NO. 3568 MELANOTUS — QUATE AND THOMPSON 39 



Head: Front with shallow depression, margin not strongly pro- 

 tuberant above clypeus, rounded to flat when viewed from above; 

 parantennal fovea small, but well defined; nasale obsolescent. Man- 

 dible mth pit variable from ovoid to sUt shaped. Antenna exceeds 

 tip of hind angle by )$ to iK segments, reddish brown, ratio of seg- 

 ments 2:3:4 = 2.5:4:5, segment 4 about Ijz times as long as maximum 

 width; erect male hairs very short and inconspicuous. 



Pronotum wider than long, ratio of width/length= 1.05-1.13; punc- 

 tures at center usually separated by distance equal to less than own 

 diameter, as large as those on front; sides of pronotum mostly straight 

 behind moderate anterior curvature, mth slight concavity at base of 

 hind angles; hind angles divergent, carina extending cephalad of 

 base of hind angle. Genitalia as figured; paramere without apical 

 blade. 



Elytron: 7. 5 ±0.4 mm (6.4-8.5). 24 spec. 



Female. — Similar to male, except antenna sUghtly shorter in com- 

 parison to pronotum; genitaha as figured, bursa with few naiUike 

 spines with large bases, accessory gland short and clavate, sperma- 

 thecal duct branches near base. 



Elytron: 7.2-7.3 mm. 



Types. — Lectotype of cribulosus: Male, labelled with green circle 

 "Nebr. Terr." (MCZ 2519). First specimen of type series selected as 

 lectotype by authors in 1962. 



Distribution.^ — Central U.S. 



Illinois: Champaign, Kane, Mason, McHenry, Warren; June, July. Kansas: 

 Cowley, Douglas, Gove, Greenwood, Gray, Kingman; June, July. Nebraska: 

 Lancaster, Saline; June, July. Oklahoma: Cleveland; April, May. South 

 Dakota: Haakon; June. 



In superficial appearance, cribulosus looks like a member of the 

 communis complex; however, the mandibular pit removes it from that 

 group. The shallow parantennal fovea and dense pronotal punctures 

 distinguish it from other members of the americanus group. 



19. Melanotus corticinus (Say) 



Figures 5n, lOi 



Elater corticinus Say, 1823, p. 174; 1839, p. 183. 



Cratonychus corticinus. — LeConte, 1853, p. 473. 



Cratonychus vetulus Erichson, 1842, p. 105. [New synonymy.] 



Melanotus vetulus. — Leng, 1920, p. 175. 



Melanotus glandicolor Melsheimer, 1846, p. 152. — Emmons, 1854, p. 88. — Can- 



dfeze, 1860, p. 371.— Blatchley, 1910, p. 745.— Thomas, 1941, p. 259. 

 Cratonychus glandicolor. — LeConte, 1853, p. 477. 



Male, — Body color reddish brown, covered with whitish vestiture, 

 evenly distributed over body. 



