56 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 121 



Distribution. — Southeastern U.S. 



North Carolina: Brunswick; June. Florida: Volusia; April. 



Three females in the type series belong to morosus as sliown by their 

 long third antennal segment and the internal genitalia characteristic 

 of that species. However, the holotype and paratype males are dis- 

 tinct from other North American Melanotus. The female description 

 above is based on a specimen from North Carolina associated with a 

 male ohscuratus and agreeing with that specimen in external characters. 



35. Melanotus beameri Quate, new species 



Figure 6 m 



Male. — Body color light reddish bro^vn, covered with yellowish 

 vestiture evenly distributed over body. 



Head: Front with shallow transverse, anterior depression; margin 

 protruding in front of nasale by about twice width of rim, angulate 

 or sometimes rounded and flattened in center when viewed from above ; 

 parantennal fovea small but well defined, crescent shaped; nasale 

 obsolescent. Mandible with shallow, small, slitlike pit. Antenna 

 reddish brown, exceeds tip of hind angle b}^ 1-2 segments; segment 

 3 intermediate in size between 2 and 4; erect male hairs dense and of 

 moderate length. 



Pronotum slender, about as wide as long; punctures large and 

 dense, as large as, or larger than, those on front and separated by less 

 than own diameter; sides of pronotum mth little or no anterior cur- 

 vature and nearly parallel but a httle rounded ; hind angles markedly 

 divergent, carina extends to base of hind angle, close to and paral- 

 leling side. Genitalia as figured; paramere without apical blade. 



Elytron: 5.3 ±0.3 mm (4.6-6.0). 34 spec. 



Female . — 'Unkn o wn . 



Distribution. — Texas. 



Holotype, male (KU): 65 mi. south of Marathon, Brewster Co., Texas, July 

 10, 1938, R. H. Beamer. 



Paratypes, 33 males (KU, USNM, CNC): same as holotype; near Dugout 

 Well, Big Bend Nat. Pk., Texas, April 17, 1953, B. J. Adelson; Panther Jet. and 

 Nine Pt. Draw, Big Bend Nat. Pk., Texas, May 20, 1959, 2,600-4,000 ft., Howden 

 and Becker; Oak Spring, Big Bend Nat. Pk., May 22, 1959, 4,000 ft., Howden 

 and Becker. 



M. beameri is similar to the follo\ving species, but readily separated 

 from them by the undeveloped nasale, large and coarse pronotal 

 punctures, and male genitalia. 



The species is named in honor of Dr. R. H. Beamer, the late Curator 

 of the Snow Collection, University of Kansas, who did much work in 

 the American Southwest and through his diligent efforts added 

 significantly to our knowledge of insect fauna in that region. 



