327 



conuection certain otber exotic forms that have recently been received 

 at this office, species that have been introduced in this country, or that 

 are often brought living to our shores. Some of the more injurious of 

 the species here considered have been kept under observation, and 

 more detailed accounts of them are in course of preparation. In the 

 determination of the more difficult forms I am indebted for assistance 

 to Ur. David Sharp, to Dr. George H. Horn, and to Mr. E. A. Schwarz. 



Pliaraxonotha kirschiJieht. — The most interesting of all the imported 

 species, from an economic as well as zoologic standpoint, is the one 

 mentioned at number 12 of the list just referred to, and found in corn meal 

 and edible tubers from Mexico and Guatemala. This species was first 

 classified with the Cryptophagidte by Keitter, who published a descrip- 

 tion in the Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift in 1875 (vol. xix, p. 44), 

 but afterwards removed the genus to the Erotylidjie. The types were 

 found in Silesia, Germany, but were brought from Mexico. I know of 

 no record of this insect having established itself in Phirope, but it is 

 included in Eeitter's recently published Catalogus Coleopterorum 

 Europie, and from what I have learned of its habits I am firmlj' of the 

 belief that it is only a matter of time when it will be introduced in our 

 Southern States. The species is also known from Brazil. 



Dinoderus tnincatus Horn. — Of scarcely less imi)ortance than the 

 preceding is the species numbered 25, found in grain and edible tubers 

 of the same exhibits. As the original description of trimcatus (Pr. Am. 

 Phil. Soc, vol. XYii, p. 550, 187S), was drawn up from mutilated speci- 

 mens, from California, Dr. Horn has kindly compared our specimens 

 with the types, and writes that they can not be separated. There 

 are two divisional records of the importation of this insect in the United 

 States, but there is no evidence that the species has obtained a foothold 

 within our territory. 



Dinoderus biforeolatus Woll. — This insect was taken at the Columbian 

 Exi»osition, but not having been found in the foreign exhibits it could 

 not properly be included in the list of such species. It was taken on 

 the lake shore, where it had been washed up by the waves. The species 

 was first identified by a recently-published table for the determination of 

 the Bostrychidie of Europe and adjoining countries, given by VI. Zoufal 

 in volume xiii of the Wiener Entomologische Zeitung (p. 41), and this 

 determination has been verified by Dr. Horn, who ahso confirms the 

 identity of this species with Dinoderus hrevis Horn, by which name we 

 have always heretofore known the insect. 



The species difiers from all the others that have been referred to this 

 genus by its eleven-jointed antennie, also by its short form, whence the 

 name hrevis. At first glance it would readily be mistaken for a Xyle- 

 borus. Under this latter name the species was described by Dr. Horn 

 in 1878 (Pr. Am. Phil. Soc, vol. xvii, p. 550) from material received 

 from New Orleans, La. In Insect Life (vol. vi, p. 274) it is mentioned 

 as having been received from Kingston, Jamaica, in bamboo, and we 

 have received it from other sources, also boring in bamboo. 



