5 
most cases somewhat inflated, so that the last plate is more or less vertical 
in position. The last ventral segment of the female is usually convex or 
feebly flattened toward the apex, which is rounded, truncate, or emarginate 
on the posterior margin. In the males, the last sternite is in most cases 
impressed or in some species very strongly excavated at the apex, with 
the apex emarginate and its angles variably produced. 
These characters indicate relationships in the minor groups more or 
less distinctly, and exhibit marked variations among species otherwise 
closely allied, as well as obvious cases of convergence. 
In Leptura , most species have the last ventral of the male very strongly 
emarginate, with that of the female only feebly so. Leptura lineola Say 
forms an exception. In Grammoptera, the terminal segments are rounded 
at the apex, with the last ventral in many cases feebly impressed. In 
Pidonia, the series scripta Lee., straussi Webb, and ruficollis Say have the 
last two ventral segments of the male broadly excavated, the last segment 
very strongly so, with its sides greatly elevated into processes. In aurata 
Horn, the last ventral of the male is impressed on the middle line at the 
apex; the male of gnathoides Lee. we have not seen. 
In the genus Anoplodera , brevicornis Lee. and nigrella Lee. have the 
apex of the last ventral segment in the male strongly emarginate, whereas 
in matthewsi Lee. and grossa Lee. the emargination is very feeble. In the 
following group, including instabiMs Hald., sexmaculata Linn., tribalteata 
Lee., coquiletti Linell, and amabilis Lee., the terminal segments are usually 
rounded at the apex. In cordifera Oliv., the last ventral of the male is 
elevated broadly at the middle and broadly and obliquely excavated on 
the apical half, emphasizing the isolated position of this species. In nitens 
Forst., tigrina Csy., and laeta Lee., the usual condition is reversed, the last 
dorsal being emarginate and the last ventral rounded in both sexes. In 
tibialis Lee., crassipes Lee., behrensi Lee,, octonotota Say, and cockerelli Fall, 
the terminal segments of the female are subtruncate and the last ventral 
of the male strongly emarginate. In aspera Lee. and mutabilis Newm. 
there is a tendency to emargination in the dorsal rather than the ventral 
terminal segments, whereas in sanguinea Lee., laetifica Lee., and haldemani 
Csy., the last ventral of the male is feebly emarginate. 
In the series dolorosa Lee. to nigrolineata Bland, the last ventral of 
the male is variably impressed or excavated and emarginate at the apex. 
In atrata Lee. and proxima Say, this segment is triangularly, strongly 
excavated at the apex; in dolorosa Lee. and biforis Newm. it is less strongly 
impressed. In canadensis Oliv., chrysocoma Kby., and nigrolineata Bland, 
both dorsal and ventral segments vary from strongly emarginate to feebly 
emarginate in both sexes, except that the last dorsal of the male in chryso- 
coma Kby. is hardly emarginate with the last dorsal of the female rather 
strongly emarginate. The last group of the genus, including the series 
from rubrica Say to viitata Oliv., have the last ventral of the male variably 
impressed. Of these, dehiscens Lee., vagans Oliv., rubrica Say, and cir- 
cumdata Oliv. have the last ventral of the male strongly impressed and 
emarginate with the last dorsal rounded. In pernigra Linell, the last ventral 
of the male is broadly excavated with the sides elevated at the apex, and 
the apical margin strongly rounded, fitting into the margin of the inflated 
last dorsal. The same structure obtains in vexairix Mann, and, less strong- 
ly, in pubera Bay, whereas in viitata Oliv. there is only a feeble tendency 
toward the same condition. 
