Clje (tabian (Intomotopi 



Vol. II. TORONTO, MARCH 1, 1870. No. 5. 



NOTES ON SOME OF THE COMMON SPECIES OF CARABID^E, 

 FOUND IN TEMPERATE NORTH AMERICA. 



BY PHILIP S. SPRAGUE, BOSTON, MASS. 



ARTICLE NO. II. 



In my previous article upon this subject, I treated upon the classification 

 and the particular distinguishing characters of the genus Harpalus ; in this 

 I wish to call attention to their specific differences, by noting those varia- 

 tions of form or structure which* are so constant as to cause us to consider 

 them as denoting distinct species. The general form of the beetles of this 

 genus is oblong-oval, rather broad, thorax quadrate and in length from -30-1 

 inch, black piceous, shining. Our northern exceptions to this color are 

 H. viridiaeneus, Beauv., and R. erraticus, Say, the former being bright 

 brassy green, the latter dark ferruginous or the colour of immaturity. The 

 cut accompanying the previous article was of Harpahis caliginosus, Say., a 

 beetle so well known that I shall describe it in detail, that you may better 

 understand my ideas in describing others. I shall suppose that you have 

 taken up this beetle without any previous knowledge of its name; you per- 

 ceive it has the general form of the genus Harpalus. We now proceed to 

 examine the anterior and middle tarsi, the four first joints of which are 

 strongly dilated, consequently it is a male, beneath they have at the sides a 

 few coarse short bristles (had they been covered with a dense brush of hair, 

 we should have laid it aside as most likely belonging to the genus Anisoclac- 

 tylus), its length from the apex of labrum to the end of the elytra is -90 

 (•80-1.05 are the extremes of specimens in my collection), width -35. If 

 we now had access to descriptions of the beetles of this genus, we should 

 find only one of this length or near it, consequently without further trouble 

 we should only have to see that it agreed with the specific description. This 

 is the largest Harpalus we have, being one-half longer than any other, and 

 if the generic characters are well worked up, it cannot be mistaken for any 

 other. The head is black with a few scattered punctures, nearly obsolete, 

 the frontal impressions between the antennae are well marked, apex of labrum 



