ART. 4 NORTH AMERICAN WEEVILS BUCHANAN 7 



denuded, the intervals show a minute but rough punctulation. 

 Abdominal punctures on 1 and 2 larger in male, the shining intervals 

 punctulate and reticulate. Fifth ventral finely and densely punctate. 

 Femora stout, tibiae rather slender, especially in male, anterior pair 

 nearly straight along exterior edge, distinctly bisinuate on inner. 

 Tarsi stout, claws large, metepisternal suture visible or not. Female 

 with a usually distinct transverse depression on fifth ventral. A few 

 feebly plumose scales are present on undersurface and vertex of 

 head, on collariike production of mesosternum, on fore and rear 

 coxae, etc. 



Type.—k male (Cat. No. 41746, U.S.N. M.), 3.6 mm. long, with 

 elongate eyes and distinct rostral sulcus, and 55 paratypes. 



Type locality. — Kansas (injuring potato). 



Other localities: Kansas (Topeka, Popenoe); Missouri (St. Louis^ 

 Soltau), (Kansas City, Soltau), (Cadet, Barlow); Iowa (Iowa City, 

 Wickham), (Ames, Stoner); Illinois; Michigan; Ohio (Cincinnati,. 

 Dury); Kentucky (Louisville, Soltau), (Fulton, G. I. Reeves); Texas 

 (Dallas, C. E. Hood); Colorado (Sedalia, Soltau). 



Nearly all the external structures of minor are subject to consider- 

 able or even excessive variation, making it difficult to describe the 

 species in any but indefinite language, or to select key characters 

 that are likely to prove invariably trustworthy. The variations, 

 though so extreme, appear to be true individual differences, since they 

 are not correlated with any marked difference in habitat, and are not 

 substantiated by tangible genitalic differences. Two of the more 

 striking variations affect the eye and the rostral sculpture. The 

 outline of the eye varies from a nearly circular to a distinctly elongate- 

 oval form, with all intergradations. Females show a tendency toward 

 the circular, males toward the oval, type; but there is no constancy 

 in this respect, and individuals of either sex can be found with either 

 form of eye. On the average, the male eye is slightly larger, compared 

 to bulk of head, than in female. The upper surface of beak varies 

 from nearly flat with a fine median groove to broadly and deeply 

 concave; the concavity may end abruptly opposite antennal insertion 

 or may extend nearly to apex. The funicular segments also show 

 inconstancy, the second varying from short and heavy to elongate,, 

 though it is never as long or as thick as the first; the seventh segment, 

 in a few specimens, is nearly twice as broad as is normal. The 

 impression on fifth ventral of female is typically rather deep, but 

 becomes shallow in some specimens and, moreover, may be faintly 

 indicated in the male. More or less variation has been noted also in 

 the length of the elytral setae, the thickness of the tibiae, the relative 

 dimensions of the prothorax (irrespective of sex) and the development 

 of the pronotal tubercles. In one or two specimens the abdominal 

 punctures are nearly as large as in herricki. 



