S70 



FAMILY XLIII. PTLNID^. 



1654 (5264). Oligomerus sericans Melsh., Proc. Phil. Acad. Sci., II, 1845, 



309. 



Elongate, cylindrical, slightly depressed. Piceous brown ; head and tho- 

 rax shining with small scattered granules and clothed with short, erect fus- 

 cous hair. Elytra finely scabrous, feebly ' striate, the strise with rows of 

 punctures, the inner rows irregular and more feebly impressed; surface 

 clothed with fine inclined hairs. Length 3-4.5 mm. 



Marshall, Steuben and Putnam counties; rare. June 11-July 5. 

 Beaten from foliage of oak and linden. 



0. ohtusus Lec., reddish-brown, length 4.8-7.2 mm., has been 

 recorded from Ohio and Michigan. 



VI. Sitodrepa Thorn. 1863. (Or:, " food + pluck.") 



The single member of this genus has the antennas less than one- 

 half as long as body, 11- jointed, the first joint elongate, rather 

 stout ; joints three to eight small, ninth equal to the five preceding, 

 tenth and 11th each equal to ninth; the last three united much 

 longer than all preceding ; front coxas separated by a triangular in- 

 tercoxal process. 



1655 (5267). Sitodrepa panicea Linn., Syst. Nat., II, 1766, 564. 



Oblong, moderately robust. Reddish-brown, with 



rather long and somewhat bristling yellowish pubescence. 

 Thorax as wide as elytra, a little narrowed from the 

 base, side margin narrow in front, finely serrate; front 

 angles somewhat rounded, hind ones broadly rounded, 

 surface sparsely granulate. Elytra finely striate, the 

 striae with rows of punctures ; intervals with a single line 

 of punctures bearing semierect hairs. Length 2.5-3.5 mm. 

 (Fig. 346.) 



Kosciusko, Marion, Vigo and Knox counties; 

 frequent. June 15-November 7. A cosmopolitan 

 Fig. 346. species which has been widely diffused by com- 

 pter Sharp. merce Usually found in drugs of various kinds, 

 such as ginger, rhubarb, chamomile, boneset, licorice, peppermint 

 and seeds of every description ; hence the common name "drug store 

 beetle." It is also often called the "biscuit weevil," being found 

 in households, where it feeds upon flour, meal, breakfast foods, 

 dried beans and peas, chocolate, black pepper, coffee, etc., and is 

 sometimes injurious to manuscripts and books. Its injuries are to 

 some extent limited by the attacks of a small mite and a chalcis fly, 

 which are parasitic upon its larva?. The best remedy for it is the 

 subjection of the object attacked to the fumes of bisulphide of 

 carbon. 



