SCARAB BEETLE GENUS PSAMMODIUS CARTWRIGHT 445 



Remarks: This small degenerate species, wingless and with vestigial 

 eyes, is sometimes very numerous among the roots of grasses on the 

 sand dunes along the seacoast of southeastern United States. It 

 superficially resembles P. malkini but is easily separated from it by 

 the crenate margins of the pronotum and the vestigial eyes. The 

 underside is unusually hairy. 



Psammodius oregonensis, new species 



Holotype oval, very convex, piceous, shining. Antennae brown. 

 Head convex, rather closely verrucose, occiput smooth. Clypeus 

 moderately deeply and narrowly emarginate, the middle of the emar- 

 gination rounded and very finely denticulate below the fine marginal 

 bead, limiting angles each side rounded, sides arcuate; genae weak 

 and inconspicuous. Eyes small and only moderately developed. 

 Pronotum not narrowed in front, width 1,35 mm., length 0.9 mm., 

 angles obtusely rounded, sides entire, hind angles and base weakly 

 crenate-fimbriate with club-shaped setae; surface with close, moder- 

 ately coarse punctures arranged in three or four more or less distinct, 

 transverse, shallow grooves, the first or postapical distinct from side 

 to side, the second less distinct, the third very distinct inwardly from 

 middle of lateral declivities but interrupted at middle by the similarly 

 punctate, rather vague, longitudinal midline, the fourth not impressed 

 but represented by scattered punctures, surface otherwise with 

 scattered minute punctures throughout. Elytra very convex, almost 

 globular, width 1.8 mm., length 2.35 mm., base margined, humeri 

 dentate, sides not fimbriate; striae coarse, deep, coarsely punctate, 

 the punctures moderately close and feebly crenating the sides of the 

 intervals; intervals weakly convex, smooth, shining, with a median, 

 longitudinal row of close minute punctures. Inner wings absent. 

 Metasternum at middle about equal in length to the width of the 

 posterior femur, smooth, depressed at middle, midline impressed, 

 anterior postcoxal line strong, deep, continuous with scabrous area 

 at side, posterior line in front of posterior coxal plate also strong, 

 deep, and extending to the side, well separated from the anterior line. 

 Abdominal segments slightly convex, smooth to minutely alutaceous, 

 finely crenate in front, each with a medianly interrupted, anterior row 

 of well-separated, setigerous punctures, the hairs long and fine. 

 Pygidium eroded basally, fringed apically with long, fine hairs. 

 Anterior femurs anteriorly with a wide, eroded, marginal line. Middle 

 and hind femurs with strong, posterior marginal line and parallel 

 row of very coarse, setigerous punctures, the punctures uniting to 

 form a second, deep, close, eroded line. Middle and hind tibiae with 

 incomplete oblique ridges. Posterior spurs narrow, the longer as long 

 as the first two tarsal joints combined. Tarsal joints triangular, the 

 first elongate, slightly shorter than the following three together. 

 Length 3.5 mm.,width 1.8 mm. 



