AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 123 



Rh. bifoTeatas, n. sp. 



Male. — Color entirely black, elytra brownish, gradually becoming black at 

 base, a small arcuate space one fourth from the humerus pale luteous. An- 

 tennae pale brownish. Vertex in front convex, sparsely punctured. Thorax 

 with a very deep impression, on each side at base, the two foveae separated by 

 an obtuse elevation; lobe at tip not elevated, transversely notched. Elytra 

 contiguous for a very short distance, rapidly narrower and very acute at tip, 

 disc of each elytron with a broad moderately deep lonjritudinal channel, sur- 

 face very sparsely punctured. Body beneath very sparsely punctured. Legs 

 black, claws luteous. Second joint of hind tarsi shorter than the third, rather 

 broadly flattened above. Length .44 inch; 11 mm. 



One specimen in my cabinet from Illinois. 



Rh. octoiiiaculatus Gerst. Monog. Rhip. p. 22 ; bicolor Say, Journ. Acad. 

 1823, p. 275; Sayi Lee. Journ. Acad. IV., 1858, p. 21; puncticeps Lcc. loc. cit. p. 

 20. 



The color of this species is so extremely variable that it may be 

 best described under its varieties. The general characters of all are 

 as follows : 



Thoracic lobe not elevated, tip obliquely truncate and concave. Elvtra 

 above nearly flat, feebly longitudinally concave, contiguous for a short distance 

 at base, rapidly narrowing to tip and acute. Body beneath (metasternum es- 

 pecially) very densely and finely punctured and clothed with fine silken pu- 

 bescence. Second joint of hind tarsus shorter than the third and rather 

 broadly flattened above, 



ilia/e.— Antennae pale rufous, rami black. Vertex in front moderately 

 convex, sparsely punctured. 



Female. — Antennae black, two basal joints rufous. Vertex in front either 

 flat or slightly concave, moderately densely punctured. 



Var. octomaculatus Gerst.— Color ferruginous. Head black. Thorax with 

 an elongate black spot on each side. Elytra each with three black spots, hu- 

 meral, median and apical. Legs black, anterior femora rufous tipped with 

 black. 



The two thoracic spots are characteristic of this variety. The 

 elytral spots may entirely disappear. One specimen is before me 

 with the median spot alone remaining and merely as a black point. 

 The legs and head may be entirely ferruginous. 



Var. puncticeps Lee. — Body beneath, head and legs black. Abdomen 

 rufous. Thorax rufo-testaceous without spots. Elytra similar in color, each 

 with three spots as in the preceding variety but smaller. 



Var. Sayi Lee, bicolor \\ Say. 



Mah.—^oAj beneath, head and legs black. Thorax and elytra rufotesta- 

 eeous, the latter tipped with black. 



Female.— Bo&j black. Abdomen red. Head rufous or black. Legs black. 

 Thorax uncolored. Elytra with three black spots as in octomaculatus. 



Length .20— .52 inch; 5—13 mm. 



This species occurs in Florida, Georgia, Kansas and Texas, and 

 according to Gerstaecker, at Cayenne, S. A, 



