AMERICAN OOLEOPTERA. 171 



1. P. setifer Lee. — Robust, parallel, brown ; body throughout clothed with 

 confused luteous pubescence, somewhat denser on the head and prothorax ; en- 

 tire upper surface and legs with numerous scattered long erect hairs of the same 

 color. Joints 3-8 of antennae nearly equal in length, hut 3, 5 and 7 are slightly 

 larger than 4, 6 and 8. Head with small scattered granules. Prothorax nearly 

 as long as wide, sides straight and parallel, front angles right, hind angles very 

 obtuse and scarcely defined; base oblique at sides, truncate at middle; disk 

 strongly gibbous, the gibbosity not channeled ; surface granulate-rugose. Elytra 

 wider than the prothorax, sides parallel, surface polished and with rows of per- 

 forate punctures, which are more or less confused on the disk. 



The palpi are not clearly visible, but the last joint appears to be 

 elongate fusiform. If this observation is correct, it is a point of 

 importance in support of the validity of the genus. 



TRICHODESMA LeConte. 

 The members of this genus are among the most beautiful of our 

 Ptinides. They are oblong, convex, of moderate or large size, more 

 or less densely pubescent and ornamented with tufts of erect hairs. 

 The terminal joint of the maxillary palpi is elongate-parallel, with 

 the apex broadly squarely truncate and a little emarginate; last 

 joint of labial palpi triangular, the apex broad and feebly emargi- 

 nate. Antenna? 11-jointed, three outer joints large, elongate and 

 together as long as or somewhat longer than the preceding united ; 

 intermediate joints not serrate. Eyes moderate. Prothorax strongly 

 gibbous, narrowed behind, hind angles usually rounded but some- 

 times defined, surface granulate with small rounded tubercles. Ely- 

 tra coarsely deeply punctate, the punctures sometimes in rows, some- 

 times completely confused. Front and middle coxa? widely separa- 

 ted, the prosternum broadly truncate behind. Mesosternal plate 

 broadly concave Ventral segments free, the first short, second 

 longest, third nearly as long as the second ; fourth subequal to the 

 first; fifth a little longer than the fourth. Legs stout, thighs feebly 

 clavate ; tarsi dilated, the joints gradually increasing in width, the 

 last joint broadly triangular and densely pilose beneath like the 

 others. Claws with a broad rectangular basal tooth. As is usual 

 in the Ptinidse the eyes are a little larger in the males and the joints 

 of the antennal club are a little more elongate, but these differences 

 are not very conspicuous. This genus is widely distributed over the 

 American Continent and is represented in most parts of our own 

 territory. The number of species known to us has increased nota- 

 bly of late years, chiefly through explorations of the lower Rio 



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



