1932 ] New Species of Cryptocephalus 23 
6th is represented as a rule by only two or three punctures 
just behind the humeral callus; the size in confluens is 
consistently larger; finally and probably most important, 
the acute lobe or cusp formed by the production of the 
apical margin of the prosternum in the male of confluens 
and allied species is here replaced by an isolated spiniform 
tooth posterior to the true margin, which latter is only 
moderately angularly advanced at middle. 
Cryptocephalus merus n. sp. 
Moderately stout, subparallel, yellow, highly polished, 
with brown or reddish brown markings as follows. Head 
with the usual small vertex and supra-antennal spots; 
prothorax with four more or less irregular or disintegrated 
vittae, the two inner ones separated by a narrow sharply 
defined yellow line; elytra with brown striae, an elongate 
spot between striae 2-3 at base, a similar spot at the apical 
third between striae 4-5, behind this another more diffuse, 
the humeral umbo, and two small spots at basal and apical 
thirds on the subhumeral interspace. Striae 5-7 are inde- 
pendent for a short distance at base but become inter- 
rupted and partially lost posteriorly. 
Head sparsely finely punctate ; prothorax with sparse ir- 
regularly scattered rather coarse punctures; elytral striae 
moderately impressed. 
Body beneath yellow with close set punctures, metaster- 
num, and ventral segments in part, brown. Prosternum in 
front with apically rounded not very prominent lobe; be- 
hind emarginate and bilobed as usual. 
Length 4 mm. ; width 2.3 mm. 
El Paso, Texas. Type $ . 
This species is not closely similar to any known to me. 
In a general way at long range the elytral markings some- 
what resemble those of spurcus , and for the present it may 
be placed near the latter. The very sparsely irregularly 
and rather coarsely punctate thorax has no parallel in any 
of our previously described species, but occurs again in the 
following species, which may indeed be no more than a 
variant form of the present one. 
