28 Psyche [February 



If this species be assigned a place in the table of Candeze (Mono- 

 graphie des Elaterides, III, p. 579) it would go into the second 

 section in which the prosternal sutures are not deeply excavated 

 anteriorly, and by the maculate elytra and carinate prothoracic 

 hind angles would go next to L. stigma Hbst. However, it is not 

 like any of the described North American species and may be 

 recognized at sight by its size and coloration. 



Aphodius iowensis sp. nov. 



Oblong, moderately elongate, more parallel and less convex than usual, rufo- 

 piceous, the sides of the head and of the prothorax paler, elytra and legs reddish- 

 castaneous, surface strongly shining and polished. Antenna? paler, the stem a little 

 darker than the club. Head moderately convex, the three tubercles low and broad 

 but easily distinguishable, genae prominent but obtuse. The portion behind the 

 row of tubercles is sparsely and extremely minutely punctured, somewhat more 

 closely and distinctly near the sides. Clypeus with a shallow rounded anterior 

 emargination, sides strongly divergent posteriorly, angles broadly rounded, margin 

 narrowly reflexed, surface with fine but well separated and rather sparse granules 

 which fade out in the neighborhood of the frontal suture. Prothorax about one 

 and a half times as broad as long, very little narrowed anteriorly, the sides scarcely 

 arcuate but broadly explanate, all the angles obtuse and rounded, basal marginal 

 line showing faintly on each side of the middle; disk strongly shining, quite impunc- 

 tate at middle, sides irregularly marked with deep punctures, sparse and large on 

 the submedian area but becoming smaller and more crowded near the margin and 

 cribrate in the impression anterior to the hind angles. Elytra at base a little 

 narrower than the prothorax, only slightly broader behind, humeri obtuse, surface 

 strongly shining, finely and sharply striate, stripe with regular, round, rather close, 

 sharp punctures, interspaces flat and smooth. Body beneath with a fine alutaceous 

 sculpture and punctate as well, the punctures distinct but rather distant over most 

 of the ventral surface, becoming smaller and closer on the sternal side pieces. 

 Mesosternum bluntly carinate between the coxae. Anterior tibiae very strongly 

 tridentate and distinctly crenulate above the upper tooth, the spur stout and 

 curved, first tarsal joint shorter than the second. Middle tibiae with the spurs dis- 

 similar, the major spur being slender and sharp, about twice as long as the minor, 

 this latter slightly bent and chisel-shaped at tip. Hind tibiae fimbriate at apex with 

 unequal spinules, first tarsal joint shorter than the next three. All of the femora 

 are sparsely punctate and hairy. Length 7.25 mm. 



Collected at Lake Okoboji, Iowa, by Mr. A. O. Thomas, who 

 has kindly given me the specimen. 



This is a true Aphodius with short scutellum, and belongs in 

 Horn's group I-a. From those described, it may be known by the 

 tuberculate front, feebly emarginate clypeus, impunctate elytral 

 intervals and punctate hind femora, this combination of characters . 



