OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XIX, 1917 3 



ico, Pyrophorus physoderus of Germar described in 1841, l from 

 Alabama. 



In examining the material in the National Museum and in the 

 private collections of Messrs. W. M. Mann and Chas. Schaeffer, I 

 have found three more species. 



The four North American species can be separated easily upon 

 external characters, but the most conclusive characters for their 

 determinations are in the male genitalia. The following table 

 will serve to differentiate the four species now recognized from 

 North America: 



A. Conspicuous tubercle on base of the pronotum in front of the scu- 

 tellum. 



a. Tubercle conical texanus sp. nov. 



b. Tubercle laterally compressed arizonicus sp. nov. 



AA. Xo pronotal tubercle in front of the scutellum. 



a. Antennae of the male long (when directed backward extending 



3 joints beyond the posterior angles). Pronotum usually 

 with decided impressions pfn/so(lcrns Germar. 



b. Antennae of male but one joint longer than the pronotum. 



Xo decided impressions on the pronotum. atlanticus sp. nov. 



In the North American species the females agree with the 

 males, except' that they are usually larger and have the prono- 

 tum much broader with its side margins more rounded and the 

 disk much more globose. In all our North American species the 

 antennae of the females are shorter than the pronotum, while in 

 the males they are as long as or longer than the pronotum. Small 

 females occasionally occur and size cannot be considered as a 

 character of much value. I have not examined the female of the 

 physoderus of Germar. In deciding which of the four species 

 from this country is the true physoderus of Germar. the following 

 facts must be taken into consideration: Germar described the 

 species from Alabama. None of the specimens which I have had 

 opportunity to examine were collected in Alabama, though the 

 series which I consider as physoderus were collected on the ( Vdar 

 Keys, which are on the upper inner gulf coast of Florida not 

 very far removed from that part of Alabama which reaches the 

 Gulf. Germar distinctly says, in his preliminary analysis of this 

 species, that the antennae are less than one-half the length of 

 the body, while in his further discussion of the species, he says 

 that they are somewhat longer th'an the prothorax. The species 

 recognized as pj^jxodcru* in the collections examined, was col- 

 lected from the east coast of Florida. It agrees with Germar's 



1 Zeitsch. f. (1. Entom. Ill, p. 36, 1841. 



