COLEOPTKRA. 117 strong ; surface j)olislie(l, inii)unctate ; first segment without dorsal earinae. Legs slender, translucent ; tarsi short, basal half abruptly much more robust than the apical joint ; claw minute. Length O.C-O.S mm. New Orleans, 1 ; Taoi pa, Florida, 2 ; Columbus, Texas, 4; Detroit, Michigan, 5.
The parallel sides of the protliorax and very small size will serve to identify this species. The lateral impressions of the pronotum are joined to the middle ones by what appear to be very narrow sharply defined carinae, but these may be grooves, the optical appearance of both being nearly the same.
To this form I have united E. integer Lee. (Proc. Am, Phil. Soc. XVII, p. 386) which was described from a unique, and which is precisely similar to the southern forms; the specimen is in much better preservation than the unique type of rujiceps, and the pubescence is much more abundant ; it appears to be easily rubbed from the surface of the elytra.
THESIIJIM n. gen.
The principal characters of this genus have been given in the table ; the subsidiary and more minute ones can be readily discovered from the descriptions of the two species given below, and which may be distinguished as follows : — Color reddish-brown ; median canalicular puncture of pronotum much elongated 1, cavifrons.
Color piceous-black, elytra reddish ; median puncture of proimtum very small, near the apex, and very sliglitly elongated 2. laticolle* 1. T. cavifrons (Lee.)— £•«. cm: Lee. N. Sp. Col. L 1863, p. 28.— Form robust. Pubescence rather long, evenly distributed, coarse, very pale and somewhat conspicuous ; color throughout dark reddish-brown, antennae and legs but very slightly paler. Head rather small, broader than long ; eyes large, coarsely granulated, moderately prominent, more convex behind ; genae very small, nearly transverse, scarcely more than one-half as long as the eyes and continuous in curvature with them ; frontal margin not onehalf as long as the width across the eyes ; interocular surface rather strongly and abruptly elevated above the eyes, feebly convex above, highly polished and impunctate, having at two-fifths the length from the base two very small circular feebly impressed spongy-pubescent foveae, connected by a parabolic channel shorter than the distance between them, and, in their vicinity, very feeble but becoming just behind the frontal ridge very deeply impressed; intermediate surface feebly and nearly evenly convex ; supra-antennal tuberculations strong, angulate externally, connected by the short transverse and prominent frontal ridge ; labrum prominent, four times as wide as long, nearly transversely truncate anteriorly, sides parallel and very strongly
118 NOKTH AMKRICAX arcuate, constricted at the immediate base ; antennae robust, tenth joint more than twice as long and nearly twice as wide as the ninth which is short and twice as wide as long, eleventh slightly wider than the tenth, slightly longer than wide, conoidal and acuminate ; last joint of the maxillary palpi longer than the remaining joints together, robust, conoidal, twice as long as wide, acuminate at tip. Prothorax widest slightly before the middle where it is slightly wider than the head and nearly one-third wider than long, and where the sides are parallel and feebly arcuate for nearly one-half the length, thence abruptly and strongly convergent posteriorly and feebly sifiuate ; edge finely denticulate throughout ; apex slightly more than one-half as long as the pronotal width and four-fifths as long as tlie base ; disk broadly convex, polished, and finely and sparsely jjunctulo-asperate, having near the apex a deep median canaliculate puncture which becomes attenuated posteriorlyterminating at the middle of the disk, also at one-third the length from the base a very deeply impressed narrow transverse groove, terminating at the sides in rather small deeply impressed spongy-pubescent foveae, and dilated into a strong posteriorly attenuated impression in the middle ; base with a minute impression at each side midway between the middle and the basal angles, and also a small round puncture at each basal angle. Elytra at base scarcely wider than the pronotum ; sides rather strongly divergent posteriorly, strongly arcuate ; disk slightly shorter than wide, broadly convex, polished, scarcely punctulate ; sutural striae fine, strong and very close, lateral well-marked, ni^arly one-half as long as the elytra. Abdomen short and broad, nearly as wide as the elytra; sides parallel and nearly straight ; border narrow, inclined; surface broadly convex, polished, extremely finely and remotely punctulate ; first three dorsal segments equal ; basal segments not carinate at base. Legs short and slender. Length 0.8 mm. New Orleans (Motscliulsky), 1.
Described tVoin Dr. LeConte's unique type. In the two species of this genus the median carinae of" the prosternum and niesosternum are both very narrow and well marked.
It is to be regretted tiiat Dr, LeC'onte's deseri[)tion of this. species is so short and full of error as to be quite useless for any otlier purpose than the mere attachment of a name. In the three lines constituting the description proper, there are no characters given by which it can be distinguished from most of the other species in this [)art of the genus. In the few subjoined remarks the author states that it is nearly related to Ea. dijflicUls: this must surely be a slip of the pen as there are scarcely any otiier two species of the group in ([uestion so widely different, eitiier in appearance or structural characters.
2. T. laticolle n. sp. — Form robust. Pubescence rather short, coarse, evenly distributed, very pale, scarcely conspicuous ; color of body piceousblack ; elytra reddish-brown, transverse apical baud blackish, legs and
COLEOPTEHA. 119 antennae much paler, testaceous ; integuments highly polished and impunctate. Head small, much wider than long; apical margin one-half as long as the width across the eyes, the latter large, rather prominent and more convex behind ; genae very short, strongly convergent posteriorly and slightly more arcuate than the adjoining contour of the eye; interocular surface elevated moderately above the eyes, nearly flat above, having at nearly two-fifths the length from the base two small feebly impressed spongy-pubescent foveae, connected by a parabolic channel which is very strongly dilated and impressed anteriorly, and much shorter than the distance between them ; intermediate surface very broadly feebly and evenly convex ; supra-antennal tuberculations strong, obtusely angulate exteriorly, connected by the feebly arcuate transverse frontal ridge which is distinctly depressed in the middle ; antennae nearly as long as the head and i>rothorax together, rather slender, club long and strong, ninth joint nearly twice as wide as long, short and small, but slightly longer than the preceding joints, tenth much more than twice as long as the ninth and three-fourtliswidi-r, trapezoidal in outline, sides divergent, eleventh scarcely wider than the tenth, as long as wide, very obtuse at tip where it bears a crown of vary dense cinereous setae. Prothorax more than one-third wider than long and much wider than the head ; sides from the apical angles extremely widely divergent and feebly sinuate for a short distance, thence nearly parallel and feebly arcuate to a point slightly behind the middle, thence abruptly very strongly convergent to the basal angles and i-ather strongly sinuate ; edge anteriorly entire, posteriorly minutely and strongly undulate ; apex much less than one-half as long as the pronotal width and scarcely two-thirds as long as the base ; disk very broadly convex, having at one-sixth the length from the apex a small deeply impi'essed median puncture which is slightly elongated, and, at one-third the length from the base, a deep broadly dilated l)osteriorly-angulate naked puncture, connected with the lateral foveae by very narrow distinct but feebly impressed grooves ; the lateral foveae are well within the edge of the pronotum, and are very small, exactly cii'cular, spongy-i^ubescent at bottom and very deeply impressed ; basal margin having two lateral punctures and a very feeble median tuberculate elevation. Elytra at base equal in width to the pronotum ; sides rather strongly divergent l>osteriorly and strongly arcuate ; disk broadly convex, slightly shorter than wide ; sutural striae fine, strong, very close and exactly straight, each elytron also has at base three short impressed striae which proceed obliquely from the basal foveae. Abdomen very short and broad ; third segment as wide as the elytra ; sides nearly parallel ; border wide and nearly flat ; surface broadly convex ; basal segments not carinate. Legs short and very slender. Under surface of the abdomen paler at tip. Length 1.0 mm. Columbus, Texas, 4.
This very fine species is readily distinguished from the preceding by its more transverse pronotum, which is also more acutely rounded at the sides, and by its nearly black color, with paler elytra.
120 NORTH AMKKICAN FALISCVS n. gen.
The uni<iue species of Faliscus was taken in very moderate number by Mr. E. A. Schwarz at Trenton Falls, New York, The description of this form which follows, will at the same time serve to convey a more minute knowledge of its generic characters.
1. F. 1>icanalis n. .sp. — Form robust. Pubescence rather fine, short, evenly distributed, dense, very pale and somewhat conspicuous ; color of body throughout rather dark piceous-brovvn, antennae and legs much paler, piceo-Havate. Head rather small, much wider than long ; eyes large, prominent,coarsely granulated, evenly convex ; genae extremely strongly convergent,very feebly arcuate, scarcely more than one-half as long as the eye, not at all prominent ; interocnlar surface moderately elevated above the eyes, nearly flat above, highly polished and impunctate, having at a little more than one-third the length from the base two small rather deeply impressed circular foveae, mutually nearly twice as distant as either from the eye, and apparently naked, also just behind the anterior angles of the front two obli(jue narrow feebly impressed and clearly defined gi'ooves, which. are very short and almost transverse, not meeting on the median line, but joined posteriorly to the foveae by excessively feeble broadly impressed parallel channels ; intermediate surface broader than long, nearly flat ; supraantennal tuberculations rather flat, each crossed by a narrow clearly defined canaliculation, joined by the strongly arcuate very broadly convex frontal ridge ; labrum small, scarcely twice as wide as long, broadly and extremely feebly arcuate anteriorly, rounded at the sides and feebly constricted at base; antennae slender, nearly two-thirds longer than the head, club very long and slender, second joint longer than wide, slightly robust, third narrower,longer than wide, four to six globular, seventh thicker than the sixth, nearly globular, eighth nearly as thick as the seventh, one-third wider than long, ninth one-half longer than the eighth, scarcely one-third wider than long, transversely and very slightly cuueate, tenth scarcely as long as the ninth, one-half w'ider than long, nearly rectangular in outline, eleventh very slightly wider than the tenth, distinctly longer than wide, oval, slightly acuminate at tip ; last joint of maxillary palpi rather long and slender ; under surface of head having a large pad of erect sensitive setae. Prothorax widest just before the middle where it is about one-sixth wider than long and distinctly wider than the head ; sides broadly evenly and strongly arcuate, straight toward the basal angles, very feebly sinuate for a very short distance near the apex ; apex much less than one-half as long as the pronotal width and two-thirds as long as the base ; lateral edges even ; disk broadly convex, shining, very finely and rather sparsely punctulo-asperate, having at one-sixth the length from the posterior margin a small deep longitudinallyovalpunctiformimpression,notspong\'-pubescentandproduced forward through the basal half of the pronotum as a feebly impressed canaliculation,whichgraduallybecomesobsolete;lateralfoveaewanting,butin their i)lace two longitudinal broadly impressed nearly straight canalicular I'liaunels, crossing the edge near the basal and apical angles, not connected
COLEOPTERA. Til in any manner with the median puncture. Elytra at base very slightly wider than the pronotum ; sides rather strongly divergent posteriorly and strongly arcuate ; disk broadly convex, minutely and rather closely punctulo-asperate, shining, about as long as wide ; sutural striae fine, rather close, feebly arcuate, lateral deeply and narrowly impressed, one-third as long as the elytra. Abdomen very slightly shorter and narrower than the elytra ; sides parallel and straight ; border narrow and inclined ; surface broadly and rather strongly convex, polished, finely and rather sparsely punctulo-asperate ; first three dorsal segments equal ; first with two distant very widely divergent short and distinct basal carinae ; second without visible carinae. Legs long ; femora rather robust ; tibiae slender. Prosternum very short. Length 1.1 mm.
Trenton Falls, New York, 3.
Described from the male. In the female the eyes are fully developed and the legs are all slender throughout. In the male the middle femora are swollen much more than the anterior and posterior ; they are flattened and somewhat lunate, having on the inner narrow edge a very small oblique spine. The corresponding tibiae are very strongly tootlied interioi-ly, the tooth fitting, wlien the leg is closed, into a concavity in tlie femur. The remaining femora and tibiae are unarmed. The tendency to enlargement of the middle femur alone, is also to be seen in a rudimentary stage in several males of P^uplectus. IVICOTHEIJS n. gen.
The eyes in the males of this genus are rather well developed, but in the females they are very rudimentary ; the genus offers many differences besides those indicated in the table, which are given in tlie following description of the single species.
1. W. ti1>ialis n. sp. — Form moderately robust, somewhat depressed. Pubescence rather short, coarse, dense and conspicuous, pale fulvo-cinereous ; color throughout pale rufo-testaceous, legs just visibly paler. Head moderate in size, nearly as long as wide; eyes small, very convex and extremelycoarsely granulate ; genae strongly convergent, feebly arcuate, slightly longer than the eye ; interocular surface moderately elevated above the eyes, very feebly convex above, shining, impunctate, having at nearly two-fifths the length from the base two round somewhat feebly impressed spongy-pubescent foveae, mutually two-thirds more distant than either from the eye, connected by an anterior feebly impressed acutely parabolic channel about as long as their distance asunder ; intermediate surface rather strongly convex ; supra-antennal tubercnlations large, angulate externally, having just behind their apical limits a small flat area which i^ strongly and confluently punctate, connected by the transverse frontal ridge which almost disappears in the middle, and which is much less than one-half as long as the width across the eyes ; labrum very transverse, truncate anteriorly ;
122 NORTH AMERICAN antennae as long as the head and prothorax together, rather robust, club very prominent, second joint slightly longer than wide, oval, joints three to ten more or less transverse, the first nearly as long as wide, eighth very short, twice as wide as long, ninth much longer, slightly more than twice as wide as long, slightly shorter than the tenth which is also more than twice as wide as long, eleventh much wider than the tenth, nearly globnlar, finely and abruptly acuminate at tip ; maxillary palpi short and very robust, last joint obli(|Ucly and inwardly produced at tip as a finely acuminate prolongation. Prothorax widest at one-tiiird its length from the apex where it is scarcely wider than the head and ahont as wide as long ; sides broadly rounded, very feebly convergent and straight posteriorly wiiere they are very minutely and obscurely granulate, roundly arcuate anteriorly; apex transverseand straight, slightly more than one-half as long as the pronotal width, and slightly more thaii two- thirds as long as the base; disk polisiied and impunctale, rather strongly convex, having in the middle a narrov,- acutely impressed canaliculation beginning very near the apex and extending posteriorly for more than one-half the total length but scarcely entering the transverse impression, the latter at less than one-fourth the length from the base, is very broadly and strongly impressed, with the surface thence to the basal edge rough and asperate with a narrow but distinct medial carina, and becoming attenuated laterally where it coalesces with the lateral rounded ileeply impressed circular spongy-pubescent foveae at more than one-third the length from the base. Elytra at base scarcely wider than the pronotum ; sides rather strongly divergent posteriorly and strongly arcuate ; surface feebly convex ; disk shining, sparsely punctulo-asperate, scarcely as long as wide, and about one-fourth longer than the jtronotum ; sutural striae very fine but distinct, rather distant and arcuate ; each elytron has two large basal foveae; lateral striae very broadly impressed, feeble and rather short. Abdomen short and broad, nearly as wide as the elytra and rather shorter ; sides parallel and feebly arcuate ; border rather narrow and inclined ; surface broadly and rather feebly convex, shining, very minutely punctuloasperate ; first three dorsal segments equal in lengtli ; first two each with two divergent distinct basal carinae, those of the second much shorter than those of the first. Legs long and slender ; tibiae gradually swollen toward tips. Prosternum very long, carinate throughout its extent. Length 1.3 mm. District of Columbia, 3; Lee County, Vii-ginia, 1.
The (lescription is taken from the male ; the female is quite different in form, the abdomen being much longer and the carinae of the second segment becoming almost obsolete ; the basal foveae of the elytra are strong(;r ; the prothorax is slightly longer than wide and the sides are feebly sinuate toward the base ; the head is much smaller than in the male. Tlie most marked ilitference is, however, in the eyes which are in the female very rudimentary, consisting of but three rather large contiguous facets in a triangle on the extreme tips of the lateral angulations of the head. The sexual characters at the posterior portions of the body are, as might be expected, not striking.
COLEOPTERA. 123 Ei>IPLE>'OTA Casey.
It lias been declared by M. Fauvel tluit the genera Polystoma Steph. and Em|)lenota are identical. Throiigli the kindness of M. Aug. Salle, I have been enabled to submit the following comparisons, the type of Polystonia being the species algarum Fauv.: — In Polystoma the intercoxal process of the mesosternum is rather wide and the sides for a long distance before the tip are very gradually convergent, so that they are nearly parallel ; the tip is squarely truncate. The terminal joint of the maxillary palpi is very thin, much longer than wide, and is affixed obliquely to the fourth. The pronotal epipleurae are very strongly inllexed and abruptly wider in the middle, rather rapidly narrowing anteriorly and posteriorly, the inferior edge being very strongly arcuate in the middle.
In Emplenota the intercoxal process of the mesosternum is in the form of an angle with slightly incurvate sides, or exactly in the form of a long slender cusp, the sides being rapidly and almost evenly convergent to the very apex which is acute and not at all truncate. The terminal joint of tlie maxillary palpi is very small, as wide as long, not affixed obliquely to the fourth of which it is properly but a minute terminal process. The pronotal epijjleurae are less strongly intlexed and much more nearly uniform in width throughout. If the American species of Aleochara are typical representatives of that genus, both the above should, in the opinion of the writer, be considered as distinct genera.
QUEDIUS Steph.
Q. silvicola n. sp. — Form rather robust, somewhat depressed. Head and elytra piceous-black, prothorax very dark piceous, abdomen very slightly paler, piceous ; integuments of the latter somewhat opalescent. Head moderate, oval, feebly constricted at base, nearly one-third longer than wide ; interocular surface broadly convex, without median punctures, liighly polished, extremely minutely and transversely strigose, strigae wavy ; having a small setigerous puncture on the extreme frontal edge near the anterior angles of the epistoma, within and near the bases of the antennae, also on each side a small puncture above and near the base of the antenna, another near the upper border of the eye at its anterior third, also three others not in a straight line on the occiput above and far behind the eye, another directly behind the middle of the eye and two-thirds the length of the latter from it, and finally two large and several very small scattered punctures directly below the eye and along the border of the strongly elevated sublateral carina ; labrum strongly transverse, very deeply and strongly bilobed ; maxillary palpi very long and slender, last joint thin, nearly one-third longer than the third ; antennae rufous at base fuscous toward tip, slightly more than one-third longer than the head, basal joint as long as tlie next two together, second about two-thirds as long as the third and as long as the
124 NORTH AMERICAN fourth, joints four to ten very slightly increasing in width, the former slightly longt-r than wide, the latter about as wide as long, eleventh moderate, slightly elongate, and obliquely acuminate at tip. Prothorax scarcely wider than long, but very slightly longer than the head ; apex transverse and nearly straight ; base from the middle of the sides almost semicircularly rounded, sides rather feebly convergent thence to the apical angles which are slightly obtuse and slightly rounded ; disk moderately convex, higlily polished, excessivelyfinelystrigose,havingoneachsidethreesmalldiscalpuncturesin the apical half and not in a straight line, also three near the ajiical margin laterally, and one isolated about twice as far from the apex as from the lateral edge and rather near the latter, also about seven minute lateral marginal punctures, one slightly larger and more distant from the edge near the isolated one, and three basal, two of which last form a lateral pair ; the entire disk is extremely finely margined along the sides and base. Scutellum highly polished, not punctate. Elytra slightly narrower than the pronotum : sides parallel, and almost straight ; conjointly from the base of the pronotum very slightly wider than long ; disk feebly convex, broadly, somewhat angularly and rather strongly emarginate behind, shorter than the pronotum, highly polished but minutely undulated, finely sparsely and very evenly punctate, each puncture bearing a rather long coarse pale seta. Abdomen at base about as wide as th{; elytra; sides rather convergent behind and nearly straight ; surface moderately convex, sparsely and coarsely pubescent, sparsely evenly and finely punctate, excessively finely but strongly and transversely strigose ; under surface almost identically the same as the upper. Legs moderate, clear rufo-testaceous ; posterior tibiae rather coarsely and sparsely pubescent, and on all sides finely and very sparsely spinulose ; tarsi hairy above ; first four joints of the posterior decreasing very uniformly and rather gradually in length, slender ; anterior tarsi rather strongly dilated. Length S.O mm.
Fail-mount Park, Philadelphia, 1.
Tlie type above described is probably a female ; the sixth segment of tiie abdomen is broadly truncate and arcuate behind. The strigae of the abdomen are finer but more strongly marked than those of the anterior portions of the body, and form a beautiful and striking character. I do not Hiid any description wliicli will satisfy the type, and sliould place it immediately alter peregrinns in Dr. Horn's tabular arrangement of (he genus. The eyes are slightly oblique, large and very regularly elliptical ; the punctures of the abdomen and elytra are about equally sparse, those of the latter being much finer. The strigae are entirely invisible with a iiand lens of about oneludf incli focal lengtli. Tlie species altiiougii having an elongate hiad is distinguishable at once from peregrinns by its more robust form, and much larger eyes wliich are regularly oval anteriorly and not truncate as in the latter.