744 FAMILY XX'XVFT. ELATERID^. 





 1405 (4301). GIA-PIIONYX QUIETUS Say, Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc., VI, 1836, 



1S4; ibid. II, G22. 



Elongate, slender, convex. Blackish-brown or piceous, rather densely 

 clothed with short yellowish hairs; antennae reddish-brown; legs pale yel- 

 low. Clypeus obtusely rounded in front. Thorax as in rcctic-dllix, the hind 

 angles scarcely diverging. Tarsal claws with few rather robust teeth. 

 Length 4.5-5 mm. 



Southern half of State. Marshall County only in the north; 

 frequent. March 25-.]une 10. I!eaten from vegetation. 



XXXIII. MELANOTI s Esch. 1829. (Gr., "black -\ back.") 



This genus contains a number of small or moderate-sized click- 

 beetles, usually uniform dull brown in color and having the clypeus 

 margined in front ; antenna 1 serrate, with the first joint broad, the 

 second and third variable ; prosternum lohed in front, the sutures 

 double and concave 011 outer side; hind coxal plates gradually 

 dilated inwards and toothed above the insertion of the thighs; tarsi 

 not lobed beneath, the claws with distinct, comb-like teeth. The 

 males usually have the antenna] joints pilose or clothed with erect 

 bristling hairs. 



The larva? of three or four of the species art 1 among the most 

 destructive of the wireworms. The adults usually occur beneath 

 bark or on the foliage of trees, to which, their pectinate claws en- 

 able them to readily cling. They are so similar in form and hue 

 that they are very difficult to separate. There is no special litera- 

 ture on the g;-nus. the descriptions being widely scattered and many 

 of them doubtless synonymous, and the group has given me more 

 1 rouble than any other genus treated in the paper. All the Indi- 

 ana specimens have been compared with such types and named spe- 

 cies as are in the Horn collection at Philadelphia and the LeConte 

 and Melsheimer collections at Cambridge. Of the 4f> species listed 

 from the United States. 1!) have bean taken in Indiana, while 9 

 others are herewith described for the first time. For convenience 

 Ihey are lirst sep:>ra1ed into two groups ami these in turn into 

 species. 



Ki:V TO GROUPS OF INDIANA SPECIES OF MELANOTUS. 



<i. Third joint of antenna' but little if any longer than second, the two 



together almost always shorter than fourth. Group A. 



mi. Third joint of antenna 1 at least one-half longer than second, the two 



together equal to or longer than fourth. Group B. 



GROUP A. 



This group comprises seven of I he 2S species. The third joint 

 of antenna' may be slighlly longer than second, but never one-half 

 longer. 



