356 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



ON THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE .4^G1ALITID.-E. 



BY H. F. WICKHAM, IOWA CITY, IOWA. 



The family yEgialitidas, then known by but one species, was placed 

 by Dr. LeConte (Classification of the Coleoptera of North America, p. 

 xxxvi.) in association with those Heteromera having the anterior coxal 

 cavities closed behind. This structure is also assigned to ^gialites in the 

 detailed account of the insect on page 388 of the same work. Ur. Sharp, 

 in his recent treatise on insects (Cambridge Natural History, Vol. VI., p. 

 265), speaks of the anterior coxse as being " completely closed in,'' while 

 Dr. Geo. Horn, though dissecting a specimen for a study of the mouth- 

 parts, seems to have overlooked the coxal structure, or he would certainly 

 have alluded to it in his notes on the genus (Trans. American Ento. Soc, 

 XV., p. 27). In view of the statements in the books, I was surprised, a 

 few months ago, by the receipt of a letter from the Rev. J. H. Keen, in 

 which he asserted that the cavities of the anterior coxc^ are open behind, 

 as is indeed the case. Mr. Keen's observation is of great importance, in 

 that it opens the way to a proper appreciation of the systematic position 

 of the insect. 



Having been supplied with specimens of yEgialites Californicus, 

 Mots, {debilis, Mann.), by Mr. Keen, and o( ^. Fuchsii, by Mr. Fuchs, I 

 have been able to make cireful dissections of both, and find that in neither 

 case do the epimera reach tiie tip of the prosternum. There is thus left a 

 gap of some extent, though the posterior aspect of the cavities is not open 

 for its entire width as it is in Pytlio. This being true, it becomes 

 necessary to make a change in Dr. LeConte's table, removing yEgialitidse 

 from proximity to the Tenebrionid^e, and transferring them to group 4. 

 Here they may be placed next to the Pythidi«, with which they agree in 

 so many respects in larval as well as adult characters, and from which 

 they may be distinguished by the greater number of ventral abdominal 

 segments, there being six of these in ^gialites and but five in the 

 Pythidpe. 



To my mind, the sequence of Heteromerous families adopted in ilie 

 LeConte and Horn " Classification ' is not satisfactory, the Pyrochroidse 

 being too far removed from the Pythidas. These families seem to me to 

 be quite closely related, and I prefer the view presented by Dr. Sharp (1. c, 

 p. 266), whereby they are placed in juxtaposition. If now, we place the 

 ^gialitidse between the Melandryid;e and the Pythid;e, I think we shall 



