38 FAMILY II. AXTIIUIIilDJE, 



irregular patch on disc of elytra which usually extends to base and en- 

 closes a quadrate black scutellar space; apex of elytra white; legs annu- 

 late with black and white. Thorax less uneven than in marmoreus, the 

 median groove almost obsolete. Length 4 7 mm. 



Vigo, Lawrence, Perry ;md Posey counties, Indiana, scarce; 

 April 25 Oct. 20. Mobile, Alabama, April 11. A member of the 

 Austroriparian fauna ranging- from District of Columbia to Ar- 

 kansas, south to Florida and Texas. Occurs mainly in partly 

 woody white fungi growing on old logs and stumps. 



XIV. BRACHYTARSUS Schon., 1826. ( Gr., "short" + '"tarsus.") 



Short, stout species, somewhat resembling Bnic-lm* in form 

 and at times imitating their habits, but usually found on smut 

 of corn or similar fungus growths. The antennae are as long as 

 head and thorax, joints 1 and 2 stout, the second slightly the 

 longer, 3 8 shorter, 9 11 forming an oval, compressed club; 

 eyes coarsely granulated, emarginate in front; thorax rounded in 

 front, overhanging the head, basal ridge as described in key; 

 elytra with even and equal intervals; tarsi with first joint 

 scarcely longer than second, which is triangular and emarginate, 

 third deeply bilobed, as wide as second, claws toothed near tip, 

 so as to appear cleft. The larvae are said by Sharp, Cornstock 

 and Walsh to prey on Cocciclce, but we can find no definite record 

 of our American species being thus beneficial. 



KEY TO EASTERN SPECIES OF BRACHYTARSUS. 



a. Legs annulated; elytra tessellated on alternate intervals. 



27. ALTERXATUS. 



aa. Legs not annulated. 



b. Elytra each with two dark spots, one basal, the other behind the 

 middle. 28. STICTICUS. 



bb Elytra without dark spots. 



c. Form short and stout; length less than 2.3 mm. 



(I. Pubescence mostly brown; ante-basal ridge extending forward 

 on sides one-third the length of thorax; length 2 2.2 mm. 



29. TOMEXTOSUS. 



dd. Pubescence mostly gray; ante-basal ridge scarcely extending 



forwards; length 1.3 1.8 mm. 30. PAULULUS. 



cc. Form more elongate; elytra more or less mottled with paler dots; 



length 2.23.2 mm. 



e. Pubescence coarse and dense, yellowish-gray. 31. LIMBATUS. 



ee. Pubescence finer, scarcely mottled; body more elongate than 



in Hmbatus. 32. PLUMBEUS. 



27 (9223). BRACIIYTARSUS ALTERXATUS Say, 1827, 250; ibid, II, 314. 



Oblong-oval, robust. Dark brown, thickly clothed with pale brown, 

 dark velvety brown and ash-gray hairs; elytra with rows of alternate gray 

 and dark brown spots; antennae reddish-brown, last three joints fuscous; 



