732 Coleopterological Notices, VI. 



istic vestiture, three-jointed antennal chib and other structures full}' devel- 

 oped. 



A. exiguus Chmp., seems to lie bet^veen the nanus and ictcrieus gi'oups of 

 true Anthicus, but is altogether distinct from any of our numerous small 

 species. 



A. dromcdnr'ms Laf., -will form the type of a distinct and still unnamed 

 genus, allied to Malporus, but with a far greater extension of the mesosternura 

 and complete absence of long erect tactile setaj. 



A. spinicMis Laf., is also the type of a distinct genus, named Acanthinus 

 by LaFerti!' (Mon., p. 136), and characterized by a great lateral extension of 

 the mesosternum and subseriate elytral punctures; the genus extends into 

 southern Texas. 



SAPIXTUS n. gen. 



While it is true that the species separated from Anthicus un- 

 der this name appear to possess no very radical structural modi- 

 fication, there are so many minor points of divergence, and the 

 species are so evidently homogeneous among themselves, that I 

 have no doubt of the necessity for the division, especially as 

 these differences are accompanied by a marked peculiarity of 

 general habitus. 



The body is stouter than in Anthicus, with relatively much 

 longer el3'tra and smaller prothorax ; the elytral epipleurre are 

 wider, the first joint of the hind tarsi is longer, and the corre- 

 sponding tibial spurs are shorter and much more slender, some- 

 times apparently almost obsolete. The vestiture is quite differ- 

 ent, consisting of two distinct sets of hairs, besides the erect 

 tactile setic, the longer and more erect hairs arising from the 

 coarse punctures, the shorter and generally more decumbent 

 pubescence from minute punctules scattered over the interspaces. 

 Finally, the antenniB terminate invariabl}- in an abrupt, though 

 feeble, three-jointed club. In fact Sapintus appears to constitute 

 a true genus, and can in no wise be regarded as a subgenus of 

 Anthicus ; it is confined geographically to the United States east 

 of the Rocky Mountains, extending well into Mexico, and is rep- 

 resented in the arid Sonoran province by one peculiar species ; 

 it does not occur at all in the true Pacific coast fauna. 



The species can be distinguished among themselves as follows: 



Eyes large and rather strongly convex, the body usually stouter. 

 Body T)lack or l)rownish-black. 

 Legs blackish. 



