148 SUBFAMILY X. CUKCULIOXIX.E. 



KEY TO THE EASTERN SPECIES OF PHYTOXOMTS. 



a. Scales not at all cleft or emarginate. 



b. Body not elongate or flattened; sides of elytra never parallel; scales 



truncate, concave, widest at middle, striate. 185. EXIMIUS. 



6b. Body elongate, flattened; sides of elytra parallel; thorax not pol- 

 ished, punctures shallow, indistinct, glabrous, more or less con- 

 fluent; scales parallel-sided or narrowed at tip, thick, indistinctly 

 striate; no hairs on dorsum. 186. COMPTUS. 



aa. Scales either emarginate or deeply cleft. 



c. Emargination of scales not reaching the middle. 



d. Thorax as wide as long; punctures of elytral stria? with minute 



setae; hairs on thorax thick at base, abruptly narrowed to a 

 point near tip. 187. TRIVITTATUS. 



dd. Thorax longer than wide; setae in elytral stria? short, thick and 

 white; liairs on thorax thick, their sides parallel, tip notched. 



188. MARITIMUS. 

 cc. Scales cleft nearly or quite to base. 



e. Thorax distinctly wider than long, its sides strongly rounded. 



/'. Elytral scales reddish or greenish-gray, more or less tessellated 

 with dark brown; thorax one-half wider than long. 



189. MELES. 



ff. Elytra with ash-gray scales and three abbreviated blackish lines; 



thorax but slightly wider than long. 190. POLYGON:. 



ee. Thorax not wider than long; species rather narrow, elongate; pub 



escence of long, fine, green or greenish hairs without inter 



mixed scales. 191. XIGRIROSTRIS. 



185 (8431). PHYTOXOMUS EXIMIUS Lee., 1876, 414. 



Oblong-oval. Black; above densely clothed with golden yellow, rust 

 red, brownish black or black scales, the black ones forming small scattered 

 quadrate spots on the elytra; antennae and legs black. Beak slightly shorter 

 than thorax, densely and finely punctured. Antenna? long, the scape 

 reaching the eye; first funicular joint large, conical, as long as the next 

 three. Thorax as long as wide, narrowed in front, sides rounded at middle; 

 scales of disc a,nd sides quadrate, striate. Elytra at base one-third wider 

 than middle of thorax, widest behind the middle, punctures of stria? without 

 hairs; intervals flat without seta?. Under surface clothed with pale 

 scales. Length 4.8 5.5 mm. 



Known from northern Illinois to Manitoba, Colorado and 

 Texas. Popenoe states (1877, 38) that the types were bred from 

 pupa 1 ! in cocoons found on the leaves of the great water dock, 

 KiniH'.r hrittaiiica L., at Topeka, Kansas. Knaus found the adults 

 mating on Runic.e on April 23. Young larva? were then present 

 and feeding on the leaves. 



186 (8430). PiiYTo.\o.\irs COMPTUS Say, 1831, 12; ibid, I, 274. 



Elongate, flattened. Color variable, reddish-brown or rust-red to black, 

 rather closely covered with small rounded brassy scales; tip of beak, 



