AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 103 



IMEZIITM Curtis. 

 Agrees nearly with Gibbium, except as follows: Elytra more 

 compressed laterally. Eyes equally small and much more distant. 

 Head, prothorax and basal margin of the elytra extremely densely 

 clothed with pale yellow scales and squamiform hairs ; the prothorax 

 sulcate and tuberculate on the disk, squarely truncate behind. 

 Lower surface, legs and antennse clothed with a dense crust of 

 appressed scales, with scattered erect or suberect elongate scales. 

 Prosternal process reaching the summits of the coxa? ; metasternum 

 broadly emarginate behind ; ventral segments fine, first exceeding 

 short at sides, longer at middle, 2-4 very short, last segment equal 

 in length to all the preceding united. Last antennal joint but little 

 longer than the tenth, oval, pointed. 



91. americanum Lap. 



Our only species in the genus, and too well known to need further 

 description. The elytra in very fresh specimens are sparsely clothed 

 with erect bristles, which are soon lost. Its habits are similar to 

 those of Gibbium. 



This species is widely distributed in the eastern United States, 

 more especially at the south. I have seen it from New York City, 

 Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and California (San Francisco). 

 It is reported also from Cape Verd, Canaries, Madeira, Greece, New 

 Caledonia, Chili and Peru. The single California specimen was 

 submitted by Mr. Fuchs, who takes it in his house, but much more 

 rarely than he does Gibbium psylloides. He suspects that both spe- 

 cies make their way into his rooms from a drug store beneath. 



Ptinini. 



The genera which make up this tribe are on the whole not very 

 strongly differentiated, but I can see no good reason for attempting 

 a reduction of the number considered as valid — in fact, admitting 

 their validity — consistency seems to require the addition of one 

 more — Niptinus — to those already described. With the exception 

 of Pitnus, which does not fit very well in any linear arrangement, 

 the sequence of genera is fairly natural. 



Beginning with Sjihcericus, in which the ventral surface is rela- 

 tively narrow, suggesting the Gibbiini, the body strongly globose, 

 eyes small in both sexes, the prothorax not constricted, the legs 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC. XXXI. MARCH, 1905. 



