NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 101 



S. frateruu^i Lee. — Broadly oval. Head yellowish, sparsely punctate. 

 Thorax narrowed in front, sides moderately arcuate, surface sparsely, obsoletely 

 punctate, color yellow, with a piceous median area of variable extent. Elytra 

 black, not very closely nor densely punctate, the apex with a yellowish area, 

 which never extends along the suture more than a fifth of its length, but along 

 the apex and sides nearly a third of the curve ; prosternal lines distinct, conver- 

 gent in front ; nietasternum coarsely punctate the mesocoxal line arcuate, joining 

 the suture near the front. Abdomen piceous, gradually paler at sides and apex, 

 metacoxal arc entire not quite as long as the segment. Legs reddish yellow. 

 Length .08 inch. : 2 mm. PI. II, fig. 3. 



The only variation observed is that of color. The piceous area of 

 the thorax may be greater or less, but the yellow lateral border is 

 always wide. The apical pale area of the elytra does not vary to 

 any extent. The abdomen may have the sides and apex vaguely 

 paler, or the paler area may be well defined. 



As a synonym of this species luemorrhom Lee. is placed. A re- 

 cent examination of the types of both shov/s that they were estab- 

 lished on uniques, the differences being merely individual, fraterwm 

 having the greater extent of yellow on the thorax. Specimens sup- 

 posed to be the males of this species are less broadly oval, and the 

 yellow at apex of greater extent. 



S. creperus Muls. seems to differ only in having the last three ven- 

 tral segments very yellow, except a median piceous spot on the third 

 segment. Mulsant records a variety of this which he calls astutm. 

 While I am not yet fully prepared to place all the above in syn- 

 onymy, it needs but a few intermediate forms to do so. In that case 

 the name creperus must stand. By some accident the latter escaped 

 notice by LeConte. 



Hab. — Canada, Middle States, Illinois, Louisiana, Texas. 



S. Brullei Muls. — Oval, black, sides of thorax and a large apical elytral 

 space reddish yellow. Head sparsely punctate, color piceous or yellow. Thorax 

 narrowed in front, sides arcuate, surface sparsely, indistinctly punctate, color 

 variable from being entirely black to having the sides broadly and apex narrowly 

 yellow. Elytra moderately closely and distinctly punctate, black, the apical 

 yellow space occupying a third or even more of the superficial area ; prosternal 

 lines distinct, convergent to the front; metasternum closely punctate at the sides, 

 mesocoxal arc joining the suture near the front. Abdomen usually entirely pi- 

 ceous, closely punctate, metacoxal arc entire fully three-fourths the length of the 

 segment. Legs testaceous or slightly rufous, the femora darker. Length .08 — 

 .10 inch.; 2—2.5 mm. PI. II, fig. 8. 



The descrijition applies to many specimens seen from Florida, 

 Texas and Wyoming. I have two others which differ (Missouri and 

 New York) in having the sides and apex of the abdomen broadly 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC. XXII. MAY, 1895. 



