American Caraboidea 279 



Pinacodera Schm. 

 This genus is distinguished from Cymindis primarily by the 

 glabrous upper surface of the tarsi and well developed wings, and, 

 in a subordinate but externally more striking sense, by the much 

 less strongly sculptured pronotum and head. There are some 

 characters recalling the preceding genus, Dinodromius, such as the 

 general form of the prothorax, with widely reflexed translucent 

 side margins, and the longitudinal plicse at the sides of the front; 

 in fact Dinodromius piceiis Dej., was originally described as a 

 Cymindis, which is closely related to Pinacodera and undiffer- 

 entiated therefrom by Dejean. In this genus the elytra have 

 however two very distinct dorsal punctures. The species are rather 

 numerous, those in my collection being distinguishable as follows: 



Strial intervals of the elytra with nearly similar sculpture throughout 

 the width 2 



Strial intervals alternating in character of sculpture, having each a single 

 line of fine punctures, or, a narrow median stripe, in which these 

 very small punctures are broadly confused in arrangement; surface 

 glabrous, the apical thoracic angles with a few short setee 8 



2 — Elytra each with a definite and very constant humeral rufous spot; 

 sculpture very fine and feeble. Body not very broad, feebly convex, 

 shining throughout, the elytra not duller, piceous, the under surface 

 and legs pale testaceous; pronotum and elytra pale at the sides, 

 the former broadly; head elongate, three-fourths as wide as the 

 prothorax, with large and prominent eyes, the surface smooth, 

 with a few long plicae laterally; antennae slender, pale, fully half 

 as long as the body; prothorax a third wider than long, widest 

 barely before the middle, with almost evenly rounded and very 

 broadly reflexed sides, the apical and basal angles broadly and 

 evenly rounded, pale at apex and base, as well as the sides, smooth, 

 feebly punctulate at apex and base, more strongly on the reflexed 

 sides; transverse impressions distinct; median stria impressed, 

 gradually fine posteriorly and greatly biabbreviated; elytra three- 

 sevenths longer than wide, one-half wider than the prothorax, 

 oblong, the truncature feebly sinuate; striae moderate and slightly 

 impressed, minutely punctulate, the intervals not quite flat, each 

 with an approximately single row of very fine and scarcely definite 

 punctures; dorsal punctures distinct, near the third stria, near two- 

 fifths and three-fourths. Length 8.8-9.2 mm.; width 3.2-3.6 mm. 

 Rhode Island to Illinois. Sixteen examples limbata Dej . 



Elytra without a pale humeral area; surface similarly glabrous, except 

 in ampliata and rnficornis 3 



3 — Strial intervals of the elytra having each a single series of extremely 

 minute punctures; basal thoracic angles subprominent at their 

 tips 4 



