324 SPECIES OF coELUs (coleoptera; tenebrionidae) 



transversely punctato-rugose; surface rather broadly flattened and impressed 

 laterally on the lobes; impression varying in degree, elongate and parallel to 

 the side margin, densely and coarsely punctate; lobes not prominent, 

 subequally rounded; sides more or less oblique, sometimes broadly sinuate 

 opposite the oblique suture. Front broadly, rather deeply and transversely 

 impressed, impression rather arcuately excavated, strongly and densely punc- 

 tate, quite sharply defined from the vertex; each puncture with a conspicuous 

 long yellow hair which may be disorderly directed. 



Mentuyn densely punctato-scabrous and more or less carinate along the 

 median hne; apex very broadly and feebly sinuate; sides strongly divergent and 

 nearly straight; lobes quite narrowly rounded. 



Pronotum strongly convex transversely, rapidly declivous laterally; sides 

 more or less arcuate; moderately and subevenly converging, frequently more 

 strongly so, from base to apex; disk glabrous, poUshed, punctures very fine 

 and sparse, unequally distributed with occasional impunctate areas, laterally 

 with many coarse punctures intermixed, bearing yellow hairs; sides narrowly 

 explanate; apical angles rather narrowly rounded. 



Prosternum rather coarsely, moderately densely and more or less asperately 

 punctate. Process glabrous, more or less impunctate on the dilated apex and 

 along the median area between the coxae, punctures rather coarse and periph- 

 eral in position, bearing long yellow hairs; submarginal groove more or less 

 strong between the coxae. 



Measurements. — Length, 5.5-8 mm.; width, 3.2-4.5 mm. 



Male: Oblong-oval and less inflated; pronotal sides more strongly arcuate or 

 nearly as in the female; elytra less convex. 



Female: Oblong-oval, somewhat elongate; elytra more strongly convex 

 and inflated; pronotal sides less arcuate or somewhat as in the male. 



In a series the form of the sexes varies from quite different to 

 nearly similar, all gradations occur, however. The pronotal 

 punctuation is usually coarser toward the base and finer toward the 

 apex, and in the typical form there are large impunctate areas. 

 A large series taken at Samoa, on Humboldt Bay, preserve the 

 specific characteristics, but the punctures on the anterior part of 

 the pronotum are coarser and stronger and subequal in size 

 throughout the central area, as in a certain percentage of those 

 taken about San Francisco. All gradations have been observed. 



Casey has defined curtidus. The salient characters are: Very 

 much more dilated than either ciliatus or debilis; epistoma much 

 less tumid medially; pronotum shorter and more transverse, sides 

 more strongly converging and arcuate from base to apex : anterior 

 angles rather more deflexed and more rounded; surface less mi- 

 equally punctate. Out of hundreds of specimens examined l)ut 

 four have been referred to this form. Curtulus is not distinct 

 and has gradations in all directions. 



