BY ARTHUR M. LEA. 209 



Melanterius semiporcatus, Er.; Mast. Cat. Sp. No. 5400. 



Broad, ovate, shining, somewhat depressed, coarsely punctate. 

 Black, claw-joint and antennae dull red. Glabrous, legs only with 

 sparse minute whitish hair. 



Head densely punctate; eyes coarsely granulate, subapproxi- 

 mate ; ocular fovea feeble, longitudinal. Rostrum long, thin, 

 curved, almost parallel to insertion of antenna?, thence 

 narrowed and then widened to apex; in neither sex carinate; 

 punctate, the punctures irregular and in places appearing in rows. 

 Antennse inserted about two-fifths from apex of rostrum; scape 

 passing apex; two basal joints of funicle moderately elongate, all 

 increasing in width and decreasing in length to apex; club shorter 

 than three preceding joints. Prothorax very feebly if at all 

 transverse, basal two-thirds subparallel, base bisinuate, posterior 

 angles almost right angles; ocular lobes feeble; with dense, large, 

 shallow punctures or fovete, apex with smaller punctures; a feeble 

 shining impunctate median line scarcely traceable at base and 

 apex, but distinct about middle, where it is encroached upon in 

 places by punctures. Scutellum rounded, granuliform. Elytra 

 cordate, distinctly wider than prothorax and about twice its 

 length; coarsely punctate, the punctures very irregular in shape, 

 either subreniform or subelliptic, each encroached on in the middle 

 by granules; interstices wavy, the alternate ones feebly raised, 

 but all very narrow and irregular, small punctures about suture 

 and interstices. Pectoral canal shallow, broad ; anterior coxae 

 large, separation slight. Mesosterndl plate transverse, depressed, 

 feebly concave, obsoletely punctate, apex wider than base and 

 both emarginate. Metasternum coarsely and irregularly punctate; 

 episterna with a continuous I'ow of punctures and a few smaller 

 ones at base. Ahdoinen with basal segment large, coarsely punc- 

 tate, as long as 2nd-3rd combined; 2nd coarsely punctate, except 

 at apex and sides where punctures are small; intermediates com- 

 bined slightl}' longer than 2nd, each with a transverse row of 

 small punctures and a few others scattered about; apical segment 

 densely punctate. Legs densely punctate; femora grooved, the 

 anterior very feebly, teeth distinct, posterior extending to apical 

 14 



\ 



