﻿236 LE CONTE.— SYNOPSIS OF THE 



From this it is clear that the name Ancylonycha is the one entitled to least regard, 

 since it the more recent, among the uncharacterized as well as among the char- 

 acterized names. 



The species are very numerous, and many of those recently discovered in the South 

 Western territories of the United States present some very curious characters in the 

 spurs of the posterior tibiae, which render the establishment of several groups easy. 

 The form of the ungues, and the prominence of the mandibles in a state of repose are 

 characters subject to much variation. Following the example of Lacordaire I have 

 suppressed the genus Tostegoptera Blanch, founded on Mel. lanceolata Say, and 

 Trichesthes Er. as being distinguished by insufficient characters. 



The species naturally divide themselves into four principal groups ; of these the 

 most numerous is distinguished by the inner spur of the posterior tibiae being in the 

 male connate with the tibiae, and by the comparatively large sixth ventral segment 

 being somewhat rounded in front so as to invade the fifth. These would seem to be 

 characters of some importance, and a careful study of the species from Asia and South 

 America may shew the necessity of regarding them as generic, in which case Trichesthes 

 must be retained for division D ; division A. will keep the name Tostegoptera, and C. if 

 differing from the Asiatic species called Holotrichiaby Hope must receive a new 

 name. In that event, however, as at present the following grouping exhibits the 

 relations of our native species. 



A. Ungues prope basin dentati ; tibiae posticae calcaribus utriusque sexus liberis. 



I. Corpus squamulis vestitum ; thorace postice baud angustato calcaribus posticis rectis Sp. 1. 



II. Tborax ante basin latior ; calcaribus posticis rectis, obtusis Sp. 2 — 3. 



III. Corpus supra glabrum ; thorace ante basin latiore, calcaribus posticis contortis Sp. 4. 



B. Ungues ad medium dentati; tibiae posticae calcare interno maris fixo, solido, (nonnunquam obsoleto); 

 abdomen articulo ultimo ventrali majusculo. 



IV. Palpi maxillares articulo ultimo saepe ovali ; antennae 9-articulatse ; corpus cylindricum, 



supra glabrum Sp. 5 — 7. 



sericea and tricolor would form another sub-genus which might be called Stilbolemma, unless they are included 

 in Serica MacLeay, or Omaloplia of Megerle ; the characters of their genera I have not seen. M. pilosicollis, 

 longitarsa, and moesta of Knoch and Say should each constitute a subgenus. The latter (with M. sordida and 

 frondicola Say ?) belongs to Kirby's genus Apogonia. From the singular manner in which the nails are divided 

 at tip, I would call the linearis of Schonherr Dichelonyx.' 



Ibid, vol. x.p. 8. (Note.) 



' Stenothorax would be an appropriate name for the subgenus having the subspinosa for its type. 



Scarabaeus lanigerus, Linnaeus Melolontha lanigera, Fabr. has been referred to the genus Rutela ; but Schonherr 

 says it is not a Rutela, and arranges it between M. fastuosa and M. aurata F., belonging to the genus Anomala? 

 it may therefore be considered as the type of a new subgenus. See Schonherr's Synonymia Insectorum, III. p. 

 504. Scarabaeus punctatus, Lin., Melolontha punctata Fabr., or Rutela punctata, Latreille, belongs to Mr. Mac- 

 Leay's genus Pelidnota. 



Melolontha varians Fabr. is congeneric with the Anomala vitis of Megerle and Koppe.' 



