FRANK E. BLAISDELL, SR. 307 



( JMiz 



6 1920 



STUDIES IN ALAUDES 

 (COLEOPTERA; TENEBRIONIDAE) 



BY FRANK E. BLAISDELL, SR. 



In 1890, the writer took a specimen of a species of Alaudes at 

 San Diego, California. It was found with ants under a cobble- 

 stone, near the mouth of what was then known as Switzer's 

 Canyon. This canyon is to the southeast of the city. The 

 specimen has remained an unique ever since. 



In 1907, Mr. F. W. Nunenmacher collected a series of a species 

 near Goldfield, Nevada. Dr. E. C. VanDyke has also taken a 

 small series in Alameda County, California. Very recently Mr. 

 J. 0. Martin most kindly permitted me to study a series of sixteen 

 specimens which he collected at Pasadena, southern California. 

 The Goldfield and Pasadena series are accompanied by speci- 

 mens of the ants with which they were found. These ants are of 

 two distinct species. Careful examination of the specimens 

 shows conclusively that four species of Alaudes are involved, and 

 that three new species make a remarkable addition to our list of 

 blind Tenebrionids. 



Dr. Geo. Horn in the "Revision of the Tenebrionidae" ^ defined 

 the genus Alaudes and described a single species, namely, A. sin- 

 gularis. The striking generic characters are the absence of eyes, 

 and the abrupt and very deep depression at middle of the pro- 

 notal base, with a corresponding scutellar depression of the eh'tral 

 base. Horn states that in singularis the scutellum is "transverse, 

 bisinuate and tridentate at apex." The elytra have nine series of 

 punctures each, and the vestiture consists of widely spaced and 

 interstitial series of scales or setae. 



The species may be defined as follows : 



Alaudes singularis Horn 



Form oblong = oval and subdepressed. Color brownish = castaneous. 



Head and pronotum clothed with yellowish appressed scales, interspersed 

 with others that are larger and scarcely suberect. Elytral vestiture consists 

 of very sparsely arranged, more or less gradually clavate, erect scales. 



' Annals Ainer. Philos. Soc, xiv, p. 361. 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XLV. 



