FIVE NEW SPECIES OF PTINID BEETLES. 



By W. S. Fisher. 

 Of the Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture. 



In arranging the collection of Ptiniclae of the United States Na- 

 tional Museum and the Branch of Forest Insects, Bureau of En- 

 tomology, a few apparently new species were encountered. As most 

 of these were reared in connection with the work on insects infesting 

 forest trees, they are here described in order to have the names avail- 

 able for use in economic papers. 



This paper is a contribution from the Branch of Forest Insects of 

 the Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of Agri- 

 culture. 



The types of all the new species are in the United States National 

 Museum. 



PITNUS UUESANUS, new species. (Schwarz MS.) 



Black, head and prothorax alutaceous, dull ; elytra shining. Front 

 narrow, distance between the antennal foveae about equal to the 

 width of the first antennal joint; occiput with a shallow longitudinal 

 groove. Eyes small, truncate beneath and situated close to the base 

 of the antennae. Prothorax slightly longer than wide, sides parallel 

 and broadly arcuate, with a median transverse constriction, which 

 is better defined at the sides; surface rather coarsely but not closely 

 punctured and with scattered short, pale, recumbent hairs. Elytra 

 oblong-elliptical, twice as wide as the prothorax and scarcely more 

 than two times as long, punctate-striate, the punctures coarse and 

 closely placed, and each bearing at its anterior margin a short, stout, 

 recumbent hair, which lies across the puncture; interspaces not as 

 wide as the strial punctures, with a series of short, stout, white hairs, 

 which are more erect than those of the striae. Surface beneath 

 sparsely punctured, feebly shining and sparsely clothed with fine 

 recumbent Avhite hairs, which are more numerous on last abdominal 

 segment. Length, 1 mm. 



Habitat. — Key West, Florida. Described from three specimens 

 collected during February and March by Mr. E. A. Schwarz on 

 Icthyomethia piscipula. 



Type.— C?it. No. 21428, U.S.N.M. 



This species resembles Pitnus pygmaeus Gorham very closely in 

 form and color, but can be distinguished from that species at once 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 55— No. 2271. 



295 



