388 



REVISION OF THE TENEBRIONIDJI OF AMERICA, 



BOLITOTHERUS. 

 BOLITOPHAGUS. 



Our genera are four in number, as follows: 

 Sides of head in front of eyes prominent. 



Eyes partially divided ; antenme ten-jointed. 

 Eyes entirely divided; antennae eleven-jointed. 

 Sides of head in front of eyes not prominent. 



Eyes distinctly emarginate; thorax margined; margin 



crenulate. eledona. 



Eyes not emarginate; thorax not margined. kiupjdandrus. 



BOLITOTHERUS, Candeze. 

 Bolitotherus, ( landeze. 

 Pliellidins, Lee, Class. Col. N. A., p. 280. 



15. cornutus, Fab., (Boletophagus) Syst. El. I, p. 113; Panzer, (Opatrum) Fauna Amor. Bor. Prodrom,, pi. !, 

 fig. 5 and 6, % and ?; Ufurvum, Fab., (Opatrum) Ent. Syst. Supp. 40, I. 



This insect is easily known. The males have two horns, slightly curved and broader 

 at tip, projecting forward from the thorax. The anterior margin of epistoma has a very 

 short horn, bifid at tip. 



Length .40-45 inch. 



Occurs abundantly everywhere in the middle belt of States. 



This species appears to be in an unfortunate condition in its synonymy. It appears 

 to have been originally described by Fabricius as Opatrum hifurcum (Ent. Syst. Supp. 

 40, I), subsequently by Panzer as 0. comutum (Prod. loc. cit.) All subsequent authors 

 appear to have adopted for our insect the name of Fabricius, Trox cornutus, (Put. p. 88) 

 and repeated verbatim in his- Syst. Eleut. I, p. 112, referring to an insect from Ceylon. 

 In Syst. El. 1, pp. 112 and 113, Fabricius adopts the name of Bolitophagus, and changes 

 without any reason the specific name hifarcus to cornutus, and refers the insect to Caro- 

 lina, in a notice of some coleopterous larvae (1861, p. 43), Candeze at the suggestion of 

 Lacordaire, establishes the genus Bolitotherus and adopts the specific name cornutus, re- 

 ferring to Syst, El. p. 112, on which are two species of this name, and although stating 

 that the perfect insect is well known, Candeze does not state whence it comes. To render 

 the matter still more confused, Harold (Cat. p. 1945) refers Opatrum Ufurcum, Pz., (cor- 

 nutum, F;d).,) to Bolitophagus, and tin; Trox cornutus, Pal)., of Ceylon, to Bolitotherus. 

 The whole truth is that our huge species is a Bolitotherus, whether the specific name be 

 Mfurcus or cvmntm. It is to be desired that this confusion may be rectified, From my 

 own study 1 am inclined to adopt the synonymy as given Ivy Harold (Catal. 1944 and 5), 

 with the removal el' the />'. bifurcm, Pah., (cornutus, Panz.,) from Bolitophagus to Bolito- 

 therus. Such a. change compels us to drop a very well known specific name, adopting 

 another almost entirely lost sight of. 



