THE SIIORT-WINfJEn SfWVEXCFli BEETL];>. -133 



LII. ScoP-Eis Erichs. is^il. (Gi-.. "a dwarf.") 



Very small and delicate species having the labrum short, trans- 

 verse and toothed; last joint of maxillary palpi acute, distinct; 

 ligula tricuspid: antennae filiform, subaeuminate toward apex, the 

 first joint moderately elongate, second and third obeonic. the re- 

 mainder oval; thorax oblong, more or less narrowed in front. Casey 

 has subdivided the genus as defined by Erichson into a number of 

 genera, herewith treated as groups or subgenera, three of which are 

 perhaps represented in Indiana, though members of but two have 

 as yet been taken. 



KEY TO IXDIA>'A GBOtPS OF SCOP.Ers. 



a. Neck extremelv slender. 



6. Hind tarsi ratlier short, the basal joint never more than slightly 



longer than second ; body minute in size, more or less alutaceous ; 



gular sutures rather widely separated. Group A. Scop.eus. 



66. Hind tarsi long, slender, the basal joint always distinctly longer than 



second; body subparallel, strongly convex, very minutely punctu- 



late and pubescent; gular sutures virtually united from a short 



distance behind the mentum. Group B. Scop^opsis. 



aa. Neck moderately nan-ow, varying from a fourth to nearly a third as 



wide as head; gular sutures more or less widely separated, farthest 



apart at base : labrum with four teeth ; hind tarsi short, the basal 



joint but little longer than second ; color black, polished, more or less 



sparsely punctate. Group C. Prcxost s. 



Gboip a. (Scop.Ers.) 



Of the 20 or more species ascribed to this group by Casey, but 

 one has as yet been taken in the State. 



sou (2o4(ilj. ScoF.Ers ExiGvi's Erichs., Gen. Spec. Staph., IS40, nOS, 



Slender, parallel. Head and elytra blackisli piceous : thorax dusky yel- 

 low ; abdomen blackish, paler at tijj ; antennae and legs pale yellow. Head 

 slightly longer than wide, nunutely and densely punctate above, more 

 sparsely beneath, truncate-sinuate at liase. Thorax oblong, slightly longer 

 than wide, but little narrower and less densely ])unctate than head; sides 

 obliquely truncate on apical third, thus narrowint: to apex. Elytra dis- 

 tinctly wider than head and thora.v. but sli^rhtly longer than the latter, 

 finely and densely punctate. Aljilonien at base sli-'htly narrower than ely- 

 tra, minutely and densely punctate. I>ength 2.4 mm. 



ilarion and Ptttnam counties; scarce. ^March 6— June 12. Taken 

 by sifting damp vegetable debris. 



Gboip B. ( S(op,s:oPSis.) 



S. ditryi Casey. 4 mm. in length, piceous black, head, thorax and 

 antenna^ dusky yellow, was described from Cincinnati and was 



