59 



Phlceotribus Latr. Antennae originating close together on the front; the 

 three segments of the club produced unilaterally into very long slender lamellae; 

 the elytra feebly striate and not strongly granulate; the pronotum not asperate. 

 Type, olece Fab. (scarabceoides Bern.). 



Phthorophlceus Rey. Antennae originating from the sides of the front; the 

 three segments of the club moderately produced unilaterally; the elytra coarsely 

 striate and serrate behind; the pronotum hardly asperate. Type, spinulosus Rey. 



Phloeophthorus Woll. Antennae originating on the sides of the front, the 

 antennal club narrow, elongate, with the three segments only slightly swollen 

 on one side; the elytra feebly striate and feebly granulate behind; the pronotum 

 strongly asperate on the sides. Type, perfoliatus Woll. (rhododactylus Marsh). 



If the three names are to be used, all our North American described species 

 must fall in the genus Phthorophlceus. Such species as frontalis and picece are 

 in all characters congeneric with spinulosus Rey, the type of Phthorophlceus, of 

 which we have a long series from Russia. The species liminaris and texanus 

 Shaeff. are intermediate as regards both external and internal characters 

 between the spinulosus and scarabosoides types ; with the antennae arising on the 

 sides of the front but less widely separated than in spinulosus and frontalis, 

 the segments of the antennal club less widened than in scarabceoides (Phlceotribus) 

 but more so than in spinulosus, frontalis and picece, the pronotum unarmed, and 

 the elytra only feebly striate and granulate, as in Phlceotribus. Other characters 

 such as the epistomal lobe and those of the proventriculus are as decidedly 

 intermediate (see also Can. Ent., 43: 221-223, PI. II). 



Key to Northern Species. 



A Club with the laterally extended segments more than twice as wide as 

 their length at the base. Hind tibiae rounded and toothed on the outer 

 side; pronotum not coarsely punctured and not tuberculate; elytral 

 interspaces nearly flat and roughly punctured (PL 10, fig. 6). 



liminaris Harris. Page 60. 



AA Club with the laterally extended segments not more than twice as wide as 



long (PI. 10, fig. 13). 



B Club with the laterally extended segments about twice as wide as long. 

 Prothorax granulate-punctate, elytral interspaces elevated and ser- 

 rate, more strongly behind. Atlantic States; Celtis, etc. 



frontalis Zimm. 



BB Club with the laterally extended segments about as wide as long. 



C Elytral interspaces somewhat elevated; the serrations but little 

 larger on the declivity than elsewhere; densely clothed with grey 

 hairs not less distinct on the declivity. Colorado, puberulus Lee. 

 CC Elytral interspaces strongly elevated and serrate with granules 

 which become large and prominent on the declivity, especially 

 about the sides; sparsely clothed with reddish hairs, shorter on 

 the declivity. picex Sw. Page 59. 



Phthorophlceus piceae Sw.; Can. Ent., 43: 220, 1911. 



Length, 2 to 2-25 mm.; brown to black; sparsely hairy; more slender 

 than liminaris. The female front with a crescentic transverse ridge pre- 

 ceded by a pubescent, concave, epistomal area. The male with a transverse 

 impression on the front immediately following the transverse ridge, with 

 the long hairs on the antennal scape but little longer than in the female. 



Host tree. White Spruce. 



Distribution. Spruce forests of western Quebec and eastern Ontario; 

 probably more widely distributed. Breeds in moderately dry branches. 



