NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 295 



tinct near base, deeper near apex, intervals flat, moderately closely punctate on 

 the disc, but much more sparsely at sides and apex, eighth interval not narrow, 

 biseriately punctulate. Body beneath opaque, metasternal area shining, punc- 

 tate. Presternum distinctly carinate, mesosternal elevation linear. Legs red- 

 dish. Length .08 inch. ; 2 mm. 



The usual color of the elytra is reddish brown, but they may be 

 paler, but from the specimens I have seen from our regions very 

 rarely as pale as in unipundatus. Superficially, the species resem- 

 bles quite small hcernorrlioidalls (nigricollis Saij), but that species has 

 a basal marginal line and has the metasternal area extended by an 

 oblique line. 



Gyllenhal and Erichson considered this species the male of uni- 

 pimctatus, but the form of the thorax and the difference in the eighth 

 elytral interval will readily separate the two. 



At the present time specimens are known to me from the Pacific 

 coast alone, from Washington southward to California. In Europe 

 it is widely distributed extending to Siberia and Japan. Its presence 

 on our continent cannot be attributed to commerce as is doubtless 

 the case with impundatus in the Atlantic region. 



€. prjetextatus Say.— Oval, moderately convex, piceous black, shining; 

 anterior angles of thorax and large sharply defined space at apex of elytra which 

 extends along the margin to the humeri, yellow. Antennie testaceous, club 

 darker, palpi pale testaceous. Head piceous, shining, often with two small pale 

 spots on the vertex, surface rather closely punctate. Thorax transverse, the sides 

 arcuately narrowing from base to apex, basal marginal line wanting, disc regu- 

 larly convex, without trace of basal impressions, surface closely and evenly 

 punctate. Elytra ten-striate, striaj slightly deeper near the apex and closely 

 punctate, intervals closely punctate in a large triangular space at base, but much 

 more sparsely near the apex and sides. Body beneath piceous, opaque : meta- 

 sternal area shining and punctate. Prosteruum distinctly carinate, mesosternal 

 elevation rather thick, the sides nearly parallel, punctate. Femora rufo-testa- 

 ceous, tibias and tarsi darker. Length .10—12 inch. ; 2.5—3 mm. 



This species exhibits comparatively little variation. The front 

 angles of the thorax are usually tipped with yellow, but sometimes 

 this color extends nearly to base, in which case the pale border is 

 wider in front. The apical pale space of the elytra also varies in 

 extent, but not greatly. The limit between the two colors is very 

 sharply defined, but the line of demarcation is somewhat irregular. 



The only species with which this might be confused is a7ialis, 

 which will be known by the indefiniteness of the apical pale space 

 and the very narrow eighth interval with but one row of punctures. 

 Occurs from Canada to Florida and westward to Kansas. 



