February — March 1SS9.J 



PSYCHE. 



165 



OBSERVATIONS ON SOME VARIATIONS OF THE MALES IN 



CLINIDIUM. 



BV FREDERICK F.I.ANCHARD, LOWELI-, MASS. 



In the Transactions of the American 

 Ent. Soc. V. p. 163, Dr. LeConte dis- 

 cusses at some length the Rhysodidcc of 

 the United States. A recent examina- 

 tion of a small series of Clinldium 

 showed, on comparison with the notes 

 and descriptions in the above mentioned 

 paper, quite considerable ditlerences in 

 the ^ characters. There are before me 

 four males and nine females. Of these, 

 only one, a 9 without locality, has the 

 thorax oblong as required by the defini- 

 tion of sculptile given by LeConte. 

 The others have the thorax distinctly 

 narrower anteriorly as is said of ca/cara- 

 tum. One $ from D. C. agrees in its 

 sexual characters with the description of 

 sculptile ; the anterior tibiae, however, 

 are much more strongly angulate than 

 is indicated by the figure given. For the 

 sake of comparison the following copy 

 is given of the description of the ^ of 

 sculptile \ — "Front thighs distinctly 

 toothed ; front tibiae rather suddenly di- 

 lated on the inner side, above the oblique 

 groove, then sinuate ; middle and hind 

 tibiie subsinuate on the inner side, pro- 

 duced inwards at tip into a sharp process. 

 Frosternum with a broad stripe of velvety 

 surface ; ventral segments with spots of 

 similar pubescence." 



In calcarattan (^ , the 'Front thighs 

 are not toothed ; front tibiie very feebly 

 dilated on the inner side ; middle and 



hind tibia; with a large pointed apical 

 process on the inner side, one half the 

 length of the tibiae ; under surface with- 

 out velvety spots. 



A second ^ from N. C. is like the 

 first mentioned, Init differs in having 

 the hind thighs distinctly toothed inside, 

 just before the apex, and in the proster- 

 num being quite smooth at the middle, 

 without any trace of velvetv pubescence. 

 The hind tibiae are more distinctlv sin- 

 uate. 



In two other males also from N. C, 

 the front thighs have a small tooth ; the 

 front tibiae are rather suddenly narrowed 

 at base and not at all angulate ; the 

 middle and hind tibite with apical in- 

 flexed process, on the posterior ones 

 very strong, apparently quite as well 

 developed as is said oi calcaratum ; hind 

 thighs as usual, merely sinuate before 

 the apex ; prosternum smooth, abdomen 

 with velvety pubescence on the first four 

 segments. 



A majority of the females seen have 

 the last ventral strongly protuberant at 

 middle, and transversely impressed be- 

 hind. Others are intermediate between 

 these and those having the same seg- 

 ment merely feebly convex. In all, the 

 front thighs are not toothed, the middle 

 and hind tibiae simple and the proster- 

 num and abdomen without velvety spots 

 at middle. 



