362 sntFAMir.Y x. CURCULIONIX.E. 



from wrea by its more elongate form, larger size, wider intervals 

 and finer striae." (Casey.'} 



549 (11,114). B.vius SPLEXDENS Casey, 1892, 507. 



Oblong-oval, robust, moderately convex. Black, highly polished with- 

 out bronzed lustre, finely alutaceous. Beak very stout, moderately curved, 

 two-thirds to three-fourths as long as thorax, finely and rather closely 

 punctate. Thorax two-fifths wider than long; sides feebly converging 

 from base for two-thirds the length, then strongly rounded to apex; disc 

 very finely, sparsely and unevenly punctured. Elytra slightly wider and 

 not quite twice as long as thorax;* striae coarse, deep, obsoletely punctate; 

 intervals with a single row of minute remote punctures, the second and 

 third wider, the latter with punctures confused. Length 3.8 4.2 mm. 



Ormond, Sarasota and Dunedin, Fla., Feb. 14 April 8. Fre- 

 quent on the flowers and in the axils of the leaves of the large 

 yellow or purple flowered thistle, Canluus spinosissimw* Walt. 

 Fernandina and Crescent City, Fla. ; not rare on a white flower- 

 ing thistle. (Rrlnrfirz.) This is the species described by LeConte 

 (1S7G, 293) under the name of iiitcrstitifiJis Say, but as already 

 shown, that name belongs rightfully to what LeConte and Casey 

 called traiixrcrxa. Easily known by its large size and fine punc- 

 tures of thorax and intervals. 



II. PLESIOBARIS Casey, 1802. (Gr., "near" -|- Bans.) 



Small, subcylindrical species, usually less than 2.5 mm. in 

 length, having the entire antenna! club finely and densely pubes- 

 cent; prosternum not sulcate; upper surface with scattered white 

 scales, especially dense on the sides of the last three ventral seg- 

 ments, on the meso- and metasternal side pieces and at the base 

 of the third elytral interval; claws small, free. Those not de- 

 scribed by Casey were included by LeCoute in the genus Pscndo- 

 baris. 



KEY TO SPECIES OF PLESIOBARIS. 



a. Elytra each with a patch of sparsely placed pale scales behind the 



middle; body subcylindrical, the elytral humeri not exposed; basal 



joint of antennal club large, comprising at least one-half the mass. 



l>. Larger, 2.2 3 mm. in length; reddish-brown, the elytral suture 



blackish. 550. ALBILATA. 



&b. Smaller, not over 1.8 mm. 



c. Black, legs dark reddish-brown; beak shorter than thorax. 



551. T-SIGNUM. 



cc. Piceous-black; legs red with knees black. 551-a. var. SICXATIPES. 

 act. Upper surface and legs wholly black; thorax and elytra not contin- 

 uous at the sides, the humeri more or less exposed; basal joint of 

 club short, composing one-third of the mass or less. 



