CRYPTOCEPHALUS IN AMERICA NORTH OF MEXICO 71 



always present; sometimes discal dark area red with margins blackish. 

 Punctation dual, larger punctuxes mmute to small. 



Elytra: Dull creamy yellow to very light orange and with orange 

 to red or black markings. Each elytron with small oval spots as 

 follows: at base of second interval, at base of fourth interval, on 

 humerus, before base of eighth stria (sometimes absent), before base 

 of sixth stria, and at apex of third and seventh intervals (latter two 

 often expanded). Elytron with a large spot from suture behind 

 scutellum diagonally to fourth stria to past its middle, then diag- 

 onally to or nearly to elytral apex; an elongate spot at side behind 

 middle; smaller spots of above pattern (except humeral) often re- 

 duced or expanded, large discal spot often expanded and joining other 

 markings. With eight rows of punctures, fifth sometimes, sixth always, 

 and seventh sometimes confused; punctiu-es as dense but smaller than 

 usual, finer apically, often nearly disappearing; inner and outer rows 

 distinct at apex, usually clearly meeting. 



Prosternum: Anterior margin in male somewhat produced ventrally 

 into a broad lobe; anterior margin in female somewhat to feebly 

 produced into a lobe. 



Length: 4.3 to 6.5 mm. 



Discussion. — In a few specimens (mostly males), the two small 

 spots at the base of intervals two and four are confluent and join the 

 broad discal spot. This produces a color pattern very similar to that of 

 insertus, but in mutabilis there is a small spot on the eiglith stria just 

 below and behind the humeral spot. In insertus, the eighth stria lacks 

 such a spot or is covered by an adjacent, expanded spot. 



Sexual dimorphism is rather marked in the species. The males range 

 in length from 4.3 to 5.3 mm., and the dark markings are usually 

 black. The females range from 5.3 to 6.5 mm. in length, and the dark 

 markings are usually reddish. 



Douglass (1929, p. 9) recorded this species on peanuts. Label data 

 cite beating oak, cheriy foliage, and on Kalmia. 



Distribution. — The 268 specimens in the USNM collection are 

 from Quebec, Ontario, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Mary- 

 land, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Vir- 

 ginia, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, 

 Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas. 



Cryptocephalus nanus Fab.. 



Figure 44 

 Cryptocephalus nanus Fab., 1801, p. 56. 



Pronotum: Light orange to orange or light reddish, sometimes with 

 two vague, lighter, basal, oblique spots. Punctation much reduced , 



