AMBI/TCm^A, Say. 



(Greek: amblys— obtuse, and cheilos— labrum.) 



A. cylindriformis, Say, (tab. 1, fig. 1.) — Black, elytra brown; head large, 

 eyes small; labial palpi shorter than maxillary, with the first joint concealed under 

 the mentum, the third and fourth elongate ; mandibles with 3 teeth ; labrum biden- 

 tate at middle; thorax and underside smooth; elytra oval with three carina: at each 

 side and irregular, unequal punctures; legs long and robust; tarsi short. Wingless. 



Length 35 — 38 mm. 



$ . — Hind trochanters acute with two grooves; dense yellow brushes near the 

 two tibial spurs of the middle legs ; last ventral segment broadly rounded with large 

 setigerous punctures on each side of the middle ; pygidium small. 



§ . — Hind trochanters shorter, oval, obtuse at tip ; last ventral segment some- 

 what prominent in middle, and sinuate at each side, with a feeble median longitudi- 

 nal impression ; pygidium very large. 



The larva, (tab. 1, fig. 13,) has been recently fully described by Dr. G. H. 

 Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Sec. vii, p. 29. — It is yellowish-white, head and thorax scute 

 -castaneous, differs by the number of eyes (but two) and the length of the joints of 

 antennas and palpi from the larvaj of Omus, Tetracha and Cicindela. 



Antennas with joint two nearly equal to all the others combined ; maxillary palpi 

 with the first joint longest, third shortest. 



Length 32 mm, in normal position; 44.5 mm. when extended. 



Since the time of its description by Say, (1823) this insect has 

 been very rare, but during the last two years it has been found 

 quite abundantly in Kansas by Messrs. H. A. Brous, Prof. F. H. 

 Snow, and by my friend George T. Cooper, who has kindly sent me 

 specimens. 



It lives in holes made in the clayey banks of ravines, is nocturnal 

 in its habits, and moves around in a peculiar way, raising its body 

 very high and keeping its antennae in constant motion. Its sight is 

 very poor. 



Habitat.— Western Kansas, Colorado, Arkansas, Indian Terri- 

 tory, N. M., and Eastern Arizona, Texas. June, July, August. 



Say, Journ. Ac. Phil., iii, p. 139; Trans. Am. Phil., new ser., iv, 409, emend.; Thome., 

 Mon. p. 14, table 3, fig. 3. -Lee. Col. of Kane., p. 1, table 2, fig. 1 ; Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, 

 v, 233, (on sexual characters, etc); Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, vii, 28 on the larva. 



Amblychila Piccolominii, Reiche, Ann. Fr. 1839, p. 560, table 19, fig. 1-6; is merely a 

 smoother A. cylindriiormis, and although said by Reiche to come from California, it is not from 

 that State. In describing Pasimacfius californicus, Chaudoir says: "Cest le mime voyageur 

 qui a rapporte f Amblychila Piccolominii^ etc. Now it is well-known that P. californicus is 

 not a Californian insect, and the occurrence of this and the Amblychila together show con- 

 clusively that they were taken where these two species may occur together, namely, in North- 

 ern Texas. 



F. G. Schatjpp, on the Cicindelidse of the United States. 



