64 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. Ill 



setae each; i to 3 tubercles on each lateral margin of dorsum, placed 

 close together and located toward the posterior end of segment; 

 urogomphal prongs of equal size, with sclerotized tubercles on the 

 ventral side at the point where the prongs diverge. 



LUDIUS MELANCHOLICUS (Fabricius) 



Elater melancholiats Fabricius, Systema Entomologiae, Suppl., p. 130, 1798. 



Diacanthus melancholicus (Fabricius), Germar, Zeitschr. fiir die Ent., vol, 4, 

 p. 80, 1843. 



Ludins melancholicus (Fabricius), Gebler, Bull. Soc. Moscou, vol. 20, p. 425, 

 1847. 



Corymbites melancholicus (Fabricius), Bose, Die Kafer Deutschlands von Valen- 

 tin Gutfleisch, p. 362, 1859. 



Selatosomus melancholicus (Fabricius), Motschulsky, in Schrenck's Reisen 

 und Forschungen im Amur-Lande, vol. 2, p. 109, i860. 



Corymbites (Selatosomus) melancholicus (Fabricius), Schenkling, Coleopt. 

 Cat. (ed. Junk), vol. 2, pt. 88, p. 378, 1927. 



Xambeu (1912, p. 14:2) described the larva of this European spe- 

 cies under the name Diacanthus melancholicus Olivier. The larvae 

 are said to be carnivorous and to inhabit the soil under well-sunken 

 stones, or under the dung of large ruminants, at altitudes up to 1,800 

 meters. Pupation occurs in July, with the adults appearing in August. 



Specimens were not available for examination in the present study 

 and Xambeu's description is not adequate for the accurate identifica- 

 tion of the species or for determination of its relationships. 



The most important characters given by Xambeu may be summa- 

 rized as follows : Length 25 mm. ; breadth 2.5 to 3.0 mm. Nasale uni- 

 dentate. Prothorax densely punctate; abdominal segments sparsely 

 punctate, ornamented laterally with 2 groups of setae. Ninth ab- 

 dominal segment with dorsal plate strongly punctate and bearing 3 

 "teeth" on each side. Caudal notch horseshoe-shaped. Urogomphi 

 bifid, prongs darkened, arched, and converging; i tubercle at base 

 of each prong. 



* * * 



LUDIUS AMPLICOLLIS (Germar) 



Diacanthus amplicollis Germar, Zeitschr. fiir die Ent., vol. 4, p. 80, 1843. 

 Corymbites amplicollis (Germar), Candeze, Monographic des elaterides, vol. 4, 



p. 155, 1863. 

 Corymbites (Selatosomus) amplicollis (Germar), Schenkling, Coleopt. Cat. 



(ed. Junk), vol. 2, pt. 88, p. 373, 1927. 



The larva of this European species is described by Xambeu (1912, 

 pp. 144-148), who reports it as abundant in mountains at 800 to 1,200 



