H. C. FALL. 119 



S. pusilla Lee. 



Here again Casey is in error in stating that the post-coxal 

 plates of the first ventral extend "much beyond the middle 

 of the segment." Specimens from North Carolina, Virginia 

 and Massachusetts in Mr. Blanchard's and my own collection 

 agree in all essential characters with the LeConte types of 

 pusilla, and like the type, all have the abdominal plates a 

 little less than half as long as the basal segment, as is de- 

 scribed of Casey's dimidiata from Rock Island. There can 

 be no doubt of the identity of the latter with pusilla. The 

 erection of a new genus — Scaphiomicrus — for this and other 

 possibly distinct species of small size appears to me un- 

 necessary. 



S. apicale Horn. 



The descriptions of this species and of peninsularis by 

 Horn in the " Coleoptera of Baja California" are too brief 

 to permit a very satisfactory comparison with the previously 

 known species as arranged by Casey, whose descriptions are 

 very carefully drawn, and whose work on this family is on 

 the whole deserving of much praise. Peninsularis is un- 

 known to me, but a specimen of apicale obtained some years 

 ago from Mr. Fuchs enables me to add some details which 

 will be of use to the student for comparative purposes. With 

 the exception of the head and propleurae the insect is finely 

 punctulate throughout, the upper surface more closely so 

 however. The head is very minutely and remotely punctu- 

 late, the propleurae impunctate. The sides of the meso- 

 sternum are sparsely punctulate, and the ventral surface is 

 distinctly alutaceous throughout, both very unusual char- 

 acters. The antennal structure is in some respects unique. 

 The third joint is triangular, as wide as long, fourth cylin- 

 drical, less than twice as long as wide and barely one-half 

 longer than the third ; fifth and sixth each nearly twice as 

 long as the third and fourth together. The pubescence 

 begins on the fifth joint, but this and the sixth are only 

 slightly dilated internally ; the seventh quite strongly asym- 

 metric. Scutellum small, equilateral. Mesipimera reaching 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XXXVI. JUNE, 1910. 



