TRIBE XIV. MECIXIXI. 325 



Tribe XIV. MECININI. 



Small, broadly oval, robust species, having the funicle of an- 

 tenna 1 with but five joints; beak cylindrical, antenna' inserted 

 at apical third; scape reaching- the eyes which are oval trans- 

 verse and widely separated; front coxa? large and prominent; 

 ventral segments not very unequal in length, the third and fourth 

 slightly shorter; tarsal claws simple. Nine species, belonging to 

 four genera, represent the tribe in this country. Six of these are 

 known from our territory, while one is a European species re- 

 corded once only from Louisiana. 



KEY TO GENERA OF MECININI. 



a. Pygidium covered (CiONiNi of European authors.) 



b. Antennal club with joints distinct; femora not toothed. 



I. NANOPHYES. 

 bb. Antennal club merely annulated; femora strongly toothed. 



II CIONUS.* 

 aa. Pygidium exposed; antennal club annulated. 



c. Front coxa? contiguous; tarsal claws connate; beak short, stout 



tapering. III. GY.MNETRON. 



cc. Front coxae separated; claws free; beak long and slender. 



IV. MIARUS. 



I. NANOPHYES Schon., 18:J7. (Gr., Nanus + "similar.") 



One introduced European species represents this genus in our 

 territory. 



485 (8703). NANOPIIYES PALI.IDULUS Grav., Zool. Syst., 1807, 203. 



Oval, convex, robust. Reddish-brown, thinly pubescent with Jong 

 yellow hairs; head, beak, a triangular spot on basal third of elytra, and a 

 small postmedian spot on each darker. Thorax strongly narrowed from 

 base to apex. Elytra very convex, strife deep, intervals convex. Length 

 2.32.7 mm. 



One specimen in the Horn collection from New Jersey. Re- 

 corded also from Louisiana and Colorado. Introduced from 

 Europe, where it occurs in Italy and southern France. Bedel 

 doubts the correctness of the determination of the American 

 species. 



III. GYMXETROX Schon., 182G. (Gr., "naked" -f "belly.") 



Beak nearly straight, as long as thorax, tapering from base 

 to apex, scaly on basal half, smooth, striate, finely and sparsely 



*Ciouus scrvfilnilariec Oliv. Black, the thorax, a humeral mark, body beneath and 

 legs clothed with yellow hair; elytra brown with two black sutural spots, the alternate 

 intervals elevated, tessellated black and white. Recorded from Louisiana by Summers; 

 also taken by Say (1831, 21) without definite locality. A European species which attacks 

 the fruit of the plum, the larv;c feeding on the kernel. 



