THE. SKIN BEETLES. 



597 



The extreme inflammability of benzine, and even its vapor, when 

 confined, should he remembered and fire carefully guarded against. 

 Where the floors are poorly constructed and the cracks are wide it 

 will be a good idea to fill the cracks with plaster of paris in a liquid 

 state; this will afterwards set and lessen the number of harboring 

 places for the insects. Before relaying the carpet tarred roofing 

 paper should he laid upon the floor, at least around the edges, but 

 preferably over the entire surface, and when the carpet is relaid it 

 will be well to tack it down rather lightly, so that it can be occasion- 

 ally lifted at the edges and examined for the presence of the in- 

 sect. "* 



1137 (3441a). Anthkenus thoracicvs Mclsb., Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat Sci., 

 II, 1844, 117. 



Resembles the preceding in form but smaller. The reddish sutural 

 stripe is rarely present ; the first and second crossbars of white are wide, 

 merging on the sides only, or throughout their entire extent, when they 

 form a wide sub-basal or median crossband. Under surface covered with 

 white scales. Length 2.5-3 mm. 



Posey County; rare. Beaten from flowers of Cratcegus. This 

 species is placed as a synonym of scrophuLarm by Jayne and Hen- 

 shaw. but is very distinct. It was described from the ''middle and 

 southern States" 30 years before the European species was known 

 from the eastern United States. 



*113S (3445). Antheenus yekbasci Oliv.. Entom.. IV. 1795. 7. 



Oblong-oval, moderately convex. Thorax black, the disk 

 sparsely clothed with yellow scales, the sides more densely 

 with white ones ; elytra black, with a large basal ring and 

 two transverse zigzag bands of white scales, bordered by 

 yellow ones. Under surface clothed with fine, long grayish- 

 yellow scales. Length 2-3 mm. (Fig. 228.) 



Marion, Vigo and Knox counties, common; prob- ' Rg _ 228 x7 

 ably throughout the State. February 12-June 16. (After ow.) 

 Occurs especially on the flowers of the wheat-or corn-cockle. Lych- 

 nis gitJiago Linn. It is also the most common and destructive of 

 museum pests, being especially injurious to skins of birds, mammals 

 and dried insects. If once infested, the only remedy is a teaspoon- 

 ful or two of bisulphide of carbon poured into the boxes or drawers 

 containing the specimens. They should then be closed as tightly as 

 possible. Naphthaline flakes, kept in liberal quantities in or about 

 the cabinet, will disguise the odor of the dried insects and repel the 

 pests, but they serve only as a preventative and not as a remedy 



* "Principal Household Insects of the U. S." in Bull No. i, New Ser., U. S. Div. Entomology, 1896, 59-60. 



