328 [June, 



June 2Sth. 



Vice-President Bridges in the Chair. 



The Committee to which was referred the following papers by Dr. 

 Le Conte, reported in favor of publication : 



Synopsis of the Meloides of the JJnited States. 

 By John L. Le Conte, M. D. 



The species of this family are very numerous ; those found in our territory 

 may be divided into the following genera : 



A. Ungues non serrati. 

 Elytra abbreviata, imbricata, unguibus fissis . . Meloe Liii. 



Elytra non imbricata, unguibus dentatis . . . Cysteodemus Lee. 



Elytra connata, unguibus jfissis ..... Henous Ilald. 

 Elytris integris non connatis, unguibus fissis : 



Tarsi articulo penultimo non emarginato . . . Lytta Fabr. 

 Tarsi articulo penultimo emarginato .... Tetraonyx Latr. 

 B. Ungues serrati, appendice instruct!. 



Maxillae elongatae Nemognatha ///. 



Maxillae breves. 



Ungues appendicibus filiformibus. 



Antennae filiformes ...... Zonitis Fahr. 



Antennae moniliatae Horia Fabr. 



Ungues appendicibus latis obtusis .... Cephaloon Netvman. 



Meloe Liii. 

 a. Antennae maris medio dilatatae. 



1. M. run i p en n i s, cyaneus, capite grosse punctato, thorace angustiore, 

 latitudine sublongiore basi emarginato, irregulariter grosse punctato, elytris 

 valde intricato-rugosis. Long. '45 1*05. 



Middle States, not rare. The elytra are stouter than in the two next species. 

 The abdomen of the female is black and membranous each side: the middle 

 part is more uniformly chagrined than in the male. Very similar to M. viola- 

 eens, but less shining, and with much rougher elytra. 



2. M. moerens, niger, vix purpurascens, capite parcius punctato, thorace 

 angustiore subelongato, basi valde emarginato, lateribus sinuato, parce punctato, 

 medio impresso, elytris subtilissime rugosis, punctis parcis minus profundis im- 

 pressis. Long. -S. 



New York. This is a rare species, of which I possess only females, although 

 from its resemblance in form to the preceding, we may be almost confident that 

 the antennae of the male are irregular. The abdomen is densely rugous, the 

 rugas towards the middle are almost longitudinal. The antennae are longer than 

 the head and thorax, and slander. 



3. M. angusticollis, obscure violaceus, capite thoraceque punctis paucis 

 parvis impressis, hoc multo angustiore, elongato, basi emarginato, elytris sub- 

 tilius intricato-rui^osis. Lon;:. 5 8. 



Say, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc. 3, 280. 



Middle States. The thorax is more than one-half narrower than the head, and 

 is nearly one half longer than wide. 



4. M. impress us, obscure nigro-violaceus, capite thoraceque sat dense 

 punctatis, hoc paulo angustiore, latitudine vix longiore, postice gradatim angus- 

 tato, pone medium subcanaliculato, elytris minus profunde imbricato-rugosis. 

 Long. '5 '6. 



Meloe impressa Kirby, Fauna Bor. Am. 211. 



Var. ? Meloe nigra Kirby, ibid. 241. 



Meloe americanusX Brandt and Erichson, Nov. Act. Leopold-Car. 16, 118. 



