212 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



below than in minimus; gente Ion?, not distinctly angled outwardly. Ely- 

 tra narrower than in debilis, venation similar, outer anteapical cell short, 

 rounding; ultimate ventral segment of female short, truncate behind, 

 usually medially depressed, giving it a strongly, angularly excavated 

 appearance; male valve large, inflated, rounding posteriorly, concealing 

 all but the tip of the short plates. Color varying from pallid, with sub- 

 hyaline elytra to fuscous, with heavily fuscous margined elytral nervures; 

 tergum venter and male genitalia black; length 3.75 mm. 



Larvce, form of those of inimicus, nearly; vertex longer than broad, defi- 

 nitely angled; body stout; abdomen short; color light yellow, much lighter 

 than the dorsal color in inimicus, without markings of any kind. 



This is a widely distributed and well known species, occur- 

 ring in immense numbers on blue grass in lawns and open pas- 

 tures, and frequently met with in various other open situations, 

 never occurring, however, very far within the margin of shaded 

 area«, where it gives place to sayi and Athysanus curtisii. 



Work was not commenced early enough to determine fully 

 the life-history, but broods the past season were recognized on 

 blue grass as follows: Adults from the middle of May until 

 the last of June; larvas from the first week in June till the 

 middle of July; adults from the first week in July through 

 August; larvae through August until the middle of September; 

 adults from the middle of September through the season. 



It is the only American representative of a series of species 

 with enlarged male valve and concealed plates, and is thus ren- 

 dered very distinct in our fauna. The closest allied form seems 

 to be the European D. striatus L , with similar recorded habits. 



DELTOCEPHALUS OCULATUS N. SP. 

 (PI. xxiii, Fig. 4) 



Form and size very close to that of melscJieimeri, slightly 

 smaller, resembling the European D. metrius Plor in size and 

 color, but with a sharper vertex. Length, 3.50 mm. Width, 

 .99 mm. 



Vertex variable, at least one-third longer than broad, one and one-half 

 times length next eye, convexly pointed; front broad, straight margined; 

 gense arising from the outer corner of the eye, moderately curved below; 

 elytra long and narrow, similar in form and venation to those of melscbei 

 meri, but with nervures less distinct. 



General color of the female light yellow; eyes and tip of last segment 

 purplish black; male slightly greenish-yellow; tergum and venter darker 

 front with fuscous arc and in fall broods the vertex is marked with brown. 



Genitalia: Ultimate ventral segment of the female short, lateral angles 

 slightly acute, central half of posterior margin narrowly produced: length 

 of produced part equal to its width at apex; apex with three lobes indicated, 

 produced part dark colored; male valve triangular, shorter than broad, 



