122 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society Vol. VIll 



On Scarites subterraneus Fabr. and varieties 



By. Chas. Schaeffer, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



Only one of the number of names proposed from time to 

 time at the expense of Scarites subterraneus Fab. is recognized 

 in our list, but judging from my material two more ought to be 

 accepted. One of these, calif ornicus Lee. is rather feebly dif- 

 ferentiated Irom subterraneus Fab. but as it seems to be con- 

 fined principally to the southwest, it ought to be recognized. 

 The few specimens which I have seen are from Texas, Arizona, 

 Southern California and Mexico, which, when placed alongside 

 of specimens from the northeast certainly differ enough. The 

 other, Sc. lissopterus, was described by Chaudoir from Dallas, 

 Texas, as a variety of his quadriceps (substriatus Hald.). This 

 variety appears to be known only from Texas and looks quite 

 distinct by its perfectly flat, shining elytral intervals and finely 

 punctured and scarcely impressed striae. 



The outer antennal joints in substriatus and var. lissopterus 

 are relatively more elongated than those of subterraneus and 

 this together with the much larger size, almost entitles sub- 

 striatus to specific standing, therefore, if two more forms are 

 admitted, the true relationship of all is better shown by placing 

 substriatus as a subspecies of subterraneus and lissopterus as a 

 variety of the former. Including the new addition men- 

 tioned below our species and varieties stand thus : 



Scarites subterraneus Fab. 



var. calif ornicus Lee. 



subsp. substriatus Hald. 



var. lissopterus Chaud. 



Scarites alternans Chaud. 

 Scarites subterraneus Fab. Mant. Ins. I. p. 206. 



Our common, well known species is widely distributed occur- 

 ring from the Atlantic to Pacific but absent from the south- 

 west where it seems to be replaced by the var. calif ornicus 

 Lee. 



It is about 16-19 mm. long ; the elytral striae are more or 

 less deeply impressed, except the seventh, and the intervals 

 rather convex; the tenth and the three or four preceding 

 antennal joints are transverse, hardly as long as wide and in 

 the majority of specimens the anterior tibiae have laterally 



