70 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 290 



Discussion. — Numerous authors have presented this species as a 

 synonym of basalis. Wilcox (January 1953, p. 51) cited it as a valid 

 species distinct from basalis and presented the characters which serve 

 to distinguish the two. This action, I believe, was correct; however, 

 Pallister (May, 1953, p. 28) resynonymized mucoreus with basalis, 

 but Wilcox's treatment of 1954 (p. 382) amounted to a revalidation 

 of mucoreus. 



Distribution. — The 52 specimens on hand are from Texas, Kansas, 

 Missouri, and Kentucky. 



Cryptocephalus multisignatus Schaeffer 



Figure 28 

 Cryptocephalus multisignatus SchaefiFer, 1933. p, 323. 



Pronotum: Dark brown nearly throughout, lateral and apical mar- 

 gins lighter; punctation dual, larger punctures small. 



Elytra: Dark brown with vaguely to sharply delimited light orange 

 markings on each elytron as follows: a small spot at scutellum; a 

 spot at lateral basal haK, with inner posterior margin extending to 

 but not attaining scutellum; a transverse, anteapical band, not attain- 

 ing side or sutm-e; an apical spot. With eight rows of punctiu*es, sixth 

 and seventh rows confused; punctures becoming finer apically as usual, 

 elsewhere as large and dense as usual; inner and outer rows at apex 

 distinct, not quite meeting. 



Prosternum: Male with anterior margin produced ventrally into a 

 stout, blunt spine; female not examined. 



Length: 3.9 mm. 



Discussion. — The male holotype (the only type specimen) is in 

 the U.S. National Museum and has been assigned type number 69093; 

 it was taken in Arizona. It is the only example of this species that has 

 been seen, so the extent of variation of the characters referred to in 

 the description and key is not known. Schaeffer (1933, p. 323) erred 

 in giving the length of his type as 3.5 mm. 



Cryptocephalus mutabilis Melsheimer 



Figures 76, 77 



Cryptocephalus mutabilis Melsheimer, 1848, p. 172. 

 Cryptocephalus dispersus Haldeman, 1849, p. 248. 

 Cryptocephalus discoideus Suflfrian, 1852b, p. 49. 



Pronotum: Orange to red or black and usually with two elongate, 

 yellowish, oblique basal spots; basal margin more or less, lateral mar- 

 gin broadly, and apical margin rather narrowly creamy yellow to light 

 orange; lighter markings sometimes expanded and predominating; 

 light basal markings often reduced to absent, side and apical markings 



