88 
Thomas C. Barr, Jr. 
turn subglabrous, elytral disc densely pubescent; elytral microsculpture 
rather coarse, vaguely transverse, no meshes, dull-shining. Head as long 
as wide; labrum singly emarginate; last segment of maxillary palp elon- 
gate, 1.5 times as long as penultimate segment; antenna 0.6 body length. 
Pronotum transverse-cordiform, 0.8 as long as wide, apex and base sub- 
equal and 0.7 greatest width, which occurs in apical fifth; anterior angles 
prominent, sides subparallel to slightly divergent in basal sixth, hind 
angles slightly produced, acute, secondary basal angles effaced. Elytra 
elongate-oval, 1.6 times longer than wide, prehumeral borders slightly 
oblique, humeri somewhat rounded, disc depressed and heavily pubes- 
cent; short scutellar stria present, striae 1 and 2 very shallow though 
regular, intervals nearly flat, striae 3-5 shallower; apical groove elongate, 
a little oblique, bisinuate, connected medially to 3rd stria but without 
crosier. Aedeagus 0.61-0.63 mm, broadly arcuate, apex slender, pro- 
duced, deflexed, finely and bluntly rounded at tip. 
Type series. — Holotype male (American Museum of Natural History) 
and one paratype male, Kern’s Cave No. 1, Scott Co., Virginia (East 
Stone Gap IVi Quadrangle, 36°47'20" X 82°39''33"), 26 July 1969, J. R. 
Holsinger and James Beck. Two male paratypes, same cave, J. R. Hol- 
singer, 6 October 1979. 
Measurements (mm). — Holotype, total length 3.98, head 0.92 long X 
O. 92 wide, pronotum 0.94 long X 1. 14 wide, elytra 2. 17 long X 1.35 wide, 
antenna 2.54. 
Discussion. — This is the only species of the hypolithos group known 
outside Pine Mountain, Kentucky, but it inhabits a cave near the base of 
the Allegheny front. On each of two visits to Kern’s Cave No. 1, J. R. 
Holsinger collected three beetles: one P. seclusus (jonesi group) and two 
P. praetermissus. Externally the two species are closely similar and in the 
same general size range (4.0-4. 3 mm for P. praetermissus and 4. 2-5.0 mm 
for P. seclusus). The aedeagi are quite different and highly diagnostic; in 
addition, the labrum in P. seclusus bears a low but distinct median lobe, 
there are usually two or three long setae on each side of the pronotal disc, 
and the elytra are slightly longer and more subparallel. 
alabamae group 
Aedeagus with apex slender, produced, distinctly and briefly deflexed 
at tip, apex not arrow-shaped in dorsal view. Medium-sized species, 4.0- 
4.8 mm, mean lengths 4.4 and 4.5 mm, respectively for the two known 
species. Pronotum a little transverse and strongly cordiform; apical recur- 
rent groove highly diagnostic: subparallel to suture (not bisinuate), ante- 
rior end directed toward apexes of 4th and 5th striae, sometimes joining 
(no crosier), sometimes ending blindly. Type species: P. alabamae 
Valentine. 
