NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 295 



vitta, nearly straight, incurved at apex. Antennae scarcely half as long as the 

 ))ody, piceous, joints 1-4 usually paler. Head rather coarsely and closely i)unc- 

 tate. Thorax not quite twice as wide at base as long, sides arcuately narrowing 

 to the front, disc convex, coarsely and moderately closely punctate, the surface 

 faintly alutaceous. Elytra slightly wider at hase than the thorax, surface more 

 finely and sparsely punctate than the thorax, smoother at apex, the yellow vitta 

 nearly exactly median, rather narrow, of equal width throughout, slightly in- 

 curved at apex. Body beneath piceous, with a faint aeneous surface, abdomen 

 sparsely, finely punctate. Legs similar in color, the tibije paler at base. Length 

 .08--.10 inch. ; 2-2.5 mm. Plate VI, fig. 17. 



Male. — Last ventral segment notched each side of the median lobe and with 

 an impressed median line extending the entire length of the segment. The an- 

 tennae have joints 2-3-4 nearly equal in length, the fourth very .slightly broader, 

 fifth much broader and equal to the two preceding, sixth small, nodiform, 7-10 

 equal in length, but gradually broader, eleventh longer. 



Female. — Last ventral simple. Antennae with the fifth joint longer than the 

 fourth or sixth, but not stouter, G-10 equal in letigth, eleventh longer. 



Among the species with vittate elytra this may be at once known 

 by the form of the vitta, approaching more ch)sely to Systena than 

 any other species. 



Occurs in California. 



2. P. siiiuata Steph. — Elongate oval, moderately robust, piceous, shining, 

 seneous lustre very faint, each elytron with a narrow sinuous vitta, parallel with 

 the suture at base. Antennae nearly half as long as the body, piceous, the three 

 or four basal joints paler. Head sparsely, finely punctulate. Thorax nearly 

 twice as wide at base as long, sides rather strongly arcuate and distinctly nar- 

 rowed in front, disc convex, surface very finely alutaceous, the punctures not 

 coarse, more widely placed than their own diameters. Elytra scarcely wider 

 than the thorax, humeri obliquely rounded, disc convex, the punctures coarser 

 and closer than those of the thorax, finer near the apex, without tendency to 

 strial arrangement; vitta narrow, parallel with the suture at basal half, not in- 

 curved at base, a short, broad, post- humeral branch, apical third strongly sinu- 

 ous. Body beneath piceous, abdomen sparsely punctate. Legs piceous, tarsi 

 brown. Length .10 inch. ; 2.5 mm. Plate VI, fig. 15. 



Male. — Last ventral slightly sinuous each side, a broad triangular impression 

 at apex. Antenna; with joints 2-3-4 nearly equal in length, the fourth much 

 broader, fifth longer than the preceding two and much dilated, si.xth short, oval, 

 narrow at base, 7-10 equal in length, eleventh longer. 



Female. — Last ventral simple. Antennae as in vittata. 



This species, which seems widely spread in Europe, has been in- 

 troduced and become widely spread in our Atlantic region, as far 

 west as Missouri. It is rather remarkable that Crotch should have 

 failed to recognize a common English species when he described 

 Zinimernianui. 



Occurs from the New England States to Georgia and westward to 

 Mis.souri. 



