474 WILLIAM G. DIETZ, M.D. 



PHYTOBIUS Sch. 



This genus is at once distinguished from the other genera of this 

 subtribe by the very slender tarsi, the fourth joint equaling in length 

 the three preceding joints. The rostrum is less stout, longer than 

 the head, scrobes oblique, straight, at some distance from the eyes ; 

 antennae with 6-jointed fuuicle, joints 1-3 elongate, club variable. 

 Eyes rather small, round, convex and entirely exposed ; base of 

 prothorax produced into an acute, triangular process at the middle ; 

 scutel scarcely visible. Elytra wider at the base than the prothbrax, 

 distinctly narrowed posteriorly ; pygidium large, prosternum very 

 short in front of the coxve, broadly emarginate, without ante-coxal 

 ridges, mesosternum broad, truncate behind, forming one-half of the 

 middle coxal cavities, side pieces wide, ascending ; metasternum 

 short, side pieces wide; first ventral segment a little longer than the 

 second, segments 3-4 short, third not narrowed on the sides ; aiiterior 

 coxie conical, prominent, subcontiguous, separated by a very thin 

 lamina of the prosternum, middle coxse subglobose, rather widely 

 separated, posterior cox^ small, distant from the lateral margin and 

 but a little more widely separated than the middle coxae. Legs 

 long and slender, femora mutic, tibiae not armed at the apex, tai'si 

 as described above, claws simple. 



The two species thus far known to occur within our faunal limits 

 present structural differences of sufficient importance to warrant the 

 •establishment of two subgenera, as follows : 



Mesosternal side pieces wider, epimera ascending between the protliorax and the 

 elytra, freely visible from above Phytobius. 



Mesosternal side pieces narrower, epimera not ascending between prothorax and 

 tlie elytra, not visible from above Euhrj'-chiopsis. 



Subsenus Phytobius. 



Prothorax much wider than long, narrowed anteriorly ; mesos- 

 ternal side pieces freely visible from above ; the derm is covered with 

 a dense layer of scales, which, on the upper surface, overlap each 

 other, forming a sort of water-proof covering .similar to that seen in 

 certain genera of the Erirhinini. The European P. velatus Beck, 

 the type of the genus, belongs here. 



One species : 



Pli. griseomicaiis n. sp. PI. xiv, fig. 40. — Oval, black, antennse and legs 

 rufo-testaceous, above densely clothed with grayisli, slate-colored scales, having 

 a peculiar velvety appearance, beneath with i)ale ochreous, rounded scales. Beak 

 as loug as llie i>r<)th()rax, rather slender, a little widened at the apex, finely puuc- 



