410 APIONTD^. 



[LeConte. 



coxal cavities. Metasternum a little longer than the first ventral segment, 

 side pieces narrower. 



Elytra ample, sometimes almost ventricose, deeply striate, entirely cov- 

 ering the pygidium ; without epipleura? ; fold on the inner surface parallel 

 with the side margin, diverging gradually from it towards the tip. Wings 

 large. 



Abdomen with the first and second ventral segments large, closely con- 

 nate, with a fine straight suture ; third and fourth segments very short, su- 

 tures straight; fifth longer, flat, rounded at tip ; dorsal segments membran- 

 ous, pygidium small; anterior coxcTJ conical, prominent, contiguous ; middle 

 coxiie round, slightly separated; hind cox* small, transverse, rather widely 

 separated. 



Legs rather long and stout; thighs somewhat clavate, tibitB truncate at tip, 

 without spurs, or spines ; tarsi dilated, first point scarcely longer, third bi- 

 lobed ; claws divergent, appendiculate, toothed, or simple. 



Tlie species of this family are small, and have a peculiar and easily re- 

 cognized appearance. Lacordaire has placed them, as a tribe near his Atte- 

 labides, with which, however, as will be seen by the foregoing description, 

 they have but little resemblance, or affinity. 



Lacordaire describes them as apterous ; in all the species I have examined 

 the wings are quite well developed. I also find that in many of our species 

 the claws are toothed or appendiculate, while in a few they are simple, and 

 I have therefore attempted to group them in my collection upon those char- 

 acters, the position of the antennae, and the relative length of the first and 

 second joints of those organs. 



The species are numerous, and manj^ are yel undescribed. It seems 

 hardly worth while to affix names to them, until they have been collected, 

 with reference to the plants wliicii the}' infest. I will, therefore, on the 

 present occasion give only the bibliography of the described species, in al- 

 phabetical order, with such notes on their habits, as I have been able to 

 obtain. 



APION Herbst. 



1. A. cavifrons Lee, Pac. R. R. Expl. and Surveys, Ins. 53. Oregon. 



2. A. cinereum Gerstaecker, Stettin Eut. Zeitung, 18j4, 250. South 

 Carolina. 



3. A. crassinasura Lee,, Pac. R. R. Expl. and Survey's, Ins. 53, Cali- 

 fornia. 



4. A. cribricolle Lee, Pac. R. R. Expl. and Surveys, Ins. 53; A. po- 

 rosicoUe, Gemui , Col. Hefte, viii. 122. California. The change of name 

 was suggested in the Munich Catalogue, but was afterwards withdrawn by 

 Dr. Gemminger as unnecessarj'. 



5. A. cuprescens Mann., Bull. Mosc, 1843, ii, 289. Alaska. 



6. A. lanuginosum II Walsh, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., 1867, 269. Il- 

 linois, from galls S<(lix strobiloides produced by a species of Cecidomyia. 



7. A. melanarium Gerst., Stett. Ent. Zeit., 1854, 261. 



8. A. metallicum Gerst., ibid. 243. Florida. 



