CERAMBYCHXE 375 



anything answering very well to the description in the material at 

 hand among a number of west coast forms. Both are valid species, 

 however, and apparently not closely related to femoratus. The 

 coloration of the antennal scape is one of the most variable features 

 of the western species, and in the large and strikingly distinct 

 velutinus, for example, it is virtually wholly black in one female 

 but bright red with black apex in the other two females and single 

 male. Similar inconsistencies are noticeable elsewhere. The pos- 

 terior of the four elytral spots is the most persistent and is never 

 obsolete. So far as known to me the species are as follows: 



Elytra with a large common black chevron just before the middle, some- 

 times united along the suture with a still larger apical chevron, the 

 anterior angles of which are the usual post-median, deeper and more 

 velvety, black spots, the post-humeral spot invariably wanting. .2 



Elytra without extended black maculation, each having a humeral, post- 

 humeral, anterior juxta-sutural and post-median discal spot of 

 black, one to three of the anterior spots sometimes wholly obsolete 

 but only in the femoratus group, the humeral only very rarely even 

 there, the post-median extremely constant and never wanting, the 

 post-humeral the most variable in form 7 



2 Humeral, post-humeral and anterior juxta-sutural spots invariably 

 wanting, the only elytral spot being that at the anterior external 

 limits of the posterior black chevron; body very small in size 3 



Post-humeral and anterior juxta-sutural spots alone invariably wanting . 5 



Post-humeral spot alone wanting, the other two discal spots transversely 

 lineiform; pronotum without the usual four black spots 6 



3 Head black. Body black, cinereo-pubescent throughout and nigro- 

 pilose; prothorax with the sides at the middle abruptly but not 

 strongly prominent, marked by four very black spots, the apex and 

 base red; anterior black chevron of the elytra broadly joining the 

 posterior along the suture; antennae black, not at all annulated. 

 Length 8.0 mm. Texas (Llano Estacado) discoideus Lee. 



Head wholly bright red, the prothorax black, not red at apex or base. .4 



4 Body moderately slender, convex, densely cinereo-pubescent and 

 with many long erect black hairs, the under surface, legs and antennae 

 deep black, the last with very numerous erect black hairs beneath 

 and with the bases of the joints finely annulate with cinereous; 

 prothorax nearly one-half wider than long, the middle of the sides 

 broadly rounded and only feebly prominent, the subbasal constric- 

 tion stronger than the subapical; surface black throughout, very 

 rarely with a small red cloud at the sides just before the middle, 

 the punctures rather small, very sparse, the four velvety-black 

 spots distinct, the two longitudinal pairs separated by a flat, 

 elongate-oval surface, which is very abruptly but only extremely 

 slightly elevated; elytra very coarsely though not at all closely 

 punctate, more finely toward tip, the small cinereous hairs sparse 



