No. 2365. new BEETLES OF THE GENUS AULICUS—SHAEFFER 159 



Female. — Similar to the male except that the blue markings are 

 heavier on the elytra, only the seventh and eighth antennal joints 

 dilated, and the last dorsal segment narrowly but rather deeply 

 emarginate at apex. Length, 6.5 mm. 



Palm Spring, California (Fenyes). 



Of this very distinct species I have seen only two specimens. 

 The male (type) is in the collection of Professor Wickham and the 

 female (allotype) in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. 



By the structure of the antennae this is rather an aberrant species. 



The form and also number of the antennal joints is considered 

 important from the generic point of view, and I was at one time 

 inclined to propose a new genus for this species. However, it seems 

 that a number of genera in this family are founded on too slight 

 characters and that a critical revision of the genera of the Cleridae 

 is very much needed and for the present prefer to leave it in this 

 genus. 



This species can perhaps be equally well placed as an aberrant 

 member of the genus Xenoclerus, which is in all its characters an 

 Aulicus but with a five-jointed antennal club and smooth, not 

 pubescent, elytra. 



