LARV.^ OF THE PRIONINiE. 21 



truncate, rather dull. Labrum transversely trapezoidal, widest be- 

 hind, anterior margin straight, coarsely haired; last joint of antennae 

 and of labial palpi globular; basal joints of maxillary palpi strongly 

 transverse, last shortly conical; hairs on lacinia and ligula sparse, 

 short, stiff, subulate. Other characters as in the genus; spiracles 

 small, orbicular. 



These specimens were received through correspondents from 

 Nebraska, who stated that they were doing much damage to the corn- 

 fields, kilhng the stalks by eating off the roots. ^ 



Sphenostethus taslei Buq. 



Form cylindric, tapering; texture tough; very shining and glabrous. 



Epistoma projecting over base of clypeus in two elongate, flattened, 

 suddenly tapering teeth; front bearing four similar processes, distal 

 ones long and flattened, acute. Mandibles more slender, acute, outer 

 face rugose, edge obliquely emarginate, inner upper angle toothed. 

 Labrum roundly cordate, about as long as wide. Three prominent 

 oval ocelli. Last joint of antennae elongate, cylindric. Palpi short, 

 conical; last joint of maxillary and labial palpi about equal, blunt, 

 shghtly conical. Postcondylar carina visible. 



Posterior area of pronotum sparsely rugose. Eusternal area of 

 pro thorax distinct. 



Pleural discs plainly distinct on three segments. Abdominal spir- 

 acles subeUiptical. Anal lobes nearly dorsal, glabrous. 



Range: Pennsylvania south through the eastern United States. 



The larva bores in the dead dry stag-tops of oak and chestnut, 



and is also found in redbud (Cercis canadensis) and probably occurs 



in many other hardwoods. This is a peculiar habit in this subfamily, 



as all other North American forms, so far as known, breed in moist 



situations. The gaUeries are packed tightly with small peUets of 



frass. The adult is considered rare, but larvss can be found quite 



commonly. 



Elateropsis sp. 



Scarcely distinguishable from Sphenostethus taslei, except that the 

 projections of the front over the epistoma are ver}^ minute, whfle 

 the pleural disks on the fourth abdominal segment are hardly visible. 



Described from a specimen in the United States National Museum 

 from Montego Bay, Jamaica. 



Lameere ^ has placed Elateropsis with Sphenostethus as subgenera 

 under Derancistrus. From larval characters this would seem 

 perfectly justifiable. 



1 Riley, in Bulletin 12 (old series), Division of Entomology, Department of Agriculture, page 39, refers to 

 a species, "which he calls a small variety of P. imbricornis, feeding on grass roots throughout the prairie 

 States. This is probably the same thing, which is very different by larval characters from the 

 typical P. imbricornis. 



2 Lameere, A. Cerambycidae: Prioninae. (Coleopterorum catalogus auspiciis et auxilio AV. Junk, 

 editusa S, Schenkling, pt. 52.) 108 p. May 20, 1913. 



