166 SUBFAMILY X. CURCULIONINJE. 



KEY TO SPECIES OF GROUP I. 



a. Elytral setse very small, inconspicuous; thoracic punctures moderate. 

 b. Thorax with scales larger than those of elytra, its sides almost 

 straight, each elytron usually with a large triangular blackish 

 post-median spot. 215. SOLUTUS. 



l>b. Thorax with scales not larger than those of elytra, the sides dis- 

 tinctly rounded; elytra with a common broad black median bar. 



216. DECEPTUS. 



oa. Elytral setse stout, very evident; thoracic punctures very coarse, crib- 

 rate. 217. CKYPTOPS. 



215 (8469). HYPERODES SOLUTUS Boh., Schon., 1842, 197. 



Elongate-oblong. Reddish-brown to piceous, above rather densely 

 clothed with rounded, clay-yellow scales, those of thorax larger, paler and 

 more dense on sides; elytra each with a large, irregular, triangular black 

 spot just behind middle, its apex not quite reaching the suture; antennae 

 and legs reddish-brown, femora and club darker; under surface glabrous, 

 piceous, the last two segments paler. Beak as long as thorax, its sides paral- 

 lel and median carina fine but distinct. Thorax about as wide as long, 

 sides almost straight, ocular lobes only partly covering the eyes in re- 

 pose; disc densely, not coarsely punctate. Elytra convex, one-half wider 

 than thorax, sides parallel for two-thirds their length, thence narrowed 

 and compressed to apex; striae fine, their punctures rather distant; inter- 

 vals each with a row of short, whitish setae. Last ventral of female with 

 a shallow apical triangular fovea. Length 3 5 mm. 



Frequent throughout Indiana, May 29 July 0. Mating June 

 20 and both the typical form and the variety indistinctus taken 

 together in numbers July on arrow-arum, Pcltandra uirginica 

 L., so that may be one of its food plants. Locally common on the 

 arrow-head, Hayitturia, near New York City, and also taken in 

 winter by sifting. Ranges from Canada and New England to 

 Montana, south to District of Columbia and Kansas. 



An examination of the types of Macrops hidistinctus Dietz 

 shows that the thorax is not wider than long, the relative dimen- 

 sions being as in many specimens of solulits, and in our opinion 

 it is only a color variety of that species, in which the black spots 

 of elytra are wanting. As pointed out by Dietz, this form with- 

 out black sjiols may be Boheman's .s-/>///v^.s-. If so, tlie name spur- 

 cus has priority and xoliitits becomes the variety. The type of 

 spin-ens was from Boston but Boheman's description is insuffi- 

 cient. In the LeCoute collection are two specimens labelled 

 ' One is sparxux as recognized by Dietz, the other the 

 of Dietz. A careful examination of the type of Npiirciix 

 is necessary to fix the status of that species. 



