30 



PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 24, NO. 1, JAN., 1922 



part of the U. S. The northern form seems to be very closely 

 related to a species ( P. citri Marshall 1918) recently described 

 from Jamaica, and the southern form appears to be identical 

 with a Cuban species. The two species are most readily 

 distinguished by the degree of sinuosity of the suture between 

 the pronotum and elytra, as shown in the accompanying 

 figure. 



P. opAua Oliv. (= 



Her*) 



otO\iv) 



When Horn, 1876, recognized that two species were to be 

 distinguished among these green weevils, he appears to have 

 committed an error in applying the old specific name to the 

 wrong species and in describing the old species as new. At 

 that time none of our American coleopterists knew much of the 

 tropical forms living adjacent to our southern border, and even 

 to-day we are just beginning to realize that many of the peculiar 

 species of Florida, Texas or Arizona are only strays from com- 

 plex tropical groups. Their nomenclatorial status can only be 

 determined after study of the greatly involved and often very 

 unsatisfactory literature and specimens representing our 

 knowledge of the fauna of the American tropics. 



Of the series in the National Collection we are unable to 

 distinguish between those from south Florida and those from 

 Cayamas, Cuba, which have been identified as the Cyphns 

 litus of Germar 1824 (Ins. Spec. Nov. p. 451) except that the 

 latter average slightly larger, but there seems to be considerable 

 doubt as to Schoenherr's 1840 (Gen. et Spec. Curcul., vol. 6, 

 p. 426) record of its occurrence in Mexico. 



The synonymy of our two species of Pachnaeus may be indi- 

 cated thus: 



Pachnaeus opalus (Olivier 1807). Type data, Carolina (Bosc). Range, N. J. 

 to Central Fla. 



Syn. Pachnaeus distans Horn 1876. Type data, Cedar Keys & Capron, 



Fla. (Hubbard & Schwarz). 



Pachnaeus litus (Germar 1825). Type data, Cuba. Range, Cuba, South Fla. 

 (Mex.?) 



Syn. Pachnaens opalus Horn 1876 et auct. non Ol'v. 



