THE MINUTE BROWN SCAVENGER BEETLES. 



659 



KEY TO INDIANA SPECIES OF MELANOPHTHALMA. 



a. Antennal club 2-jointed ; first and second joints of tarsi subequa'l ; ely- 

 tra yellowish or reddish-yellow, usually with a median crossbar, and 

 often a basal and apical cloud, piceous ; pubescence short. 



1263. Pier a. 



aa. Antennal club 3-jointed ; pubescence longer and more conspicuous. 



b. Second joint of tarsi as long as or slightly longer than the first; 

 male with tips of front tibiae provided with a longer, denser and 

 more bristling fringe of hairs. 

 c. Claw-joint of front tarsi toothed beneath in the male. 

 d. Tips of elytra slightly sinuate and minutely toothed near the 

 sutural angles, which are slightly prolonged; length 1.6- 

 1.9 mm. villosa. 

 dd. Tips of elytra not sinuate or finely toothed before the sutural 

 angles, which are not at all produced; eyes large, separated 

 on the front by less than one and one-half times their diame- 

 ter; elytra nearly always darker than thorax. 



1264. DISTINGUENDA. 



cc. Claw-joint of front tarsi not toothed beneath in the male; pro- 

 sternum swollen before the coxae and armed with a spine at tip 

 in the male; color reddish-yellow throughout. 1265. pumila. 

 bb. Second joint of tarsi distinctly shorter than first; front tibia? of male 

 with a short acute tooth on inner side beyond the middle. 

 e. Thorax scarcely more than half as wide as elytra and with a deep, 

 sub-basal transverse impression extending from side to side; 

 color brown. 1266. gibbosa. 



ee. Thorax distinctly more than half as wide as elytra, the sub-basal 

 impression confined to the disk. 

 f. Sides of elytra nearly straight behind the middle, their tips dis- 

 tinctly truncate ; color pale yellow. 1267. longipennis. 

 ff. Sides of elytra curved throughout, their tips feebly or scarcely 

 truncate. 



g. Color usually dull reddish-yellow; elytra less broadly ovate, 

 widest at middle, relatively longer and more obtuse at apex. 



1268. AMERICANA. 



gg. Color usually dull sooty brown, the thorax often paler ; elytra 

 shorter and more broadly ovate, widest a little before the 

 middle. 1269. cavicollis. 



1263 (3826). Melanophthalma picta Lee, Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., 

 1855, 303. 



Oval, rather robust. Dull reddish-yellow ; elytra varying as mentioned 

 in key, rarely fuscous with only a pale spot near base and tip ; pubescence 

 whitish, very fine, soft and indistinct. Thorax slightly wider than head, 

 subquadrate ; sides feebly angulate at middle ; surface finely and sparsely 

 but distinctly punctulate and without basal fovea. Elytra one-half wider 

 than thorax, rather short, ovate, the sides curved ; surface finely striate, 

 the stria? with widely separated fine punctures ; intervals minutely punctu- 

 late. Length 1.3 mm. 



Lake and Starke counties ; scarce. May 5-Jnne 3. Taken by 



sifting damp leaves. 



