48 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 121 



most of the time. It is advisable to dissect the genitalia from at least 

 a part of the collection being identified. 



27. Melanotus trapezoideus (LeConte) 



Figures 6c, 116 



Cratonychus trapezoideus LeConte, 1853, p. 475. 



Melanotus trapezoideus. — Candeze, 1860, p. 348. — Blatchley, 1910, p. 752. — 



Thomas, 1941, p. 259. — Dietrich, 1945, p. 55. — Jewett, 1946, p. 9.— Fattig, 



1951, p. 20. 



Male. — Body color reddish to dark reddish brown, covered with 

 white or yellowish vestiture, evenly distributed over body. 



Head: Front usually with pair of shallow anterolateral depressions; 

 margin dark reddish brown, thinner in center, angulate and flattened 

 when viewed from above, weakly protuberant in front; parantennal 

 fovea semicircular or circular, well defined; nasale raised, as wide as 

 high. Mandible with small teardrop-shaped or oval pit. Antennae 

 exceeds tip of hind angle by 1 to 1^ segments, reddish brown, ratio of 

 segments 2:3:4 = 5:8:10, segment 4 about 1% times maximum 

 width, erect male hairs of moderate length and dense. 



Pronotum wider than long, ratio of width /length = 1.07-1.16; punc- 

 tures at center usually separated by distance equal to little more 

 than own diameter, equal or subequal to those on front; sides of 

 pronotum straight behind small anterior curvature, diverging pos- 

 teriorly; hind angles divergent, with carina usually extending cephalad 

 of base of hind angles. Genitalia as figiu-ed; paramere without apical 

 blade. 



Elytron: 6.1 ±0.5 mm (5.2-7.3). 35 spec. 



Female. — ^Antenna exceeds tip of hind angle by about one-half 

 segment; internal genitaha as figured, bursa not elongate or enlarged 

 at base of accessory gland and mth more than 50 peghke spines. 



Elytron: 5.1-6.9 mm. 6 spec. 



Types. — Lectotype of trapezoideus: Male, labelled with pink circle 

 "Middle States, incl. N.Y." (MCZ 2511). First specimen of type 

 series selected as lectotype by authors in 1962. 



Distribution. — Ontario to North Carolina, west to Minnesota, 

 Illinois, and Arkansas. 



Arkansas: Garland, Washington; June. Connecticut: Litchfield, New 

 Haven; June, July. Illinois: Champaign, Knox, McHenry, Putnam, Rock 

 Island; May, July. Massachusetts: Berkshire, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nor- 

 folk; June, July. Minnesota: Hennepin; July. Mississippi: George; June. 

 New Hampshire: Carroll; August. New Jersey: Bergen, Gloucester; June. 

 New York: Erie, Essex, Oswego, Rockland, Suffolk, Tompkins, Westchester; 

 April, September. North Carolina: Macon; June. Pennsylvania: Adams, 

 Dauphin, Indiana, Philadelphia; May, July (November). West Virginia: 

 Marion, Pendleton; August. Ontario: Ridgeway; August. 



