148 
Psyche 
[June 
replaced by the following: 
29(28) Abdomen lacking paratergites except on segments 3 and 7; 
male with large unequal protarsal claws, anterior one 
much longer and thicker than posterior, sometimes 
nearly as long as tarsus 
Xenicopoda Moore & Legner 
— Abdomen with paratergites on segments 3 through 7; 
protarsal claws equal in both sexes, same size as those 
on meso- and metatarsi 30 
There are no ecological data on any of the specimens seen. Exam- 
ination of one cleared specimen, however, revealed the gut to be 
packed with pollen grains, as in Eusphalerum spp., Amphichroum 
spp., Pelecomalium spp., and some Elonium spp. which are found 
on flowers. The presence of a mandibular mola composed of small 
sharp teeth is fairly restricted within the Omaliinae, but all of the 
above-named genera except Elonium share this character with Xeni- 
copoda. ( Brathinus spp. and Olophrum spp., which are not flori- 
colous, also have molar surfaces composed of separate teeth, but 
the teeth differ in size, shape, and orientation from those of Amphi- 
chroum, Eusphalerum, Pelecomalium, and Xenicopoda.) Pollen- 
feeding in Elonium may well be a secondary development, as most 
species of this genus seem not to be found on flowers; this possi- 
bility makes the lack of a toothed mola in the flower-dwelling 
Elonium species less surprising. The other genera mentioned are 
apparently entirely floricolous as adults. This evidence and the 
collection dates on the seven known specimens of Xenicopoda sug- 
gest that an intensive search in February and March on flowers in 
the fairly restricted area where the genus has been collected might 
turn up additional specimens of this interesting beetle. 
The genus Xenicopoda was placed in the tribe Anthophagini by 
its authors. For the time being it may remain there, pending badly- 
needed further study of the higher classification of the Omaliinae. 
Acknowledgements 
I would like to thank D. H. Kavanaugh, California Academy of 
Sciences, for the prompt loan of the type of Xenicopoda helenae; 
H. S. Dybas and E. H. Smith, Field Museum of Natural History, 
for the opportunity to study the type of Xanthonomus toxopeanus 
