68 
PSYCHE 
[August 
'nvo NEW MYKMECOPHILOUS IIISTERIDAE. 
BY H. C. FALL, PA.SADENA, CAL. 
Some two years ago I received from Prof. Cockerell a specimen of a minute 
Iletaerius taken by him at Boulder, Colorado, in the ne.st of a species of Lasiiis. 
(^uite recently two more examples have been sent me by Prof. Cockerell, who ex- 
pres.ses the hope that I may soon describe it, and remarking tliat he considers it 
“t)iie of the sights of Boulder.” It is iiidee<l a very intcre.sting and distinct little 
species, and I take |jleasure in complying with the recjue.st of its discoverer. Advan- 
tage is taken of the opportunity to present also a description of a .still more remarkable 
Hi.steride from California, for which it seems necessary to erect a new genus. 
IIetaerius miniaiu.s n. sp. 
Form of hnmnipennis but smaller and of .somewhat paler color. Head and 
entire ui>per surface somewhat .spar.sely, evenly, and very di.stinctly punctate, each 
jjuncture bearing a suberect fulvous hair. Head not obviously concave. Prothorax 
transverse, sides straight, convergent from the ba.se to the oblicpie truncation of the 
anterior angles; lateral portions of the disk divided by a tranverse impression at 
basal third, the posterior portion more convex, the anterior nearly flat, neither of 
them appreciably more clo.sely punctured and pubescent than the median area. 
Pllytra a little wider than the prothorax, marginal .stria complete, the three discal 
striae fine, subequal in length, each nearly attaining the elytra! apex. Projn’gidium 
sparsely finely punctate at ba.se, becoming smooth at apex; pygidium impunctate 
or nearly so. Prosternum flattened and margined at summit from base two-thirds 
of distance to apex, the marginal lines sinuate between the coxae, diverging a little 
in front of them, and then converging and uniting ju.st behind the subapical trans- 
verse impression; apical concavity of prosternum nearly horizontal. Femora about 
two-fifths as wide as long. Length IJ-lj ™m. 
Boulder, Colorado. 
Three specimens from nests of “Lasius s|).” May 2, and ‘‘ Lasius americanns” 
March 23. 
This is much smaller than any other known species of the genus in our fauna, 
but as already stated comes nearest brintnipennis. This latter differs in addition 
to size, in its much more remote and less consj)icuous punctuation and pubescence. 
