May, 1910. Notes on Some Clerid^ — Wolcott. 365 



Aulicus nero Spinola. 



Aulicus nero Spin., Men. Cldr., i, 1844, p. 330, pi. xxvii, fig. 5. 

 This species was also originally described from Mexican specimens, 

 but all recent records pertain to its occurrence within our faunal limits. 

 The writer has seen specimens from Water Canyon, New Mexico 

 (Snow), Alpine, Texas, 4,400-6,000 ft. el. (Wickham), and San Ber- 

 nardino Ranch, Cochise County, Arizona, and is informed by Dr. H. C. 

 Fall that it occurs at Palm Springs, southern California; Horn re- 

 corded it from the southern Coast Range of California and from E! 

 Chinche, Lower California : Wickham took it in the Santa Rita Moun- 

 tains, southern Arizona; it was unknown to the Rev. H. S. Gorham, 

 author of that portion of the Biologia Centrali- Americana (Vol. iii. 

 part 2), which deals with the family Cleridae. 



An exceedingly variable species in coloration and closely allied 

 to tnonticola, but averaging smaller in size. Head, thorax, body. 

 scutellum, and feet brilliant blue var\'ing to shining blue black, with 

 feeble metallic luster. Antennae black, first five or six joints red- 

 dish. Elytra red, the suture, apex, and often a band of variable pro- 

 portions at basal third, blue. Abdomen red var\ang to black, 

 broadly bordered at sides and apex with red. Length 6.8-7.5 millim. 

 Spinola gives the length as "4K Hgnes" (=9.5 mm.); the line 

 given on the plate is, however. 6 lines in length (12.5 mm.) and is no 

 doubt in excess of the actual size. The writer has seen no specimens 

 exceeding 7.5 millimeters in length. 



Mr. Sigmund SchenkUng (Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, 1902, p. 325) 

 states that the type specimen has the el>-tra dull reddish with only 

 the suture and the apex blue ; the same writer also mentions seeing 

 several specimens in the collection of the Museum d'Histoire Natur- 

 elle de Parig, in which the elytra are entirely blue with only a portion 

 of the epipleurae red. 



.4. montkola and ,4. nero may be separated as follows; 

 a. Sides of prothorax strongly constricted near apex ; pubescence 

 of dorsal surface short, less dense; elytra coarsely rugose; 

 metastemum at sides coarsely, sparsely punctate; flanks of 

 prothorax in great part red. montkola. 



aa. Sides of prothorax very feebly constricted near apex; pubes- 

 cence longer and moderately dense; elytra more finely but 

 densely rugose; metastemum at sides finely, very densely, 

 rugose; prothorax entirely blue or black. nero. 



