THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 



133 



wehhi Hopk. from Arizona and New Mexico and Pissodes murrayancB Hopk, 

 from Oregon. 



The work of Pissodes in California has been observed by the writer to 

 consist of two distinct methods of attack either on the stem just above and 

 below the ground, as in the attacks of P. yosemite, or in the terminals of the 

 stem and limbs, as in Pissodes terminalis, sp. nov., described below. It is very 

 doubtful whether any Californian species employs both methods of attack. 

 At present P. lerminalis seems to be the only Californian species attacking the 

 terminals. 



Pissodes terminalis, sp. nov. 



The general colour is yellow-brown. The elytral interspaces three and five 

 are broader than two and four and distinctly elevated, especially interspace 



three. The striae have deep, irregularly spaced 

 punctures which are often obliterated by the scales. 

 The elytra have yellow-scaled anterior spots and a 

 more or less fused posterior band of white and yellow 

 scales near the vertex of the declivity, the white 

 scales ey^tendrng to the sutural median line and coverini!^ 

 I ^ "^^^W^' P*^' the first and second inier spaces to the scutellum. The 



T Jf^^^^^mL. apices of the elytra are covered with yellow scales. 



The white scales also extend across the median 

 portion of the femora of both the middle and pos- 

 terior pair of legs. The pronotum is densely covered 

 with scales, those on the marginal half forming a white 

 band which is sometimes fused with the pronotal 

 spot. The basal angles are sub-rectangular, the 

 margin of the pronotum slightly rounded basally 

 and gradually restricted anteriorly toward the head. 

 Pronotum distinctly not as wide as the elytra. 

 The beak is moderate in length, stout and distinct- 

 ly red in colour. Eye spots distinct and linear. 

 Length 5.5 mm. to 6.3 mm. 

 Host tree. — Pinus contorta Dougl. 



Distribution. — Sierra Nevada Mts. from Kern to Lassen Counties, Cali- 

 fornia. Type locality, Chester, Plumas Co., California, 



Type.^ — & and 9 in the collection of the author where the species is repre- 

 sented by a series of 10 specimens. Paratypes are in the collection of the Ento- 

 mological Branch at Ottawa, and the collection of the California Academy of 

 Sciences at San Francisco. The distribution of the scales is more like P. schwar^A 

 than that of any other species, except that the posterior band does not stop at 

 the second interspace. Dr. Hopkins' key brings it nearer to Pissodes fasciatus 

 Lee, from which it differs in the distinctly elevated third interspace. The 

 accompanying illustration was drawn by my son, George Hopping. 



The work of this beetle was first noticed by the writer in 1907 in Kern 

 County, California, near Cannel Mdws. at an elevation of about 7,000 feet. 

 Later it was found distributed from the region of Mt. Whitney to Lassen County, 



fi 



Fig. 1.5. 

 Pissodes terminalis, sp. nov. 



