30 AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGY. 



Obs. A truly singular insect, not uncommon in various parts 

 of the United States. Its fliglit is slow and awkward, and when 

 taken it endeavors to force the point of the abdomen through the 

 skin of the hand, but its strength not adequate to the task. The 

 whole abdomen resembles a much elongated pedicle, from which 

 the abdomen itself, or dilated portion, has been accidently re- 

 moved. 



The plate exhibits two views of the insect, natural size, and a 

 win"- somewhat magnified, to show the arrangement of the ner- 

 vures. 



BLAPS. Plate XVI. 



Generic character. Mentum small, or moderately large, quad- 

 rate or orbicular ; palpi terminated by a larger joint ; terminal 

 joint of the maxillary palpi securiform ; mandibles naked to their 

 base ; elypeus terminated by a straight line ; labrum transverse ; 

 antennse moniliform at tip, third joint much larger than the 

 fourth ; back flat ; thorax almost quadrate ; elytra acute at tip. 



[These species belong to the genus Eleodes. — Leg.] 



Blaps suturalis. — Specific character. Blackish ; elytra sca- 

 brous, grooved, reddish-brown, punctured ; lateral thoracic mar- 

 gin reflected. 



Blaps suturalis nobis, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci., vol. iii. p. 257. 



Desc. Body black-brown, punctured : antennae, third joint 

 longer than the fourth and fifth conjointly ; fourth, fifth, sixth 

 and seventh equal obconico-cyliudric ; eighth obconic-orbicular, 

 shorter than the preceding ; remaining joints nearly equal to the 

 eighth, globose ; the terminal one somewhat conic-compressed : 

 labrum prominent, emarginate, and with very short yellow hairs 

 at tip : thorax transverse-quadrate ; edge deeply concave before ; 

 lateral margin dilated, reflected ; lateral edge regularly arquated, 

 slightly excurved at base ; posterior edge slightly flexuose, nearly 

 rectilinear ; angles acute, anterior ones with a small excurved 

 point; punctures of the disk acute, distant ; two obsolete indented 

 spots behind the middle : scutel impunctured, distinct, acute : 

 elytra with seven grooves, the four sutural ones each with a 

 single series of elevated points, remaining grooves with numerous 

 points ; a series of points on each of the interstitial lines ; lateral 

 edge reflected, slightly elevated, acute ', a sutural, common, red- 

 dish-brown margin : epipleura scabrous and punctured, with four 



