292 



REVISION OF THE TENEBRIONIDyE OF AMERICA, 



CCELTTS, Each. 



Ccolus, Escli., Zool. Ail. Ill, p. 5. 



C. cilia, I us, Esch., Zool. Alius Ilei't. Ill, p. 5, pi. 14, fig. 1. 



('. globosus, Lee, Ann. Lyo. 5, 133. 



This species differs from the preceding in being more hroadly oval and more convex. 

 The sides of the thorax are also more strongly rounded. These differences appear to be 

 very feeble, and in a larger scries may vanish. Both species are found on the sea shore 

 of California. 



EUSATTUS, Lee. 



Eusattus, Loo., Ann. Lyo. V., p. 131. 

 Discodenras, Leo., Class. Col. N. A., p. 223. 

 ( 'onipinns, Leo., ibid. 



The last two genera indicated by Dr. Leconte in his Class, of the Coleoptera of North 

 America, and subsequently reunited under Eusattus (List, p. (50), cannot be retained as 

 distinct, affording an illustration of the little value a character may have in a tribe after 

 having been found to be of great importance in tribes not remotely separated. Instances 

 of this kind are by no means of rare occurrence in Tenebrionida:. In tins instance the 

 relative width of epipleura and elytral fold have been assumed as the points of separation, 

 and with species so closely allied in all other important generic characters, I have deemed 

 it more prudent to adopt the later view of Dr. Leconte, rather than establish two other 

 genera in addition to the above-mentioned. From an inspection of the following table it 

 will be seen that but one species is needed to complete a series uniting all the forms of 

 epiplcunr, viz : a species between robmtim and reticulata, hi which the epipleurse shall 

 occupy nearly the entire inflexcd portion of the elytra, by being gradually wider from apex 

 to base. The presence or absence of a prominent elytral margin appears to me rather of 

 specific than generic value. When scientific zeal shall cause northern Mexico to be more 

 thorougly explored, species will be found which will without any doubt fully confirm the 

 view here adopted. With the present illustration before us, it is to be hoped that stu- 

 dents of local faunae will give the subject of genera due consideration. It must be borne 

 in mind that in Tenebrionidae a want of stability of characters is one of the most marked 

 peculiarities of the family, and in the present paper, nearly a hundred new genera could 

 have been described from characters for which abundant precedents could have been found. 



Our species may be arranged as follows : 

 Elytra with a distinct, more or less acute margin. 



Epipleura: occupying entirely the indexed portion of elytra. r o b u s t u s . 



Epipleura 1 narrow, suddenly dilated at base. 

 Epipleura? and elytral fold nearly smooth. 



Elytra faintly sub-costatc with interstitial reticulations, r e t i c u 1 a t u s . 



