458 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



MiOLACHNOSTERNA, gen. nov. 



Body outline resembling that of Anomala. Pronotum short, the 

 base broadly, squarely truncate. Scutellum distinct, small. Sculp- 

 ture fine, body hairy above. Pygidium uncovered. Legs moderately 

 stout, hind tarsus, including the claws, nearly as long as the tibia, 

 the first four joints subequal, rather slender, claws simple. 



Type. — M. tristoides, sp. nov. 



MiOLACHNOSTERNA TRISTOIDES, Sp. nOV. 



Plate 8, fig. 1-3. 



Outline, as preserved, ovate, somewhat pointed behind. Head 

 not well displayed, apparently rather small, the vertex moderately, 

 finely, and sparsely punctured. Prothorax finely, sparsely, and rather 

 regularly punctate, clothed with long light colored hairs which do not 

 interfere with a clear view of the sculpture. Basal truncation wide, 

 equal to about three fifths of the greatest pronotal width. Scutellum 

 punctured like the pronotum. Elytra strongly narrowed posteriorly, 

 confusedly, and a little more coarsely, and much less deeply punctured 

 than the prothorax, similarly clothed with hairs, the punctures spaced 

 about as on the pronotum. Exposed pygidial surface obscurely 

 punctate. Hind tibia hairy. Length, to tip of elytra, 7.50 mm. 



Described from one specimen. 



Type — No. 2,569 M. C. Z. Florissant, Col. (No. 13,668 S. H. 

 Scudder Coll.). 



In sculpture and vestiture this insect is not very different from 

 the recent Lachnostcrna tristis, but the absolutely simple claws pre- 

 clude the reference to this genus. The basal pronotal truncation 

 is much more pronounced than in Lachnostcrna. The safe course 

 seems to lie in the erection of a new genus. The only point not 

 alluded to in the description, which calls for remark, is the appear- 

 ance of a long rather stout spine on the poorly preserved front tibia, 

 and while I have shown this in the figure and detail I am by no 

 means certain of its being a true character. I have presumed this 

 species to be a melolonthide and suggest that it be placed near 

 Lachnostcrna for the present. 



