18 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM Vol 7T 



yellow hairs, sparse in impression, at sides very dense. Elytra at 

 base not wider than prothorax; humeri scarcely visible; widest just 

 behind base; sides subparallel in basal three-fourths; apices very 

 slightly divergent; surface smooth, not rugose, rather feebly im- 

 pressed at middle near base ; discal j)unctures of moderate size, nearly 

 round in outline, deep, remotely placed, closely-set at apex ; vestiture 

 composed of very minute ocher-yellow scales, lightly interspersed 

 with paler squaniules, producing feebly indicated mottling, not form- 

 ing lateral or other stripes. Ventral surface with longer hairs, 

 especially long on fifth ventral segment. Femora annulate. 



Female rostrum a little shorter than the prothorax. First ventral 

 segment flat at middle. 



Male rostrum a little shorter than female. First ventral segment 

 distinctly impressed at middle. 



Length, 7-10 mm. ; width, 1.8-3 mm. 



Ty^e ZomZ%.— Brownsville, Tex., July 22, 1923 (T. C. Barber). 



OtJi^T locality. — Victoria, Tex. (J. D. Mitchell). 



r^^e.— Female, Cat. No. 28800, U.S.N.M. Type, allotype, and 

 four paratypes. 



Mr. Mitchell found that the species breeds in the roots of Pluchea 

 camphorata (Linnaeus) DC. or salt-marsh fleabane. 



Closely related to fossus LeConte, a striking difference being in 

 the dense ocher-yellow vestiture in contrast to the scant pale-gray 

 pubescence of the latter. The rostrum is a little stouter and less 

 arcuate and the elytra are smooth, not rugose as in normal fossus 

 LeConte. The color appears to be constant, at least in the series of 

 six specimens studied. The two species agree closely in dimensions. 

 The comparative length of the rostrum is subject to variation, 



LIXUS FOSSUS OCELLATUS, new variety 



Form and general appearance similar to typical fossus LeConte. 

 Head coarsely punctate in undulating groove-like rows; fovea small, 

 rounded, distinct. Rostrum in the female shorter and a little thicker 

 than in fossus LeConte, but nearly as long as the pronotum, some- 

 what flattened, distinctly arcuate, not distinctly carinate, punctures 

 fine and very close with a tendency to form narrow longitudinal 

 rows. Antennae inserted a little above the apical third of the 

 rostrum. Eyes prominent. Vestiture very fine gray, covering some- 

 what lightly the entire body surface, including the rostrum in the 

 male. Pronotum subconical, approximately as long as wide ; antescu- 

 tellar depression deeply, rather widely concave at base, forming an 

 irregular somewhat rounded area; surface very minutely, very 

 densely punctulate, also with coarser but comparatively fine punc- 

 tures, variably, very sparsely placed. Ventral surface with long 

 gray pubescence, ocellate at the sides of the first and second segments. 



