488 TERTIARY INSECTS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



APHODIUS Illiger. 



APHODIUS PRECUKSOR. 



PI. l,Fig. 11. 



Aphodius precursor Horn, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., V, 245 (1876). 



"Elytra smooth, shining, feebly striate, striae shallow but rather wide; 

 punctures distant, round near the apex, becoming- transverse near the base, 

 intarvals flat, smooth. 



" A species is indicated of the size and nearly of the sculpture of ruricola. 

 The scutellum is short. Length of elytra, .10 inch.; 2.5 mm ." Horn, loc. cit. 



Of this species three elytra lie side by side in the same mass ; the middle 

 one shows only the impression of the striae, being the reverse of the left 

 elytron, which has been removed from its original position ; this and the 

 right elytron are black, the striae distinct and moderately deep, with punct- 

 ures as described by Dr. Horn. The striae are ten in number, and in the 

 middle of the elytra are 17 mm apart. The left elytron shows the upper, 

 the others the under, surface. There must be some mistake in Dr. Horn's 

 measurements ; the best preserved elytron, the contours of which are perfectly 

 preserved, is 3.5 mm long and 1.65 mm broad and the others agree perfectly 

 with it in size. 



Upon the same stone occur the remains of a pair of elytra (PI. 1, Figs. 

 16, 17) not noticed by Dr. Horn in his paper, but considered by him as 

 belonging to the same species. This view is tenable only on the supposition 

 that the right elytron (in which the chitine is preserved and which shows 

 the upper surface) is imperfect, for there are but eight striae. When first 

 examined by me both margins appeared perfect; but as they have since been 

 damaged I refrain from further remark beyond the description of the frag- 

 ments and the expression of my belief that they can not be referred to Apho- 

 dius. The elytra, which are shining black, appear to be considerably flat- 

 tened, are consequently nearly as broad at base as in the middle, and have 

 the apical half rounded rather rapidly and the apex nearly square ; they 

 possess eight distinct striae, made more conspicuous by bearing frequent, 

 moderately distinct, small, round, occasionally elongate punctures ; the in- 

 terspaces between the striae are 0.15 mm wide, flat and smooth; the eighth 

 stria is confluent anteriorly, and perhaps posteriorly, with the margin ; and 

 the margin itself is not only slightly reflexed but forms by the reflection 



