8 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society Vol. XIII 
end, the eleventh joint fusiform and a little longer than tenth. Prothorax 
three fifths as long as broad, sides widely margined, the base with median 
third moderately lobed, the apex moderately arcuate, the disc very convex, - 
only slightly depressed at sides back of anterior margin, surface moder- 
ately closely and finely granulate-punctate. The elytra distinctly less than 
three times as long as prothorax, the striations very finely punctate, the 
intervals convex, apices truncate and moderately margined. Length 5.5 
mm., breadth 2.5 mm. 
Male narrower and smaller than female and with eighth and ninth 
antennal joints a little longer proportionally. 
Type male and female in my collection, taken in Oakland Hills, Cal., 
May 14, I¢11, and April 26, 1908, both from the coast live oak, Quercus 
agrifolia Née. 
This is the commonest species of the genus and has been gen- 
erally classed as V. expansa Lec., but it is quite distinct. Fall, in 
his “ Revision of the Ptinide,”’* intimated that it was probably so, 
but he lacked material enough to warrant him in separating it 
then. With ampler series which recent years’ collecting has pro- 
vided, I find that the separation can be readily made. The typical 
V. expansa Lec. differs from this species by being generally longer 
and of a uniform pruinose color, by having the prothorax propor- 
tionally longer, five sixths of breadth, the sides more decidedly 
margined and explanate, especially posteriorly, the base with 
median area formed into a more prominent lobe, the disc quite 
decidedly compressed in front of the middle, so that when the 
thorax is viewed directly from above, the lateral contour is much 
sinuated, as contrasted with the slightly arcuate one of the other, 
the surface more closely punctured, and the elytra with the strize 
more distinctly punctured and the apices more broadly truncate. 
The color pattern in decorata is variable, but I have never seen 
an absolutely immaculate specimen. The species ranges from 
Washington to Southern California, but appears to be found only 
near the coast. It breeds in the dead twigs and branches of 
various species of oak, the California laurel, and so forth. The 
true V. expansa Lec. seems to be more of a northern and moun- 
tainous species. My specimens are from Corvallis, Ore., North- 
ern Trinity Co., Lake Tahoe, and Tuolumne Co., Cal. 
AD (Grp. Os: 
