552 FAMILY III. CURCULIONIMB. 



About 65 forms of Sphenophorus have been described from the 

 United States. Some of these are synonyms while others are to 

 be regarded as varieties of the better known species. Those oc- 

 curring in the Eastern States, 35 in number, are for convenience 

 separated into four groups, these groups and the keys which fol- 

 low being based mainly upon those of Horn and Chittenden in 

 the papers cited. 



KEY TO GROUPS OF EASTERN SPECIES OF SPHENOPHORUS. 



a. Front tibae with the outer apical angle prolonged, middle and hind 

 tibiae truncate; tarsi slender; length 6 mm. GROUP A, p. 552. 



aa. Tibiae all broadly rounded at outer apical angle. 



& Third joint of all the tarsi rather broadly dilated and glabrous at 

 middle. GROUP B, p. 552. 



&&. Third joint of hind tarsi at most feebly dilated. 



c. Third joint of front and middle tarsi feebly dilated and spongy- 

 pubescent at the sides. GROUP C, p. 555. 

 cc. Third joint of front and middle tarsi not dilated, entirely glabrous 

 beneath or simply pilose at the sides. GROUP D, p. 561. 



GROUP A. 



This group is represented in the Eastern United States by the 

 single species: 



862 (8983). SPHENOPHORUS IN^QUALIS Say, 1831, 23; ibid, I, 291. 



Oval, robust. Black, upper surface usually with a dirty brownish 

 artificial coating. Beak two-thirds as long as thorax, feebly compressed, 

 finely and rather sparsely punctate, base feebly swollen, foveate and finely 

 grooved above. Thorax large, oval, as long as wide, disc very coarsely 

 punctate, usually with three to five elevated smooth spaces, the median 

 one larger, rhomboidal, narrowed at each end into a line. Elytra at humeri 

 as wide as thorax, then strongly narrowed to apex; strias with very coarse, 

 distant punctures; intervals flat, their sides undulating, closely and coarsely 

 punctate. Length 5.8 6.2 mm. 



Posey County, Ind., scarce; April 23 May 7. Van Cortland 

 Park, Staten Island and other localities near New York City; 

 October. Hopatcong and Shark River, N. J., May August. 

 Eustis, Dunedin and St. Petersburg, Fla., scarce; Jan. 20 Apr. 

 7. Ranges from New York to Florida and Texas, mostly in the 

 coastwise states. Easily recognized by the short, wedge-shaped 

 form, prolongation of the front tibiae and coarse sculpture. 



GROUP B. 



This group is represented in the Eastern States by three 

 species : 



