FRANK E. BLAISDELL, SR. 315 



SYNOPSIS AND REVIEW OF THE SPECIES OF COELUS 

 (COLEOPTERA; TENEBRIONIDAE) 



BY FRANK E. BLAISDELL, SR. 



For many years but two species of Coelus were recognized, 

 ciliatus Eschscholtz and globosus Leconte, both inhabitants of the 

 sandy maritime districts along the Pacific Coast. In 1890, Col. 

 Thos. L. Casey reviewed the genus and described two new species, 

 grossus and arenarius. In 1895, the same author again reviewed 

 this genus defining two additional species, latus and ciirtulus, 

 while in his more recent revision of the Coniontini the number of 

 species has been increased to fifteen with one subspecies. 



The present reviewer began the accumulation of material in 

 this genus in 1890, while living at Coronado, San Diego County, 

 California. Immediately after the appearance of Col. Casey's 

 first and short revision, Coelus grossus was obtained from Mr. 

 G. W. Dunn, who collected it at Santa Barbara, California. 

 The present paper is the outcome of repeated examination of 

 hundreds of specimens from different parts of the Pacific Coast 

 from San Diego to the shores of Humboldt Bay. Notes made 

 some twenty-nine years ago will be used here for the first time. 



Before proceeding further the author takes pleasure in acknowl- 

 edging his indebtedness to the following friends, who have loaned 

 him their material in this genus or have collected series for him on 

 request: Prof. H. C. Fall, Dr. Fenyes, J. 0. Martin, Ralph Hop- 

 ping, Dr. E. C. Van Dyke, L. S. Slevin, L. R. Reynolds, H. W. 

 Nunenmacher, G. R. Pilate, and the California Academy of 

 Sciences through its Curator of Entomology, E. P. Van Duzee. 



Long series have been collected in the vicinity of San Diego and 

 San Francisco; smaller lots at Dipsea and Tomales Bay, Marin 

 County, and at Samoa, Humboldt Bay, all from California. In 

 all many hundreds of specimens have been systematically exam- 

 ined to test the intra-specific characters and to determine how 

 they vary and whether they correspond to published values. 

 Much time has been devoted to the comparison and anangement 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XLV. 



