554 FAMILY III. CURCULIONIDJE. 



the sand beneath logs and rubbish.* Staten Island, Rockaway 

 Beach and Long Island, N. Y. ; July. Various points in New 

 Jersey, June July. Ranges from the Atlantic states to Michigan 

 and South Dakota. Abundant in the District of Columbia. Breeds' 

 in the bulbous roots of the dark green bulrush, Scirpits atromrens 

 Muhl. and the reed, Pliragmites pJiraginites L., the adults feeding 

 on the stems and buds and ovipositing in late June.** (Webster.) 

 The name oclireits Lee. applies only to western specimens, being 

 in part a synonym of (fqnalis. In Illinois, where it is known as 

 the "clay-colored bill-bug" and "elephant bug," it has proven very 

 injurious to lowland corn. 



864 (8991). SPHENOPHORUS LATINASUS Horn, 1873, 421. 



Moderately elongate. Black, shining. Beak three-fifths as long as 

 thorax, rather suddenly dilated and slightly obliquely truncate at tip, 

 thus showing at the end an oval space above the mandibles, causing the 

 mouth-parts to appear more inferior than usual. Thorax longer than wide, 

 median vitta entire, broadest at apex, not dilated, but slightly narrower 

 and elongate-fusiform to base. Elytra! sculpture much as in cariosus, 

 the punctures of the strise opposite, regularly placed. Length 10 mm. 



Described from Georgia. Known only from the type. "The 

 third joint of the hind tarsi is fully as dilated as those of the 

 front and middle ones, and is also spongy-pubescent at the sides." 

 (Horn.) 



865 ( ). SPHENOPHORUS STRIATIPENNIS Chitt., 1906-a, 180. 



Elongate-oval, slender. Upper surface red, the head, beak, median 

 thoracic vitta and sutural intervals of elytra black; under surface red 

 varied with black; legs red, knees black; interspaces of thorax and flat 

 intervals of elytra with pale gray coating. Beak less curved than in costi- 

 pennis, not suddenly recurved and compressed in apical fourth as there; 

 its apex deeply concave in front. Thorax as in costipennis, the branch of 

 lateral vittae less distinct. Elytra! strise fine, their punctures closer 

 than in costipennis; intervals as in that species. Femora, and especially 

 the tibiae, more fimbriate than there. Third joint of hind tarsi as wide 

 as long, about twice as wide as first. Length 9.5 12.5 mm. 



Lake and Laporte counties, Ind., along the shore of Lake Mich- 

 igan ; May G Sept. 15. Ranges from Indiana and Michigan to 

 California; known also from Texas. Horn mentioned it without 

 name as a variety of costipennis. "Quite closely related to costi- 

 pennis but distinct by the more fimbriate tibiae, much wider third 

 joint of posterior tarsi and stronger punctuation of lower sur- 

 face." (Chittenden.) A very handsome and easily identified 

 species. 



'See Psyche, VIII, 1896, 457- **Bull. 22, U. S. Bur. Entom. O. S., 52. 



