333 

 Leech and Chandler: Coleoptera 



Fig. 13:29. Prothorax, in dorsal view, of Ochthebius spp. a, holmbergi; b, rectus- 

 c, lineatus; d, cribricollis; e, puncticollis (Horn, 1890). 



Pronotum appreciably hexagonal, shallow ly longitudinally 

 impressed on each side of disc, evenly and closely punc- 

 tate; elytra densely punctate, punctures arranged in longi- 

 tudinal series; length 1.8-2-5 mm.; California 



vandykei d'Orchymont 1923 



Key to the California Species of Ochthebius 

 Adults 



. Sides of prothorax at least in part with an evident 

 transparent border (fig. 13:29i>,c) (fresh-water species) 



2 



Sides of prothorax without trace of transparent border. 

 Small, narrow, blackish species, found along seacoast 

 in intertidal zone; British Columbia to San Luis Obispo, 

 California; San Francisco Bay . .vandykei Knisch 1924 



. Elytral sides explanate, the flange as wide as a tibia; 

 large, broad species, 2 mm. long; Alameda, Santa 



Clara counties martini Fall 1919 



Elytral sides not broadly explanate 3 



. Lateral prothoracic margin abruptly narrowing from 

 near front angles, with pronounced angulation at middle; 



transparent border broad 4 



Lateral margin abruptly narrowed from middle, or 

 deeply notched near hind angles (fig. 13:J9if,e), or 

 gradually sinuately narrowed to base (fig. 13:29a) 

 5 



, Pronotum anteriorly with a discal and a lateral impres- 

 sion on each side of median longitudinal impression, 

 and 1 discal depression on each side of it near base; 

 elytra with well-marked rows of punctures, striate; 



Yuma, Imperial counties fossatus LeConte 1855 



Pronotum with median longitudinal impression, but 

 without discal posterior pair and with only traces 

 of anterior pairs; elytra polished, virtually impunctate 

 Kern, Riverside counties. . . .laevipennis LeConte 1878 

 Prothorax strongly narrowed or excavated behind 



middle; transparent border broad 6 



Prothorax gradually sinuately narrowed, not excavated, 

 at most a slight projection at posterior one-third; trans- 

 parent border narrow (fig. 13:29c) 10 



Sides of prothorax nearly parallel anteriorly, trans- 

 parent border broadly attaining front angles (fig. 13:296); 



western U.S . rectus LeConte 1878 



Sides of prothorax distinctly arcuate anteriorly, trans- 

 parent border narrowly attaining front angles, or begin- 

 ning at sinuation (fig. 13:29d) 7 



Elytral interspaces very narrow, strongly costate 

 throughout; tiny species, 1-1.2 mm. long, with deeply 

 striate and coarsely punctate elytra; Ventura, Santa 



Barbara counties costipennis Fall 1901 



Elytral interspaces flat or slightly convex 8 



Pronotum with discal foveae on each side of median 



impression 9 



Pronotum without discal foveae, though coarsely 

 punctured; sides deeply emarginate near hind angles 

 (fig. 13:29d); northern U.S.; Santa Barbara County 



cribricollis LeConte 1850 



Each anterior lateral discal fovea of pronotum united 

 to corresponding posterior fovea by a deep groove; 

 pronotum coarsely punctured (fig. 13:29e); southwest 

 U.S puncticollis LeConte 1852 



— Anterior lateral foveae clearly separated from posterior 

 foveae; sides of pronotum abrupth deeply notched at 

 middle, transparent border narrowly attaining front 

 angles; western U.S discre.tus LeConte 1878 



10. Median line of pronotum distinct, 2/3 Length of prothorax 



11 



— Median line short or aosent 12 



11. Lateral thoracic foveae united into a sinuate line on 

 each side of median impression (fig. 13:29c); southwest 

 U.S lineatus LeConte 1852 



— Lateral foveae not united (fig. 13:25a 1 ); western U.S. 

 interruptus LeConte 1852 



12. Lateral posterior and anterior discal prothoracic 

 foveae deep, united; western U.S 



sculptus LeConte 1878 



— Anterior foveae indistinct, posterior foveae broad, 

 shallow (fig. 13:29a); Pacific Coast 



holmbergi Mannerheim 1853 



principal larval 

 \mer., n.s. 1 1: 



British 

 (1033): 



Boreal 

 1 pi. 



REFERENCES 



BOVING, A. G., and F. C. CRAIGHEAD 

 193 1. An illustrated synopsis of the 

 forms of the Order Coleoptera. Ent. 

 1-351, incl. 125 pis. 

 CASEY, T. L. 



1886. Descriptive notices of Northern American Coleop- 

 tera. I. Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci., 2:157-264, pi. no. 7 

 (Limnocharis (Limnebius), pp. 167-171.) 

 1900. Review of the American Corylophidae, Crypto- 

 phagidae, Tritomidae and Dermestidae, with other 

 studies. Jour. N.Y. Ent. Soc., 8:51-172, 4 text figs. 

 {Limnebius, pp. 51-53). 

 CROWSON, R. A. 



1950. The classification of the families of 

 Coleoptera. Ent. Mon. Mag., 86(1032):149-160, 

 161-171, 22 text figs. 

 HORN, G.H. 



1890. Notes on the species of Ochthebius of 

 America. Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, 17:17-26, 

 HRBACEK, JAROSLAV. 



1950. On the morphology and function of the antennae 

 of the central European Hydrophilidae (Coleoptera). 

 Trans. Roy. Ent. Soc. London, 101:239-256, 17 text 

 figs. (Note that Hrbacek uses the term Hydrophilidae 

 in the broad sense, to include the Ilydraenidae and 

 Spercheidae. Also that his use of the names Hydrous 

 and Hydrophilus are equivalent to the Hydrophilus 

 and Hydrochara, respectively, of the present chapter.) 

 LA RIVERS, I. 



1950. The staphylinoid and dascilloid aquatic Coleop- 

 tera of the Nevada area. Great Basin Naturalist, 

 10:66-70. 



1951. Erratum page (for above article). Great Basin 

 Naturalist, 11:52. 



LEECH, H. B. 



1948. Ilaliplidae, Dytiscidae, Gyrinidae, Hydrophilidae, 

 Limnebiidae. In Contributions toward a knowledge 

 of the insect fauna of Lower California. No. 11. 

 Coleoptera. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. (4), 24:375-484, 

 pis. 20-21. 

 D'ORCHYMONT, A. 



1915. Contribution a. l'etude des laryes hydrophilides. 



