32 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 290 



margin of prosternum produced ventrally into a broad, blunt lobe in 

 male. Fifth abdominal segment in male faintly depressed. 



Length: 3.9 to 4.0 mm. 



Type data. — This description is from two nearly identical males, 

 both taken at Flagstaff, Arizona, on "VI-23-37," by D. J. and J. N. 

 KnuU. The holotype is in the OSU collection; the single paratype is in 

 the USNM collection. 



Discussion. — The species is superficially similar to venustus simplex. 

 The two are readily separated by the comparative sizes of the elytral 

 punctures. In astralosus, the punctures of adjacent striae are separated 

 by about their diameters; in v. simplex, they are separated by four or 

 more times their diameters. Also, astralosus is known only from Ari- 

 zona, and is 3.9 to 4.0 mm. long. C. v. simplex is known from New 

 Hampshire to Virginia to Wisconsin and is 4.1 to 5.8 mm. long. 



The Central American species sordidus Suffrian is closely related to 

 astralosus. A single specimen in the USNM collection determined as 

 sordidus is markedly similar in form, color of the dorsal surface, and 

 elytral punctation to astralosus. The chief difference is that the head, 

 prosternum, and mesosternum of sordidus are almost entirely black; 

 these parts of astralosus are dull orange throughout. Also the latter 

 measures, 3.9 to 4.0 mm. long, and the single specimen of sordidus is 4.5 

 mm. long. 



Cryptocephalus atrofasciatiis Jacoby 



Figures 46, 119 

 Cryptocephalus atrofasciatus Jacobj'', 1880, p. 48. 



Pronotum: Light orange to red, usually with basal oblique spots and 

 margins yellow or lighter than remainder, not sharply delimited; sur- 

 face punctation dual, larger punctures minute to moderate in size. 



Elytra: Usually yellow or orange with three transverse, generally 

 distinct, undulating orange, red, or (usually) black bands. When 

 bands black, these sometimes expanded and partly to largely con- 

 fluent, elytra thus sometimes predominantly black with vague to 

 distinct elongate yellow spots. With eight rows of punctures, sixth, 

 seventh, and usually fifth rows entwined, punctures as usual in size 

 and density, finer apically as usual; inner and outer rows distinct at 

 apex, nearly always clearly meeting. 



Prosternum: Anterior margin in male produced into broad V-shaped 

 lobe; female with anterior margin somewhat produced into a broad 

 lobe. 



Length: 5.0 to 7.5 mm. 



Discussion. — This species is one of the most variable in the genus in 

 coloration. Continuous intermediates exist between the one extreme 

 in which the elytra are yellow with rather vague orange bands and the 



