in distribution, close on the punctured part, almost wanting in the smooth areas, intermingled fulvous and subcinereous in color, very short, sparse and cinereous on the under surface; head evenly convex, coarsely and densely punctured throughout; prothorax more than twice as wide as long, strongly narrowed from base to apex, with feebly subsinuate sides, very strongly declivous toward the apical angles, which are produced and acute as usual; surface finely, closely punctate medially, with the pubescence radial in arrangement, coarser and rather sparser toward the sides; scutellum very small; elytra about, a fifth longer than wide, two and three-fourths times as long as the prothorax and subequal thereto in width, the sides parallel and feebly arcuate, gradually obtusely rounding from about the middle, the apex moderately obtuse; punctures densely aggregated in large areas, leaving a few mirror- like spots and streaks, which are smooth and very minutely, re- motely punctured, the condensed areas having the surface generally somewhat chagrined; under surface coarsely but rather less densely cribrate than in acuminatus. Length 3.65 mm.; width 2.1 mm. California (Arcata, Humboldt Co.) formosus n. sp. Form and sculpture nearly as in the preceding, black, the upper surface strongly shining throughout and somewhat bronzed, the under sur- face and legs black, the tarsi piceous; vestiture above short, de- cumbent, rather sparse, mottled confusedly bright fulvous-red and cinereous, still shorter, sparser and cinereous beneath; head strongly and densely punctate, evenly convex; prothorax nearly as in the preceding in form, sculpture and pubescence; elytra nearly as in the preceding but still shorter, only very little longer than wide and more broadly and obtusely rounded behind, the punctures coarser, deep, evenly distributed and separated by not quite twice their own diameters everywhere except in a few generally rounded spots which are mirror-like and finely, very remotely punctulate, the surface throughout the coarsely punctured areas smooth and BYRRHID.E 13 shining, not at all chagrined; under surface coarsely cribrate as in fonnosiis, the tarsi notably shorter and still more slender. Length 3.25 mm.; width 1.9 mm. California (Hoopa Valley, Humboldt Co.). satelles n. sp. The last two species are mutually rather closely allied, but may be distinguished by the sculpture as well as the more obtuse elytra of satelles. In formosus the coarse elytral punctures become con- tiguous, with the surface opaculate, toward base, while in satelles, though coarse and becoming very slightly closer basally, they are always clearly isolated, with the interstices shining like the rest of the surface. The much smaller and practically nude scutellum of this genus is another element distinguishing it from Morychns and allies. In the next genus the scutellum is rather better developed, but is relatively not so large as in Morychus and differs in being nude and not densely pubescent. Eusomalia n. gen. This genus is represented thus far by a single splendid species, by far the largest of the Pedilophorini and very aberrant in sculpture and ornamentation. Structurally it differs from Listemus in having the deep fossae for the hind legs end posteriorly in a straight trans- verse line, parallel to the apex of the first ventral but at some dis- tance therefrom; the tarsi are similarly free and are lobed beneath. The type may be described as follows: Evenly and broadly oval, very convex, strongly shining, the pubescence of the upper surface fine, decumbent, excessively short and sparse and scarcely discernible, still less evident on the virtually glabrous under surface; upper surface bronzed anteriorly, the elytra with broad vittae, lost at the sides, alternately deeply but not densely, toward the sides coarsely, punctured and bright metallic green in color, and equally wide, minutely, sparsely punctured and bright coppery in lustre; under surface and legs black throughout, the tarsi scarcely paler; head strongly, not densely punctate, convex, with a feeble indentation on the median line at a little behind the line of the eyes; antennae dark piceo-testaceous, of the usual form in the tribe though only moderately thickened distally; prothorax more than twice as wide as long, narrowed from base to apex, with nearly straight sides and acute angles, the apical produced; surface evenly, rather finely and sparsely punctate, more coarsely and slightly more closely toward the sides, where there is a broad gutter-like impres- sion along the side margins, becoming obsolete basally; scutellum a little longer than wide., acute, flat, nearly nude; elytra a fourth longer than wide, oval, obtuse and very strongly declivous behind, 14 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA the apex feebly lobed from a vertical viewpoint; sterna coarsely but not densely cribrate, the abdomen much more finely, rather sparsely punctate, more coarsely at the middle of the first segment and with a very dense patch at each side of the second segment. Length 7.7 mm.; width 4.9 mm. Idaho (Cceur d'Alene), — Wickham. [Pedilophorus lecontei Wickh., — Can. Ent., 1903, p. 180]. lecontei Wickh. Prof. Wickham very kindly consented to part with one of the only two known examples of this species, and it now rests in my collection as one of its most valued specimens. Tribe SIMPLOCARIINI. Comparatively few species, widely distributed over the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere, are sufficiently isolated in structure to require a separate group or tribe under the above name. They differ widely from the Byrrhini in their shining and sparsely sculptured integuments, less closely retractile legs and peculiar system of elytral striation; from the preceding tribe they differ in possessing true elytral striae. There are two genera as follows: Posterior femora in repose resting under and against the hind coxae throughout, the coxae extending to the sides of the body, the epi- pleura narrow anteriorly, gradually disappearing at the usual point opposite the hind coxae; antenna? gradually enlarged and compressed distally through about the last five joints as in the preceding tribe. [Type 5. metallica Sturm]. Palaearctic and nearctic. . . Simplocaria Posterior femora in repose resting against both the hind coxae and the obliquely truncated posterior end of the anterior part of the epi- pleura, the latter much wider than in Simplocaria, the hind coxae not attaining the sides of the body; antennae with an abrupt 3-jointed club. [Type S. carpathica Hampe]. Palaearctic *Trinaria Trinaria Muls., is represented at present by the type species only; there are some forms of true Simplocaria, such as acuminata Erichs., that imitate it very closely in outward form and especially in the nearly glabrous integuments and sharply acuminate tip of the elytra, but the epipleura and hind coxae, as well apparently as the antenna?, do not depart from the normal type of Simplocaria, where the scutellum throughout is better developed than in Tri- naria; the latter should therefore be considered a distinct genus and not a subgenus of Simplocaria, where it now rests in the latest European catalogue. BYRRHID.E 15 Simplocaria Markh. Either our species have not been well collected, or the genus Simplocaria is much less developed in America than it is in Europe; I am inclined to the latter assumption. My collection, however, seems to include three species, which may be separated as follows: Hind tarsi less elongate, much shorter than the tibiae, very slender, com- pletely non-lobate. Form elongate-elliptic, convex, notably pointed behind, piceous-black, the upper surface with shining bronzy lustre, the under surface black, the abdomen rufo-piceous, the legs pale brownish-testaceous throughout; pubescence above rather sparse, longer and uniform on the pronotum, variegated with silvery patches on the elytra, short, decumbent, uniform and moderately close beneath; head evenly convex, minutely, sparsely punctulate; an- tennae rather slender, almost black throughout; prothorax slightly more than twice as wide as long, the sides strongly converging and feebly arcuate from base to apex, the apical angles only moderately advancing but very acute; surface very finely punctate, more closely toward the middle, rather more sparsely and not at all more coarsely toward the sides; scutellum equilatero-triangular, having radiating hairs which are not very dense; elytra evenly oval, one-half longer than wide, the sides arcuate, continuing the curvature of the thoracic sides, gradually rounding to the conjointly pointed apex, the striae fine but distinct, somewhat impressed, evanescent apically, the sutural deeper posteriorly, the second and third joining the sutural at pos- terior third and fifth; punctures almost invisible, sparse; abdomen rather finely and not deeply, subconfluently punctate, the sutures all distinct and straight, the second segment longer than the third or fourth. Length 3.0 mm.; width 1.65 mm. British Columbia (Caraboo District) columbica n. sp. Hind tarsi much longer, equaling the hind tibiae in length or very nearly . 2 2 — Form nearly as in columbica but not quite so pointed behind, black and shining, the upper surface with faint bronzy lustre, the under surface picescent, the abdomen slightly, the legs much, paler; pu- bescence nearly as in the preceding but rather more abundant, that of the pronotum shorter, fine and less distinct; head nearly similar; prothorax notably more developed and not so short, barely twice as wide as long, in form and sculpture nearly as in the preceding; elytra evidently less than one-half longer than wide, evenly and broadly rounded at the sides, continuing those of the prothorax, the apices conjointly moderately acute; punctuation sparse and very minute; striae stronger and more impressed than in columbica and continuing to the tips, the sutural rather deeply impressed through- out, the lateral also distinct in about median third of the length, the second and third joining the sutural near the tip; under surface nearly as in the preceding, the punctuation shallow and still finer, very dense on the abdomen. Length 2.8-3.2 mm.; width 1.45-1.68 mm. [Byrrhus tesselatus Lee., — Agassiz, Lake Superior, 1850. p. 224,] tessellata Lee. 1 6 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA Form rather more elongate, black, shining, with only the faintest bronzy lustre, the under surface piceous, the legs paler, rufous; pubescence scantier than in either of the preceding, the elytra only very faintly variegated with irregular patches of very short silvery hairs; head and prothorax nearly as in the preceding, except that the small punctures of the pronotum are still more minute and less close-set medially, becoming still sparser and almost invisible laterally; scutellum much less pubescent; elytra rather more elongate and still more rapidly and obtusely ogival at apex, somewhat less arcuate at the sides and a little more rapidly rounding posteriorly, the stria- tion as in tessellata, the punctures everywhere sparse and extremely minute; abdomen closely but finely and unusually feebly punctato- rugulose. Length 2.8-3.0 mm.; width 1.5 mm. Colorado. subnuda n. sp. It is assumed that the species named tessellata in the table, not rare in the elevated parts of New Hampshire, is the same as that referred to in two brief lines by LeConte as inhabiting the southern shore of Lake Superior; I found one example at the extreme summit of Mt. Washington and it is probably widely diffused in the colder regions of the continent. It is however not the same as the Euro- pean metattica, being more elongate in form and much less broadly obtuse posteriorly. All of the above species are more elongate than any of the four European species in my collection; excepting acuminata Er., and that is much smaller and of radically different sculpture and vestiture. Tribe BYRRHINI. The chief outward character of this tribe is the stout oval and convex body, with finely, very densely punctured, densely pubescent integuments and deeply retractile legs. The elytral striae are more or less fine, having the nature of abruptly formed shallow grooves —not impressed lines as in the preceding tribe — and are almost regular, the three or four beyond the sutural not entire but never joining the sutural stria; occasionally the striae are represented merely by series of detached punctures. The antennae are short, very gradually stouter distally and with the third joint elongate, not differing materially from the usual form in the preceding tribes, and the abdominal sutures are all distinctly arcuate. The six genera known to me may be defined as follows : Fossae for the hind legs deep though rather gradually formed, without prominent margins; upper surface never having erect setae; size moderate to rather large 2 BYRRHID/E 17 Fossae still deeper and much more abruptly formed, defined by an ele- vated bead-like margin; upper surface always bristling with short erect clavate or squamiform setae; size small to minute 3 2 — Tibiae more slender, nearly straight, obliquely truncate externally at apex; abdominal segments finely, densely chagrined and opaque laterally and along their apices; vertex unmodified. [Type B. sericeus Forster]. Subarctic of the northern hemisphere. .. Cytilus Tibiae broader, more flattened, always evenly rounded externally through- out their length; abdominal segments never finely chagrined at any part of the surface; vertex generally with a short transverse line at the middle, immediately behind which there are two small pale ocellae-like spots. [Type B. fasciatus Forster]. Subarctic of the northern hemisphere Byrrhus 3 — F.lytral striae extremely fine and scratch-like; epipleura anteriorly very narrow and ill-defined. [Type B. nniriniis Fabr.]. Palaearctic and nearctic Porcinolus Flytral striae less fine and always punctate; sometimes consisting simply of series of detached punctures 4 4 — Epipleura anteriorly very narrow and not well defined; sculpture dense, at least beneath 5 Epipleura anteriorly broad and well defined along the metasternum; sculpture sparse throughout; size more minute 6 5 — Antennae very gradually enlarged distally; sculpture of the elytra somewhat as in Cytilus, the intervals alternating somewhat in ele- vation; scutellum well developed. [Type assumed C. crichsoni Reitt.]. Palaearctic *Curimus Antennae with a 3-jointed club, which is not abruptly formed but rather gradual; elytral striae generally less groove-like and tending to be represented by series of shallow irregular punctures, the intervals all flat and equal; scutellum minute; clavate seta? more linear in arrangement; body of much smaller size. [Type B. striatopiinctata Steff.]. Palaearctic and nearctic Curimopsis 6 — Elytral striae replaced by unimpressed series of shallow detached punctures; integuments virtually glabrous; scutellum very small; clavate setae forming even single series. [Type 5. spinosa Rossi]. Palaearctic *Syncalypta We have no exclusively American genus in this tribe so far as discovered, but Curimus Er., and Syncalypta Steph., as well as the subgenus Seminolus Muls., differing from Byrrhus in the broader body and longer antennae, seem to be confined to the European fauna, the species which we have assigned to Syncalypta forming part of the closely allied Curimopsis Gangl. My single example of the very small Syncalypta spinosa is closely retracted, so that I cannot describe the antennae. T. L. Casey, Mem. Col. Ill, Feb. 1912. i8 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA Cytilus Erichs. There are probably a number of true species in this genus, but they are so very closely allied among themselves that it is hardly worth while to define some of them as having more than subspecific value. Our forms, as a group, are more elongate or more oblong than the European and the almost hemispherical sericeus Forst., does not occur here so far as detectible among my rather extended material. Our species may be briefly described as follows: Oblong-oval, very convex, black, with feeble blackish-bronze lustre which is more pronounced on the alternately more shining strial intervals, the bronze becoming frequently bright green; under sur- face black, the legs throughout piceous-black; pubescence above short, close and irregular, very short, cinereous and somewhat even on the pronotum but fulvous and streaming radially in a median basal area; scutellum densely aurato-pubescent, the hairs directed transversely from the median line; elytra with the intervals not more than very faintly alternating in convexity, all virtually flat, alternately dull, densely, finely and evenly sculptured with even prostrate blackish and partly cinereous hairs, and a little broader, more lustrous, less densely sculptured and with the pubescence black and in separated irregular areas, producing a tessellated effect; under surface finely, very closely punctured throughout and with very minute inconspicuous pubescence; head strongly, densely punctate and with very short inconspicuous pubescence; prothorax twice as wide as long, very strongly narrowed from base to apex, with scarcely at al! arcuate sides, very declivous and distinctly compressed laterally toward apex, the anterior angles advanced and very acute, the punctures fine, close and even throughout, parted by a fine smooth median line; elytra about a fifth longer than wide, very obtusely rounded at apex. Length 5.2-54 mm.; width 3.25-3.4 mm. New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Canada and Lake Superior. [Byrrhus alte.rnatus Say, — J. Ac. Phil. 5, 1825, p. 186: B. trivittatus Melsh.,— Pr. Ac. Phil., II, 1844, p. 117] alternatus Say A — Similar throughout to alternatus, except that the body is slightly smaller and still less broadly oval, with the strial intervals more evidently convex, especially on the flanks, where the punctures of the striae are very much more evident. Length 4.5-5.0 mm.; width 2.8-3.1 mm. California (Truckee and Lake Tahoe). mimicus n. subsp. B — Similar to alternatus but larger and still more elongate, the elytral flanks perfectly similar and not modified as in mimicus; entire elytra frequently vivid green. Length 5.2-6.0 mm.; width 3.0-3.3 mm. Washington State and British Columbia to Colorado; those from the last-named region more sober in coloration. longulus n. subsp. Oblong-oval, shorter than alternatus, rather dull in lustre, black, without metallic glint; somites similarly formed, the vestiture of the upper BYRRHID.E 19 surface short, sparser and less variegated; pronotum with the punc- tures not quite so small and more separated; scutellum wider than long, triangular, with rounded sides, finely, densely punctate but denuded in the type; elytra similar but shorter, scarcely visibly longer than wide, very minutely, closely punctate, the narrower intervals Hat and more opaque, the wider very feebly convex, the striae laterally not. finely and visibly punctate as in altern