SUBGENUS TRICHAPION — ^KISSINGER 295 



Elytra two-fifths wider at humeri than prothorax at base, 2.4 to 2.8 

 times as long as prothorax, length to width as 5 : 4; intervals twice as 

 wide as striae, nearly flat, with one or two rows of fine punctures bear- 

 ing fine scales; striae moderately coarse, deep. Scutellum triangular, 

 0.10 by 0.10 mm., with slight median depression. Fore femora fom* 

 times as long as wide. Claws with acute basal tooth. 



Special male characters: Tibiae 2 and 3 armed with broad, short, 

 angulate mucrones. 



Material examined : Male and female determined by Sharp, male 

 and female determined by Hans Wagner, and three other specimens. 



Known distribution: 



Mexico: Veracruz: C6rdoba; Orizaba (CAS). Guatemala: Chiacam; Zapote 

 (BMNH); Guatemala City; Duenas (BMNH). 



Apion griseurn Group 



The males of eight species grouped here have the front tibiae 

 modified with a smooth, more or less polished area. The range of 

 three species overlaps on the Atlantic Coast of the United States, they 

 are A. sayi Gyllenhal, A. griseum Smith, and A. novellum Fall. A. 

 sayi and A. nebraskense Fall overlap in the midwestern portion of the 

 United States. In Mexico A. aurichalceum Wagner, A. godmani Wag- 

 ner, and A. parcum, new species, have been collected in large series 

 in the same area at the same time by the author. 



To aid in identifying these important weevils, a key to females is 

 appended at the end of the discussion of the group. The male of A. 

 godmani is distinctive because the front tibiae are abruptly deflexed 

 near the apical thud. The front tibiae of the males of the other 

 species are straight. The males, with the exception of A. sayi, have 

 a smooth polished area extending at least one-half the length of the 

 front tibiae. The smooth area of A. sayi is about one-third as long 

 as the tibia and bears a few, irregular striae. The modified area of 

 the males of two species, A. nebraskense and A. novellum, is extremely 

 finely and densely striate, the striations are so close together that the 

 area appears opaque or irridescent. The modified area of the males 

 of the other species exhibits distinct, separated striations. The tibial 

 mucrones of A. nebraskense project in line with the long axis of the 

 tibiae and the beak is strongly attenuate toward the apex; the tibial 

 mucrones of A. novellum project at an angle with the tibiae and the 

 beak is less strongly attenuate. Apion parcum, new species, is dis- 

 tinct because of its small size and the relatively coarse, sparse punc- 

 tures on the metasternum. The beak of A. aurichalceum is distinctly 

 expanded laterally at the tip and is more closely punctured laterally 

 than the remaining two species. The dorsal pubescence of A. griseum 



483661—59 4, 



