Baring 511 



Catapastus Csy. 



This genus of minute species, allied somewhat closely to the 

 Zygobarid series, proves to have an extended range over the more 

 southern parts of the North American continent. The following 

 three species are to be added in our own fauna : 



Catapastus simplex n. sp. — Rhomboidal, convex and feebly shining, 

 piceous-black throughout, the legs not paler; upper surface with slender 

 brown decumbent scales, sparse but evident on the pronotum, especially 

 toward the sides, also on the flanks of the elytra, but not medially, the 

 strial punctures each with a very small slender whitish scale; scattered 

 pale scales wholly wanting; beneath, the scales are larger, white and 

 well separated, closer on the met-episterna; beak in the female thick, 

 moderately arcuate, slightly tapering and as long as the head and pro- 

 thorax, sculptured and dullish, finely, sparsely squamulose basally, the 

 antennae at about the middle; prothorax large, two-fifths wider than long, 

 the sides parallel, rapidly rounding and oblique before the middle, the 

 feebly constricted apex more than half as wide as the base; punctures 

 coarse and dense, the median smooth line vestigial and central only; 

 scutellum albido-squamose; elytra two-fifths longer than wide, parabolic, 

 with individually rounded apices and prominent humeri, a fifth wider 

 than the prothorax and slightly more than twice as long; striae moderate; 

 intervals twice as wide as the grooves, with single series of well separated, 

 moderate and subtransverse punctures; under surface strongly and 

 densely punctured throughout. Length (9) 2.0 mm.; width 0.85 mm. 

 A single example, without locality label, but probably from Florida. 



When compared with conspersus, this species is much stouter, 

 with larger and more transverse prothorax, sparser interstitial 

 punctures and with completely obsolete scattered pale scales. 



Catapastus squamirostris n. sp. — Narrowly and feebly rhomboidal, 

 convex, dull black, the legs not definitely paler; upper surface with con- 

 spicuous elongate pale ochreous squamules, sparse but very uniformly 

 distributed on the pronotum and in single close-set conspicuous lines on 

 the strial intervals, more broadly confused toward base on the second 

 and third, without scattered scales; on the under surface large, less 

 yellow, well separated, very dense on the prosternum and finer and rather 

 close on the met-episterna, narrow but distinct on the legs; beak in the 

 male short, barely as long as the prothorax, thick basally, rapidly tapering 

 to the apex, evenly, moderately arcuate, rather closely clothed through- 

 out with conspicuous yellowish scales, the antennae beneath and beyond 

 the middle, rather thick and compact; prothorax only a little wider than 

 long, the moderately converging sides slightly and subevenly arcuate; 

 apex more than half as wide as the base, the basal lobe small but abrupt 

 and strong; punctures coarse, very close and even throughout, without 

 trace of smooth median line; scutellum small, semi-glabrous; elytra 

 two-fifths longer than wide, rapidly subparabolic, somewhat narrowly 



