June, '04] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 187 



A new Californian species of Dromaeolus Kies. 



BY FREDERICK BLANCHARD, Tyngsboro, Mass. 



Dromaeolus hospitalis n. sp. Form elongate, nearly parallel, narrowed 

 at apical third, black rather shining, prothorax dull, with short brown 

 pubescence inclining to yellowish at sides of elytra near the base. An- 

 tennae dark piceous or black, somewhat brownish apically, slender, fili- 

 form, slightly longer than the hind angles of the prothorax, first joint more 

 or less evidently carinate its whole length on the lower side, second a little 

 longer than the fourth, third about equal to the next two which are short, 

 subequal, joints six to ten longer, subequal, the eleventh nearly as long 

 as the two preceding ; head convex, densely punctured, with a fine median 

 smooth line more or less evident especially in front ; prothorax as broad 

 as long in the female, or slightly longer than broad in the male, and as 

 wide as the base of the elytra, sides straight, parallel, arcuately narrowed 

 at apical third, disc moderately convex, median line strongly impressed 

 at base and reaching the middle, or even feebly continued to apex, sur- 

 face densely rugosely punctate, less densely on the disc from middle to 

 apex, more densely at the sides ; elytra substriate, finely, not closely 

 punctate, the punctures a little coarser at base ; beneath, the prosternum 

 and sides of metatarsum rather strongly not closely punctate, propleura 

 more coarsely and closely punctate, the punctures extending quite to the 

 lateral margin posteriorly, obscuring the antennal groove ; hind coxae 

 and abdomen more finely and closely punctate, anal segment more 

 coarsely and very densely and roughly punctate at apex ; metasternum 

 with a fine smooth line at middle ; triangle of the propleura not twice as 

 long as wide at base, the antennal groove strongly impressed anteriorly, 

 not distinctly limited externally and obsolete behind ; legs black, tarsi 

 brown, the fourth joint of the latter as wide as the third and distinctly 

 emarginate above receiving the base of the fifth joint. Length 7-10 mm. 



The foregoing description follows very closely that given by 

 Dr. Horn, in his Monograph, of D. basalts Lee. In his synop- 

 tic table Dr. Horn defines nitcns and basalts by the " marginal 

 grooves of thorax shallow, not sharply limited internally." In 

 all three species the antennal grooves are deep anteriorly, rap- 

 idly shallowing behind. They are best defined in Jiiti'iis. In 

 basalis the internal limit is evident, though feeble. In hospi- 

 talis it quite disappears, the coarse punctures encroaching upon 

 the very shallow continuation of the groove behind. The gen- 

 eral appearance of nitcns is more shining, the pubescence being 

 distinctly fine and the prothoracic punctures less close upon 

 the disc, although dense and rugose at the sides, much as in 

 the other two species. The anal segment is similarly densely 



