A REVIEW OF THE AGYRTES (SILPHIDAE) 
OF NORTH AMERICA* 
By Stewart B. Peck 
Department of Biology, Carleton University, 
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 
Dr. John Lawrence and Dr. Roy Crowson pointed out to me that 
the type specimen of Lendomus politus Casey (placed in Myceto- 
phagidae by Casey) seemed to be a silphid in the genus Agyrtes. 
This led me to study the Casey type and to review the species of 
Agyrtes of North America as the first part in a projected series of 
reviews of the silphid genera of North America. 
The genus Agyrtes is Holarctic. Seven species are known and a 
key to them is given by Hlisnikovsky (1964). Of these, two species 
occur in and are limited to North America. The habits of the North 
American species are unknown, but the European species occur in 
forests under bark, in moss, and at rotting mushrooms. 
Agyrtes longulus (LeConte) 
Figures 1, 2, 8, 9, 10. 
N ecrophilus longulus LeConte, 1859: 282. Lectotype here designated as 
female in MCZ, LeConte colln. (no. 3148), bearing gold disc, seen. 
Type locality: Table Mountain, below San Francisco, California, by 
original designation. 
Agyrtes longulus (LeC.). Horn, 1880:246. Hatch, 1957:8. 
Lendomus politus Casey, 1924: 184. New Synonym. Holotype male in 
USNM, Casey colln. (no. 37497), seen. Type locality; Anticosti Island, 
Quebec, Canada. No other type data. 
Diagnosis. Antennal club composed of four segments, first three 
of club with rings of dense pubescense on inside apical margin, third 
antennal segment appreciably longer than the second. Prothorax 
conspicuously wider than long, less narrowed towards the front, 
posterior angles distinct. Aedeagus in side view with pronounced 
bend (fig. 10), paramere an elongated spatula (fig. 9). 
Distribution. The species ranges from southern California north- 
wards through the coastal mountains to British Columbia and south- 
ern Alaska, and inland to Idaho. In addition to the type I have seen 
the following material : 
* Manuscript received by the editor December 17 , 1974. 
501 
