REVISION OF ELEODIINl BLATSDELL, 79 



maritime landscape, then these insects were gregarious in untold 

 hundreds. I have never found them so plentifid in recent years. 



Specimens from Tulare and Kern counties represent a slightly 

 different incipient race, which may be characterized as follows: 



Forma borealis. — Males less oblong and a little more ovate. 



I am indebted to Mr. Ralph Hopping for the privilege of studying 

 a large series. 



In Professor Fall's collection there is a female that is nu)re opaque 

 than usual, but otherwise it does not differ to any extent; it was col- 

 lected in the San Bernardino Mountains, California. 



Var. peninsularis is larger, glabrous, and shining, found farther 

 south upon the peninsula of Lower California (See below). 



I can not determine that Pygnia'a has any other characters worthy 

 of mention as distinguishing it from omissa^ Avith which it agrees in 

 mental, sternal, abdominal, and crural characters. 



It might be mentioned that the prosternum is more or less convex 

 between the coxje and mucronate behind ; the mucro is small. The 

 mesosternum is feebly oblique and slightly concave. 



ELEODES OMISSA var. PENINSULARIS, new. 



Suboblong-ovate to ovate, glabrous and shining, elytra obsoletely 

 subsulcate. 



Head quite finely punctate; antennm somewhat slender, eighth joint 

 scarcely shorter than the seventh. 



Pronotum subquadrate, widest at the middle, a fifth to a fourth 

 wider than long; disc evenly and moderately convex from side to 

 side, scarcely more arcuately declivous laterally, but distinctly so at 

 the ai^ical angles, somewhat obsoletely, finely and sparsely punctu- 

 late; aj^ex truncate to feebly emarginate in circular arc; sides 

 moderately and rather evenly arcuate, somewhat oblique posteriorly, 

 briefly and very feebly sinuate before the base, as seen obliquely from 

 the side; base feebly rounded, and scarcely to one-fifth wider than 

 the apex; apical angles subacute. Avith a tendency to become feebly 

 prominent anteriorly : basal angles obtuse and not rounded. 



Propleuro' obsoletely punctulate and more or less rugulose. 



Elytra oval, usually widest behind the middle; disc striato-punc- 

 tate, punctures generally not distinctly defined, more or less eroded, 

 striae somewhat impressed, intervals apparently someAvhat feebly con- 

 vex; strial punctures rather moderate in size and rather closely 

 placed, interA^als minutely, irregularly and obsoletely punctulate, 

 punctules rather more distinctly defined laterally, but not usually 

 confused. 



EpijyleurcB obsoletely punctulate. 



Sterna obsoletely punctate and more or less rugose. 



