HISTERID.E 239 



Epierus obesulus n. sp. Very broadly oval, strongly convex, more 

 attenuate anteriorly than posteriorly, polished, deep black, the legs 

 piceous; head minutely and closely punctate, declivous anteriorly, broadly 

 feebly concave on the upper part; prothorax not quite twice as wide 

 at base as the median length, the sides very strongly converging from the 

 base and broadly, subevenly and distinctly arcuate, barely at all more so 

 apically, the apical angles very acute, the sinus narrow, deep and circular; 

 lateral stria a coarse groove, not quite attaining the base and slightly 

 abbreviated at apex, the usual marginal very fine and entire; surface 

 with fine and uniform, well separated, distinct punctures throughout; 

 elytra not quite as long as wide, much narrowed at apex, with strongly 

 arcuate sides, very convex longitudinally; four outer of the regular 

 striae coarse, smooth the first slightly punctate and groove-like, the 

 fifth fine, united arcuately at base to the sutural, which is fine, becoming 

 obsolescent basally; outside the first stria there is a fine entire humeral 

 stria; the lateral stria, above the inflexed sides, strong, the flanks loosely 

 punctate; pygidium finely, closely punctulate, having a deep fovea at 

 each anterior angle; prosternal striae rather fine, arcuate, widely di- 

 verging anteriorly, ending at the base of the finely beaded anterior lobe, 

 flaring slightly, becoming a broader bead toward base, which they attain, 

 least widely separated well behind the middle; sides of the sterna deeply, 

 moderately closely punctate; anterior tibiae normal. Length 2.4 mm.; 

 width 1.8 mm. Kansas (Leavenworth). 



Distinguishable at once by its broadly oval and very convex 

 form, double lateral thoracic strise and basally united fifth and 

 sutural striae. In this latter feature it resembles wickhami, de- 

 scribed by Mr. Lewis Jrom an Indiana specimen, but cannot be 

 identical, as the author states of wickhami that the lateral thoracic 

 stria is not interrupted at the anterior angle and that the "pro- 

 sternal striae meet at the base, inclosing a truncate space at the 

 posterior end of the keel"; there is no such structure in either 

 obesuhis or the next species here described, the prosternal striae 

 extending to the truncate base, but there abruptly ending, the 

 basal margin wholly unmargined and without beading of any kind. 

 The length given for wickhami is 2.75 mm. 



Epierus duplicatus n. sp. Closely allied to obesulus but differing in 

 its slightly less broadly oval and more oblong-oval form, less extreme 

 convexity of the upper surface and less deep black coloration, the pro- 

 thorax being obscurely rufescent; the head is similarly feebly and 

 broadly concave and the prothorax has likewise two lateral lines, the 

 inner a coarse groove not attaining the apex but subentire basally, the 

 outer the usual very fine marginal line continuous at apex with the apical 

 marginal line, the apical angles very acute, the general outline similar, 

 but the uniform punctulation is slightly finer and still sparser; elytra 

 as long as wide, less strongly rounded at the sides and less conspicuously 



