Sept., 1904.] Chittenden: Latheticus in the United States. 167 



with a broad fringe within ; the outer lobe slender, terminating with curved stift hairs ; 

 the palpi stout, the penultimate joint subquadrate, the apical joint about twice and a 

 half as long as broad, cylindrical, narrowed at the apex. Labrum extremely short. 

 Epistoma trapeziform, emarginate anteriorly, the ocular canthus not projecting laterally 

 beyond the eyes. Eyes moderately prominent, very coarsely granular. Antennae 

 nearly as long as the head ; the two basal joints not visible from above ; the third 

 joint the narrowest, about as long as broad ; the fourth, fifth and sixth joints trans- 

 verse, each a trifle broader than the preceding, the seventh joint distinctly larger than 

 the sixth ; the eighth the largest (still transverse), the ninth and tenth a little nar- 

 rower than the eighth ; the eleventh still narrower, somewhat flattened, obliquely 

 truncate at its apex. The rest as in Tril>oliit?it. 

 Latheticus prosopis, new species. (Fig. 3.) 



Body four times as long as wide, sides parallel, moderately convex above, pale 

 brownish-yellow, surface moderately polished. Head prominent, only slightly nar- 

 rower than the prothorax. Front and epistoma moderately convex, nearly twice as 

 wide as long, gradually narrowing, declivous anteriorly and at sides, anterior margin 

 narrowly reflexed, ocular canthus prominent, encroaching somewhat upon the eye. 

 Eyes rather finely granulate, above very narrow, below separated by a space about 

 two and one-half times the oblique (longest) diameter of one eye. Mandibles promi- 

 nent, acutely and finely bifid at apex, inner portion with feebly marked tooth. An- 

 tennae with first six joints about as long as club, second joint visible from above. 

 Prothorax about as long as wide, rounded anteriorly, considerably narrowing pos- 

 teriorly, with base much narrower than the elytra, angles acute, surface not so densely 

 punctured as in oryzcc, base and sides very finely margined. Elytra of same width as 

 prothorax at its widest part, about two and one third times as long as wide, sides par- 

 allel, acutely angulate at base ; each elytron with six or seven less regular, scarcely 

 impressed rows of punctures. Punctuation of the presternum more dense than in 

 oryziv, otherwise with the exception of the prothorax and elytra the punctuation 

 throughout is scarcely different. Length, 2.7-3.0 mm. ; width, 0.7-0.75 mm. 



Habitat. — Indio, Cal., and Hot Springs, Ariz., under bark of a 

 dead mesquite (^Prosopis j 11 li flora'). 



Type. — No. 7895, U. S. National Museum. 



The general appearance, color and punctuation 

 is very similar to the Asiatic Z. oryzce, but the body 

 is a little more slender, the length of the latter be- 

 ing less than four times the width, while the thora.x 

 is longer, as are also the antennae. The eyes are 

 very much smaller. The mandibles are more prom- 

 inent than in oryzcs and the inner tooth is very 

 weak in comparison. In the latter it is strongly ^ 



developed. 



It is evident that the dentate apices of the mandibles is a generic 

 character previously overlooked because the mandibles are less promi- 

 nent in oryzce. 



