NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 35 



punctate, near the sides the punctures more numerous and larger. Elytra a 

 little wider than the thorax, subparallel, finely striate, stria; finely or obsoletely 

 punctulate, intervals flat and smooth. Body beneath very spar.sely punctate and 

 alutaceous. •Mesosternnm distinctly carinate between the coxse, opaque and 

 alutaceous in front. Anterior tibise punctate on the anterior face, tridcntate ex- 

 ternally and serrate above ; first joint of fi'ont tarsus much longer than the 

 second. Posterior tibiaj stout, the first joint of hind tarsus not as long as the 

 next three. Length .14-. 20 inch ; 3.5-5 mm. 



In the compavatively few .specimens examined I have observed no 

 sexual differences. 



Clo.sely rehited to the next species, but ea.si]y known by the much 

 stouter hind til)ite and the shorter first hind tarsal joint. The punc- 

 tuation of the striie formerly regarded by me as of some value in 

 separating the two species, is shown by the increase of material to 

 be too variable a character to be depended upon. 



Occurs from the Middle States to Missouri and Texas, also rarely 

 in Massachusetts (Blanchard). 



A. stercorosiis Mels. — Form oblong, parallel, convex, rufo-testaceous, head 

 and thorax dai'ker, elytra often clouded, surface smooth, .shining. Antennte rufo- 

 testaceous. Head convex, front not tuberculate, surface sparsely punctate J **'" 

 scarcely visibly punctate % . Clypeus truncate, very feebly emarginate, the sides 

 arcuate, the genje scarcely more prominent than the eyes. Thorax slightly nar- 

 rowed in front, sides feebly arcuate, the hind angles di.stinct, but obtuse; base 

 arcuate, without marginal line, disc convex, very .spar.sely punctate at middle, 

 more coarsely toward the .sides, the thorax of 9 more coarsely punctate than the 

 male. Elytra finely striate, very finely punctate % or more distinctly punctate 

 9 , the intervals flat, smooth. Body beneath sparsely punctate, shining. Me- 

 sosternuni finely carinate between the coxae, opaque and finely alutaceous in 

 front. Anterior tibise jiunctatc in fi-ont, tridentate externally, but scarcely 

 visibly crenate above, the first joint of anterior tarsus longer than the second. 

 Po.sterior tibiae slender, the first joint of the tarsus longer than the next three. 

 I.iength .14-.18 inch; 3.5-4.5 mm. 



Apart from the differences noted above no sexual differences have 

 been observed. 



AVith a chxse resemblance to the })receding species, the present has 

 always a darker head and thorax, the sides of the latter again paler ; 

 the elytra are often clouded with darker color and when this is well 

 marked the specimens may resemble lividm, which has equal s[)inules 

 at the apex of the hind tibiie. In w^ell preserved specimens the sides 

 of the elytra near the apex are slightly pubescent. 



Occurs over our entire territory east of the Mi.ssi.ssippi a.s tiir north 

 as Dacota. 



