644 



FAMILY XXVT. — -NITIDULIDiE. 



protuberance. Head with distinct antennal grooves; tarsi slender 

 on all the feet ; the claws simple. Two species are known from the 

 United States, one of which occurs in Indiana. 



1239 (3734). Pocadius helyoiajs Erichs., Gerin. Zeitsch., IV, 1843, 320. 

 Broadly oval, convex, robust. Dark reddish-brown, sparsely pubes- 

 cent; sides of elytra often darker. Thorax more than twice as wide as 

 long, narrowed in front, apex emarginate; base and sides curved, the lat- 

 ter narrowly margined; disk convex, coarsely and irregularly punctured. 

 Elytra as wide as thorax, tips rounded- truncate ; disk of each with ten 

 rows of slightly impressed punctures; intervals with two irregular rows 

 of fine punctures, each bearing a short yellowish hair. Length 3^ mm. 



Southern half of State; frequent, April 5-September 1. Oc- 

 curs in the "giant puff ball," Lycoperdon giganteum. 



XIV. Meligethes Steph. 1830. (Gr., "honey + rejoice.") 



Small, subdepressed, black or bronzed species, having the labrum 

 nearly concealed; antennas with an abrupt 3 ; jointed club; point of 

 prosternum enlarged, free and overlapping the mesosternum ; elytra 

 truncate at apex, exposing the tip of abdomen. They feed on vari- 

 ous flowers, eating the pollen and nectar. Five species are listed 

 from the United States, two of which have been taken in Indiana. 

 Both have the front tarsi finely toothed and tarsal claws simple. 



1240 (373S). Meligethes jeneus Fabr., Syst. Ent., 1775, 78. 

 Oblong-oval. Head and thorax bronzed; elytra black with a bluish 



tinge, sparsely and finely pubescent; antennae and legs piceous, the front 

 tibiae often paler. Thorax twice as wide as long, sides feebly curved, mar- 

 gins narrowly flattened their full length, hind angles obtusely rectangular; 

 surface finely and rather densely punctate. Elytra as in the next species ; 

 intervals between the punctures not alutaceous. Length 2-2.5 mm. 



Monroe and Lawrence counties ; rare. May 11-May 13. Sifted 

 from debris of beech stumps. More oblong and less convex than 

 mutatus and with the flattened. margins of thorax extending the 

 full length instead of only to the basal fourth. M. rufimanus Lee, 

 is a synonym. 



1241 (3739). Meligethes mutatus Harold, Col. Heft., IV. 



ruflcornis Lee, Col. Kans., 1859, 6. 

 Oval, subdepressed. Black, tinged with bronze, sparsely pubescent. 

 Thorax twice as wide as long, narrower in front ; sides moderately curved, 

 margin flattened from in front to near the basal fourth; hind angles ob- 

 tusely rectangular, disk convex, rather- densely punctured. Elytra one- 

 fourth longer than wide, slightly narrowed to apex; rather finely and 

 sparsely punctate, the intervals between the punctures finely alutaceous. 

 Length 2-2.5 mm. 



