1895-] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 169 



Underside of head smooth and shining, with two foveae at the base of the 

 mentum, and, immediately posterior to these, a somewhat reniform im- 

 pression. There are also four large mottled lanceolate figures extending 

 from the base for more than one-half of the entire length. The plane of 

 the head is oblique to that of the prothorax. Eyes consist of six somewhat 

 elongate ocelli on each side of the head. Antennae situated behind the 

 base of the mandibles, on the front, 3-jointed, the basal joint very long, 

 bristly internally, the second and third much shorter and more slender, 

 approximately equaling each other in length. Mandibles curved furnished 

 with a very strong internal distal tooth and a much smaller proximal one. 

 Maxillae with a very long basal joint swollen at each end, second joint 

 shorter and with an internal distal appendix, third joint again shorter, 

 fourth not quite equal to the second, but about the same as the fifth. 

 There are no bristles whatever to be seen, even under high powers. Men- 

 tum irregularly hexagonal, the apex with two distinct lateral teeth, sides 

 with smaller serrations : palpiger elongate, broader near the tip, palpi 

 two-jointed the second joint much the longer. Prothorax narrower at 

 apex which is truncate, base rounded, sides narrowly margined, a trans- 

 verse impressed line at apex, another (obsolete at middle) at the base, 

 disc shining, surface unequal. Beneath, the sternal piece, anterior to the 

 coxae, is more perfectly chitinized and smoother than the remainder of 

 the under surface. Mesothorax shorter than the prothorax and wider, 

 roughly shagreened, not shining, two triangular smooth spaces at base, 

 each with a large fovea. Spiracle on the ventral surface near the ante- 

 rior angles. Metathorax similar in shape, shagreened, without the smooth 

 triangular areas or spiracles. Abdominal rings resembling in dorsal 

 aspect the metathorax; there are two dorso-lateral rows of blunt spines 

 on each side and a row of lateral filamentary appendages, each tipped 

 with two bristles, the last segment is corneous at tip and distinctly toothed 

 or serrate. Legs with conical coxa?, which are as long as the femora, tro- 

 chanters well marked by sutures; tibiae shorter than the femora, claws long, 

 slightly curved and provided with a strong spine near the middle of the 

 length. 



From the larvse of Tropisternus glaber, which I have elsewhere* 

 described the present species, differs in its greater size truncated 

 thorax, shape of mentum and spined claw, besides in other minor 

 characters. The specimens were found on the margins of muddy 

 ponds and form cells in the damp ground by squirming motions 

 of the body. In this cell they remain for some days before 

 attaining the pupa state, which lasts six or seven days. One of 

 mine pupated on the i6th of July, and the beetle appeared on 

 the i6th. The pupa is sixteen mm. in length, clear greenish 

 in c^or, becoming brownish about the head and limbs as rmitu- 



* Bull. Lab. Nat Hist. State Univ. of Iowa, II, p. 338. 



