WEST INDIAN APHODIINAE — CHAPIN 37 



punctured laterally, first sternite rather densely pubescent. Sternites 

 separated by rows of fine impressed pits. Anterior femur with peri- 

 marginal grove, its surface sparsely but rather coarsely punctured. 

 Posterior femur without marginal groove, surface almost impunc- 

 tate; posterior tibia without accessory spine. Length: 4rA.5 mm. 



Type.—V.S.^M. No. 53328. 



Type locality. — Dominica, British West Indies. 



Material examined. — Type and 370 paratypes from Dominica, 

 taken mostly near Roseau, whence the type comes. Besides the type 

 series the writer has examined 1,714 specimens from the following 

 islands : Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, St. Eatts, Antigua, Mont- 

 serrat, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Barbados, and Grenada. The absence 

 of this species from St. Vincent has already been commented on by 

 Arrow (sub temiinalis). On the islands where it occurs it appears 

 to be by far the most common Ataenius. 



25. ATAENIUS SULCATULUS (Chevrolat) 



Auperia sulcatula Chbveolat, 1864, Ann, Soc. Ent. France, ser. 4, vol. 4, p. 413. 

 Ataenius sulcatulus Gemmingeb and Harold, 1869, Catalogus coleopterorum, vol. 



4, p. 1067. 

 "i Auperia rhyticephala Cheveolat, 1864, loc. cit., p. 413, 



Piceous to black, pronotum sometimes pale near anterior angles as 

 are the antennae and tarsi. Anterior margin of head broadly rounded 

 each side of broad and shallow median emargination, head notably 

 wide across genae and not strongly convex, front in male very finely 

 and not at all densely punctured, in female finely transversely rugulose, 

 vertex somewhat more coarsely punctured on area between eyes. Pro- 

 notum with rather long and conspicuous marginal setae, marginal 

 groove rather coarse at sides, fine but complete across base. Surface 

 in male very finely and sparsely punctulate, in female more coarsely so, 

 laterally and across base with a very few scattered coarse punctures. 

 Elytral striae deep, strial punctures fine and not conspicuous, intervals 

 convex and smooth, minutely alutaceous, without visible punctation. 

 Lateral margin subacutely carinate, epipleura somewhat shining. 

 Pygidial carina with a strong median cusp; extreme apical margin 

 with median cusp, the two cusps sometimes connected by a very fine 

 carina. Mesosternum rough, metastemum smooth, median portion 

 slightly elevated, in male punctate with short bristlelike setae arising 

 from the punctures, in female similar but without setae, median groove 

 deep but not abruptly terminated. Abdominal sternites impunctate 

 but strongly alutaceous, basal transverse rows of pits not conspicuous. 

 Anterior femur with a very fine perimarginal groove, the surface shin- 

 ing and free of punctures. Posterior femur without marginal groove, 

 also shining and free of punctures; posterior tibia without accessory 

 spine. Length : 3.5-^,5 mm. 



