434 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. ii7 



The North American species is quite similar to the type species. 

 Differences between the two are smiimarized below mider Scaphidema 

 aeneolum (LeConte). 



As stated earUer, Scaphidema pictum Horn has been transferred 

 to the Phaleriini (Triplehorn, 1961). Because of homonymy involved 

 in this transfer, it is now called Phaleromela variegata Triplehorn. 



Scaphidema aeneolum (LeConte) 



Plates 2 (Fig. 12), 3 (Fig. 20) 



Nelites aeneolus LeConte, 1850, p. 232. 



Scaphidema aeneolum (LeConte). — Horn, 1870, p. 386. — Blatchley, 1910, p. 1265. 



Description. — Elongate oval, strongly convex, greenish bronze 

 to black, strongly shining. Head very short in front of eyes, clypeus 

 very short but broad, poorly defined, epistomal margin feebly rounded; 

 genae slightly reflected above antennal msertions, entire head sur- 

 face evenly convex, coarsely and densely punctured. Pronotum 

 almost twice as broad as long, convex, lateral margins straight and 

 parallel except near apex where they are sharply rounded; surface 

 deeply, coarsely, but sparsely, punctured. Elytra with lateral 

 margins feebly arcuate, gradually attenuate apically; striae finely 

 and closely punctured, very feebly impressed; intervals subconvex, 

 usually with a few widely spaced mhiute punctures forming irregular 

 series on each interval. Ventral surface of pronotum with a few 

 moderately coarse punctures near middle, faintly wrinkled poste- 

 riorly and near front coxal cavities; prosternum with coarse, dense 

 punctures along anterior margin, prosternal process broad, slightly 

 concave between coxae, its apex truncate and deflected; mesosternum 

 flattened and practically smooth; metasternum smooth except for 

 an elongate group of coarse punctures extending from middle coxal 

 cavities to the anteriolateral edge of hindcoxal cavities; pleural 

 sclerites rather coarsely and densely punctured; epipleura distinctly 

 but irregularly pimctured; abdominal sternites finely and sparsely 

 punctulate medially, each with distinct lateral impressions within 

 and beyond which the punctures are much coarser; hindtarsi long, 

 basal and apical segments subequal in length. Male aedeagus (pi. 

 3, fig. 20) with apical sclerite 0.6 as long as basal sclerite, its base 

 truncate. Measurements: length 3.3-4.7 mm.; width 1.6-2.5 mm. 



Remarks. — The European S. metallicum (Fabricius) is much more 

 broadly oval than S. aeneolum and has the sides of the pronotum 

 straighter and more rapidly convergent anteriorly. The male 

 aedeagus (pi. 3, fig. 19) is much more elongate and less attenuate 

 apically than in its North American relative. In addition, there 

 are a number of relative but nevertheless taxonomically useful 

 differences between them. S. metallicum usually has the elytral 



