324 BULLETIN 63, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



with siibseriately placed small granules, on each side and apex 

 briefly piliferoiis. Antennae slightly incrassate externalh^ Length 

 •CO {suhdspera) (LeConte). 



Diagnostic characters. — The present species was originally de- 

 scribed by LeConte as si/haspori ; this name having been used by 

 Solier at an earlier date. Doctor Plorn renamed it in honor of Doctor 

 LeConte. 



The single female specimen before me has been kindly loaned for 

 study and pronounced by JNIr. Blanchard as being exactly typical. 

 Li its general facies it is suggestive of planipennis. The elytra are 

 distinctly flattened on the dorsum, and the sides of the i:)ronotum are 

 evenly rounded nearly to the basal angles Avhere they become 

 slightly subsinuate. 



Leco7itei is much less shining than planipennis and the sculpturing 

 is distinctly more asperate; the head and thorax are more coarsely 

 punctate. Although the male is unknown to me, it is safe to as- 

 sume that the secondary sexual charactei's aro the same as in sn.owii. 



I believe that the elytra are more fortuitously depressed than nor- 

 mally so and that the average specimens will have the elytra nor- 

 mally convex. I surmise that I have examined such examples and 

 erroneously referred them to snowii before I fully recognized the 

 species under consideration. 



The genital characters in the female are the extreme for the sub- 

 genus Blapylis.^ the valvular apex is fully chitinized, it is also setose 

 and not produced, characters not observed in planipennis from which 

 it is perfectly distinct and not at all closely related. 



From snowii, which appears to be worthy of specific standing — if 

 not, at least it would be a good race of lecontei — it must be carefully 

 differentiated. For a long time I have confused the two species; the 

 sculpturing is quite similar in the tAvo, but much less strongly and 

 coasely granulate and more of the muricate type in snoioii, where 

 also the elytra are less broadly oval and more elongate and shining. 



In parvicollis and cordata and their races the pronotum is more or 

 less strongly constricted at the base, less so in consohrina, where the 

 body is more robust. 



In lecontei the marginal bead of the pronotum attains the base. 



General ohse/vafions. — The nientum is moderate and rather para- 

 bolic in outline, finely and not deeply punctate, very feebly convex, 

 and obsoletely foveate. 



The prosternum is moderately prominent ventrally with the coxae, 

 arcuately convex antero-posteriorly. and not in the least mucronate 

 behind. 



The mesosternum is feebly ai'cuate and obliipie, very slightly con- 

 (;ave. 



