666 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 117 



eleven, flatter and darker. Mouth parts tawny or dark. Pronotum 

 dull or shiny, impunctate or punctate to varying degrees, the 

 punctures and punctides originating medially and posteriorly. ' Pos- 

 teromedial rugosities occasionally present. Prosternum broader 

 than long; punctate or impunctate, the size of the punctures variable. 

 Pronotal epipleura smooth, dull, with recessed areas for reception of 

 forefemora. Elytra equal m gloss to, or more shiny than pronotum; 

 with ten rows of strial punctures (excluding marginal striae); first 

 striae terminating along suture; seventh, eighth, and ninth striae 

 beginning from humeral calli; striae becoming effaced medially and 

 posteriorly. Intervals occasionally rugulose and with punctides. 

 Strial punctiu-es of variable size and impression. Venter also of dark 

 colors; varying degrees of punctation. Metepisterna with the most 

 distinct punctures of undersides. Legs dark as rest of body. Tarsal 

 claws generally stout and appendiculate, or more slender and less 

 noticeably appendiculate. 



Variation: The observed size range, in milimeters, is 2.16 long by 

 1.50 wide to 3.08 long by 2.00 Avide. The average size of males (bised 

 on 89 specimens) was 2.40 long by 1.67 wide; for females, (based on 87 

 specimens) 2.83 long by 1.83 wide. Specimens of this species are 

 quite variable and indicate that a cline exists. Color gradations are 

 among its features. The northern members are more piceous while 

 southern material more blue. The synonym, L. ater, was applied 

 to a northern member. Distinctness of impression and size of punc- 

 tures also appeared to become more prominent in the southern speci- 

 mens. A clinal effect was fiu'ther noticed in the increasing incidence 

 of a smoother, more shming surface and distinct, but not large, 

 punctures among specimens collected in northern Illinois and north- 

 ward into Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. Variation was found 

 to occm- also in the tarsal claws. Specimens from the vicinity of 

 Lake Marion, Fla., showed these structures to be less appendiculate. 

 Discussion: L. ater (Haldeman, 1849) and L. viridanus (Fall, 1927), 

 are synonymized and the types of both (Museum of Compara- 

 tive Zoology) have been seen by the author. These two descrip- 

 tions, it now appears, were apphed to forms not exactly like the type 

 L. saponatus, but are, nevertheless, conspecific. Wilcox (1956) and 

 M. W. Sanderson (personal communication) also indicated possible 

 new species which I beheve are also variations. Cryptocephalus 

 saponatus Fabricius is the oldest name to apply to this species. L. 

 ater was described by Haldeman in 1849. After this name, Haldeman 

 (1849) credited Knoch (1801) for its origin in the genus Clytra; 

 however, Knoch's name was "uncharacterized." F. V. Melsheimer 

 (1806) in the first separate pubhcation in America referring to insects, 

 also credits Knoch for the name. But Melsheimer's catalogue (1806) 



