TRIBE IV. MICRACINI. 647 



which the sutures form loops ; scape broadly dilated and fringed 

 toward extremity with very long- hairs. (Fig. 136, A.) The 

 funicle of antenna 1 is 6-jointed, and by this character and the 

 broad parallel front tibire, as well as the more obvious characters 

 stated, the genus is sharply defined. The species are small, 2.5 

 mm., and occur from Massachusetts southward, in twigs and 

 small branches of various hardwood trees. 



KEY TO EASTERN SPECIES OF MICRACIS. 



a. Sutures of antennal club forming narrow curves. 

 &. Eyes distant beneath; length 2.52.7 mm. 1044. SUTURALIS. 



&&. Eyes contiguous beneath; elytra more finely punctured; size 

 smaller, 1.7 mm. 1045. NANTJLA. 



aa. Sutures of antennal club forming bread curves. 



c. Eyes widely distant beneath; elytra nearly glabrous, with rows of 

 coarse punctures, asperate near tip. 1046. RUDIS. 



cc. Eyes narrowly separated beneath. 



d. Elytra shining, punctured in rows; thorax finely asperate in 



front. 1047. OPACICOLLIS. 



dd. Elytra obsoletely striate, densely rugosely punctured; thorax 



more strongly asperate in front. 1048. ASPERULTJS. 



1044 (9136). MICRACIS SUTURALTS Lee., 1868, 165. 



Small, elongate, cylindrical. Dark brown, antenna? yellow, elytra 

 and front part of thorax more or less paler, not shining. Antennal scape 

 broadly triangular, flattened, fringed toward tip with very long yellow 

 hairs; fir?t joint of funicle as long as others united, 2 5 closely con- 

 nected, gradually becoming shorter and broader, club as described under 

 generic heading. Head flat or concave, more or less thinly fringed with 

 long hair. Thorax one-half longer than wide, sides parallel behind mid- 

 dle, rounded in front, base feebly rounded, surface dull with fine reticu- 

 lations, and scattered granules. Elytra with close rows of fine punc- 

 tures, almost connected by feeble transverse rugosities, pubescence fine 

 and short, more or less arranged in lines; declivity convex, not at all 

 excavated or toothed, sutural angle prolonged into a short acute point. 

 Tibiae compressed, armed with a terminal hook, outer edge acute, not 

 toothed, fringed with long hair, the front pair as broad at base as at tip. 

 Length 2.5 2.7 mm. 



Described from Illinois from specimens cut from prickly ash 

 (Xanthoxylum) . Known from Virginia, Massachusetts and New 

 York to Michigan, Kansas and Louisiana. Southwestern Penn- 

 sylvania, breeding in hickory and locust. (Hamilton.} Food 

 plants, hickory, elm, redbud, oak, walnut, spice-wood, willow, 

 sassafras, locust, hazel nut, etc. Breeds abundantly in dead 

 hickory limbs, requiring two years for its transformation.* This 

 statement has been questioned and reaffirmed by Dr. Hamilton 



*Hamilton, Ins. Life, IV, 131; loc. cit., 268. 



