556 



FAMILY in. CURCULIONID;E. 



6&. Lateral vittase of thorax very indistinct or wholly wanting; median 



one not entire. 



h. Body elongate-oval; length 10 15 mm. 



i. Elytral intervals 1, 3, 5 and 7 elevated, the even ones flat, usually 



covered with a clayey coating; beak near apex broadly and 



deeply concave; length 10 15 mm. 872. MAIDIS. 



ii. All the intervals flat; surface entirely opaque and velvety in 



lustre; length 11 mm. 873. VELUTINUS. 



hh. Body fusiform; length 7.5 mm. 874. SOLTAUTI. 



aa. Third elytral interval strongly elevated at basal half; striae coarsely 



punctate; median thoracic smooth space dilated, rhomboidal at 



middle; length 8 11 mm. 875 CABIOSUS. 



866 (8987). SPHENOPHORUS PERTINAX Oliv., 1807, 83, 90. 



Elongate-oval. 



Black or reddish-black, shining, the interspaces of 

 thorax and flat alternate intervals of elytra 

 covered with a dirty white coating. Beak as in 

 key, three-fourths the length of thorax, fine- 

 ly and sparsely punctate, foveate and finely 

 grooved above at base. Thorax longer than 

 wide, the apex constricted; vittse entire, the 

 median one widest at middle, narrowed before 

 and behind; lateral ones with edges sinuous, 

 branched as described above; interspaces and 

 sides of disc coarsely punctate. Elytra broad- 

 est at humeri, sides feebly converging to apical 

 fourth, then more strongly to the rounded apex; 

 striae with rather coarse, regular punctures; 

 the broader and more convex intervals some- 

 what interrupted, minutely and sparsely punc- 

 tate. Length 11 15 mm. (Fig. 121.) 



Frequent throughout northern In- 

 diana, especially so in the counties bor- 

 dering on Lake Michigan and in sandy 

 areas about ponds and lakes, where it 



occurs beneath drift and rubbish; Feb. 



Fig. 121. Beetle, dorsal and 6 Nov. 8. Many localities near New 



side views. V 3- (After -i r , /-^c. -.* mi i x 



Forbes.) York City; May Aug. Throughout 



New Jersey, May and June, in swampy meadows and marshes 

 along shore; breeding in roots of sweet flag or calamus, Acorus 

 calamus L. ; also in those of the cat-tail flag, Typlia latifolia L. 

 Ormond, Fla., on ocean beach, Apr. 6. Kanges from New Eng- 

 land and Canada to Michigan and Utah, south to Florida. "Com- 

 mon and occasionally injurious to corn in many places." (Chit- 

 tendcn.) Of the 40 or more specimens from Indiana, Illinois and 

 Florida at hand, most have the ground color more or less reddish 

 in hue, and in not one of the males do we find "the metasternum 



