14 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 121 



47(46). Male paramere with definite apical blade; thorax about as long as wide; 



distributed in central and south central U.S 48 



Male paramere without apical blade; thorax wider than long; largely 



distributed along east coast 28. tenax 



48(47). Male paramere not unusually slender, base of apical blade angled at 



about 90° 30. infaustus 



Male paramere very slender, base of apical blade gently rounded and 

 not strongly angulate 37. lanceatus 



The similis Group 



(Mandible with pit on lateral margin) 

 1. Melanotus similis (Kirby) 



Figures Aa-d, 8b, c; Plate la 



Perimecus similis Kirby, 1837, p. 149. 



Melanotus similis. — Erichson, 1842, p. 116. — Candfeze, 1860, p. 363. 



Elater fissilis Say, 1839, p. 183. [New synonymy.] 



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



Melanotus fissilis. — Candeze, 1860, p. 352. — Blatchley, 1910, p. 750. — Van 



Zwaluwenburg, 1922, p. 12.— Thomas, 1941, p. 259.— Dietrich, 1945, p. 57.— 



Severin, 1949, p. 16.— Brooks, 1960, p. 40. 

 Cratonychus laticollis. — Erichson, 1842, p. 102. 

 Ctenonychus ochraceipennis Melsheimer, 1846, p. 150. 

 Melanotus ochraceipennis. — Thomas, 1941, p. 259. 

 Ctenonychus sphenoidalis Melsheimer, 1846, p. 150. 

 Melanotus sphenoidalis. — Thomas, 1941, p. 260. 

 Cratonychus exuberans LeConte, 1853, p. 477. [New synonj^my.] 

 Melanotus exuberans. — Candfeze, 1860, p. 354. — Thomas, 1941, p. 260. 



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

 hairs evenly distributed over body. 



Head: Front coarsely punctate, most punctiu-es hexagonal shaped, 

 distance between punctures less than half puncture diameter, center 

 slightly protuberant; clypeus lightly punctate, parantennal fovea 

 shallow, width of nasale IK to 2 times height. Mandible without pit; 

 palpi yellowish brown. Antenna exceeds tip of hind angle by 2 seg- 

 ments, average ratio of segments 2:3:4=4:8:12; erect male hairs 

 moderately dense, often sparse enough to be inconspicuous; third 

 segment V/2 to 2 times longer than wide; outer angles of flagellar 

 segments often lighter in color than rest of segment, usually testaceous. 



Pronotum often moderately flattened and expanded; wider than 

 long, ratio of width length=1.18 (1.06-1.25); punctiu-es moderately 

 coarse at center, about size of those of front, separated by distance 

 equal to less than puncture diameter, punctiu-es little more dense on 

 sides and front, oval shaped except those on anterior angles hexagonal 

 shaped as on front; hind angles divergent, often with 2 carinae; side 

 concave before hind angle. 



