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-0BULLETIN- 9 :2- OF TH-E AMERIC:kN; MUSEUM-OF NATUR-AL H-ISTORY VOLUM-E-.'b92: ARTICLE.._3 NEW.YORE: 1948 .M A REVIEW OF THE NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE

A REVIEW OF THE NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE

PATRICIA VAURIE Assistant, Department of Insects and Spiders

BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOLUME 92: ARTICLE 3 NEW YORK: 1948 BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 92, article 3, pages 119-156, figures 1, 2 Issued November 5, 1948 Price: $0.50 a copy INTRODUCTION

ALTHOUGH FAIRLY RECENT WORK has been during the preparation of which about 2000 done on the Languriidae of India (Arrow, specimens were examined, brings together 1925), Africa (Arrow, 1929a), and China the information on the North American spe- (Zia, 1933), the last comprehensive account in cies and genera. It is to be hoped that a re- this country was in 1873 by Crotch. Schaeffer vision of the Central and South American (1904, p. 198) wrote a synoptic table of members of the family will follow at a later Languria, and Blatchley (1910, p. 541) de- date. scribed the species found in Indiana, but I want to thank Mr. John C. Pallister of neither of these works covers all the species of the American Museum of Natural History Languria, or the three other genera. for his encouragement and help in starting Since Crotch's time, six new species of this study. I am especially grateful to Dr. Languria have been named, two species were Mont A. Cazier of the American Museum for transferred to Acropteroxys, the genera Acrop- his advice and constructive criticism. Mr. teroxys and Dasydactylus were set up by Lawrence S. Dillon of the Reading Public Gorham (1887, pp. 13, 14), and the genus Museum and Dr. Milton W. Sanderson of the Langurites was found to occur in Arizona Illinois Natural History Survey have kindly and Florida. In addition, specimens have lent specimens and offered helpful comments; been collected from a great many new places, specimens at the United States National thus enlarging the geographical ranges of Museum were made available by Mr. W. S. nearly every species. New food plants have Fisher and some were lent by Dr. E. S. Ross also been discovered, as well as other data on of the California Academy of Sciences. the habits of these insects. The present paper, HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION The Languriidae were for a long time con- year in which more than one was named was sidered a subfamily of the Erotylidae even 1854 when LeConte described discoidea, though Lewis, as early as 1884, suggested taedata, laeta, and collaris. Other authors of placing them near the Endomychidae as a North American species which still stand are separate family. Arrow (1925, p. 157) also Say (1823), Motschulsky (1860), Horn (1868), recommended they be treated as a family, Schwarz (1878), Fall (1901), Schaeffer (1904), but it was not until 1928 that they received Casey (1916), and Blatchley (1924). family rank and were so listed in Junk's Languria is represented in Central America "Catalogue" (Schenkling: 1) with the two by four additional species. Three species, subfamilies Languriinae and Cladoxeninae. irregularis, laeta, and sanguinicollis, have been Leng and Mutchler (1933, p. 33) placed them found in both North and Central America. as a family in their catalogue and more re- None have been reported from South Amer- cently Blackwelder (1945, p. 425) put the ica. Languriidae in the superfamily Cucujoidea The genus Acropteroxys was not described between the Biphyllidae and the Crypto- until 1887 when Gorham named a Mexican phagidae. species as genotype. But gracilis (Newman) The earliest recorded species of the genus (1838) and lecontei (Crotch), (1873), placed Languria in North America was bicolor originally under Languria, belong in Acrop- (Fabricius) in 1798, followed in 1805 and teroxys. These are the only two species north 1807 by angustata (Beauvois) and mozardi of the Rio Grande; there are four others in Latreille. Both bicolor and angustata appeared Central America and gracilis is found in both first under the name Trogosita. In the next regions. hundred years, 1 more Languria became The genus Dasydactylus was also set up by known and since 1907 three have been added. Gorham at the same time as Acropteroxys, A few of these were made synonymous, mak- also with a Mexican species as genotype. This ing a total of 14 species at present. The only is a Central American genus with 24 de- 123 124 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 scribed species, D. cnici Schaeffer (1904) Africa, and South America, but the largest, being the only member yet taken north of most beautiful, and most varied species in- the Mexican border, and it has been found in habit the Indo-Malayan region. There, too, the United States in Texas only. One species is found the largest proportion of the approxi- has been described from South America, mately 400 species that compose this small and Gorham said there were probably others family of beetles. There are none in New Zea- undescribed because of lack of material. land and only a few in Australia. Most curi- Three Central American species became ous is the fact that no langurids are known Motschulsky's basis for a new genus, Langu- from Europe. One would expect them there as rites, in 1860. Crotch, in 1875, made these well as in North America, since many of the synonymous with Languria lineata (Castel- same types of plants occur in which they could nau) (1832), which he then assigned to the bore. Fowler (1886, p. 303) said langurids genus Langurites. There are now only two were not found "very far north or south of the species in the genus, one from Mexico and Tropics," and while it is true that their great- lineatus from North and Central America and est concentration is in the warmer countries, northern South America. some species do exist as far north as Canada Other Languriidae exist in China, Japan, in North America and Tibet in Asia.

BIOLOGY In contrast to the Erotylidae, which feed The adults feed on pollen (Wildermuth on fungi, the Languriidae of North America and Gates, 1920) and on the leaves of the are stem borers. The larvae feed in the stems host plant. Lewis (1884, p. 349) reported that of a variety of plants, especially favoring the some langurids mount and cling to the stems Compositae and Leguminosae. The only and leaves of brushwood, or sit on leaves in species whose activities have made it an eco- the moist, half-shaded parts of the forest. nomic pest in North America is Languria According to Ulke (1902, p. 44), North Amer- mozardi which infests red clover in the south- ican Languria "are most frequently found in east and alfalfa in the southwest. In India, swampy meadows." Anadastus parvulus Wiedmann does consider- Specific notes on biology appear under each able injury to Italian millet (Setaria itaica) species in the following pages, but no informa- (Arrow, 1925). The feeding of the larva tion has been found for taedata, erythrocephala, within the stem does not destroy the plant, irregularis, and collaris in Languria, for but interferes with its vitality, making the lecontei in Acropteroxys, or for Langurites quality poor, and sometimes the plant breaks ineatus. off above the oviposition hole.

TAXONOMY The subfamily Languriinae is made up of usually flattened, hairy club; the eyes are elongate, narrow, lustrous beetles, somewhat round and finely granulated. The thorax has resembling click beetles (Elateridae) in gen- a short longitudinal depression or line eral aspect. In North America they are usu- each side of the base; the side margins of the ally bicolored (red thorax, dark elytra), and thorax are distinct. Scutellum heart shaped; in Central and South America usually uni- elytra covering the abdomen, which has five colored (bronze, piceous, blue, or green). In segments. The front coxal cavities are open Asia and India they present many combina- behind, separated by a prosternal process. tions but the pattern is always simple, with- The tarsi are five-segmented, but only the out the variegated elytra of the Erotylidae, claw and the flat pads of the first three seg- for instance. The head is immersed in the ments are visible except under strong magni- thorax to the eyes; the eleven-segmented an- fication. The claws are simple. Size small to tennae are inserted at the sides of the front, medium, 3 to 16 mm. All the North American the last five or six segments forming a distinct, species belong in this subfamily. 1948 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 125

The subfamily Cladoxeninae (Arrow, 1925, the legs are slender or stout; the tarsi are p. 253) is not represented in North Amer- bilobed. ica.' It comprises "small species easily recog- An effort has been made in this paper not nisable by the absence of the narrow linear to rely on color for differentiation of species form so characteristic of Languriinae." The where other characters, such as punctuation, antennal club is three-segmented, the seg- shape of the antennal club, shape of the elytra ments bead-like, of equal width and not and of the elytral apices, can be used. The closely united. The eyes are coarsely granu- arrangement of the color, although often vari- lated; the elytra are shorter than in the able, has some significance, but the degrees Languriinae and taper more towards the apex, of color do not. Therefore the terms for color have been generalized: "red" is used for all the varying shades from yellow to dark 1 The genus Pharaxonotha, formerly of the subfamily red; "piceous" is used for all parts which Cladoxeninae, was returned from Languriidae to the appear black to the naked eye. family Cryptophagidae by Arrow (1929b, p. 308). Black- welder (1945, p. 428) also places it in the Cryptophagi- The bibliographical references under the dae. genera and species are selected references. SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT KEY TO THE GENERA OF LANGURIINAE femora hardly swollen at middle, male fem- 1. Ocular stria present, extending from antennal ora and tibiae with or without teeth on socket to end of eye ...... 2 inner side; prosternum shallowly or deeply, Ocular stria absent ...... Acropteroxys sparsely or densely punctured; mesosternum 2. Elytral apices evenly rounded to sutural mar- short, deeply punctured; metasternum, ab- gin, or apices dentate; ocular stria deep, domen shallowly, sparsely, or deeply, densely close to eye ...... 3 punctured, last abdominal segment similar in Elytral apices terminating in an acute tooth, male and female. Length 4 to 13 mm. inner third of elytral margin obliquely in- cised to suture which also terminates in GENOTYPE: Languria bicolor Fabricius, tooth; ocular stria shallow, distant from 1798, from North America. The genus Languria consists of 14 North eye ...... Langurites 3. Elytral apices evenly rounded; thorax generally American species and four Central American in great part red; elytra piceous, wholly or in ones; those described from other parts of part; male genitalia as in figure 1. Languria the world have been placed in different Elytral apices dentate; thorax and elytra of genera. In the United States Languria differs same piceous color; male genitalia as in from the other genera by the shape of the figure 1 ...... Dasydactylus elytral apices which are generally evenly GENUS LANGURIA LATREILLE rounded, but sometimes truncate or slightly Languria LATREILLE, 1802, Histoire naturelle sinuate. Other characters in this genus are ... des ... insectes, vol. 3, p. 209; 1805, op. cit., quite variable. vol. 12, p. 35; 1807, Genera crustaceorum et in- Although Languria have the same general sectorum, vol. 3, pp. 65-66. LECONTE, 1854, Proc. coloration as Acropteroxys and the species of Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, p. 158. both genera occur together, the affinity of CROTCH, 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, Languria is rather with Dasydactylus. The p. 349. FOWLER, 1908, in Wytsman, P., Genera eyes in Languria and Dasydactylus are not insectorum, vol. 78, p. 29. BLATCHLEY, 1910, so prominent as in Acropteroxys and Langu- Coleoptera of Indiana, vol. 1, p. 541. rites; the ocular stria is deeper than in Langu- Head with punctures shallow or deep, rites and closer to the eye. Languria is the sparse or dense; ocular stria deep, close to only North American genus containing some eye; clypeus large or small, rectangular, species with as many as six segments in the square, or trapezoidal, punctures usually deep, antennal club, but the shape of both club dense; antennae long or short, with broad and antennae is extremely variable, some and compact or narrow and elongate five- species having antennae that resemble those or six-segmented club emerging gradually or of Dasydactylus (short and with broad and abruptly from stem, club segments either compact club), some having long narrow slightly or strongly dilated to inner side, antennae as in Acropteroxys and Langurites, last segment rounded; thorax slightly flat to and some having the club not only emerging very convex, longer than broad, or square, abruptly from the stem, but with the club sides subparallel to sinuous, hind angles segments strongly dilated to the inner side- slightly produced, punctuation shallow and a type of antennae not represented in any of sparse or deep and dense; elytra two and one- the other genera. The last segment of the half or three times longer than thorax, the antennae is round as in Dasydactylus. The rows of punctures distinct, and either shal- thorax is usually more convex than in the low or deep, apices evenly rounded, truncate, other genera, but sometimes less convex or slightly sinuate, legs long or short, front than in some Dasydactylus; likewise the sides of the thorax are sinuous, but sometimes less 1 The single species of this genus in the United States so than in some Dasydactylus. The elytra are has the elytral apices definitely dentate, but there are three or four of the approximately 20 species in Central generally shorter in proportion to the thorax America that have the apices not, or scarcely, dentate. than in the other genera, and also broader, One Central American species, sellatus, has a transverse but individuals of some species of Languria red band across the elytra. could not be distinguished from Dasydactylus 126 1948 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 127

Lateral View

Languria bicolor L.mozardi L.taedata

Dasydactylus Acropteroxys Langurites

Dor,sal View

Languria Dasydactylus Acropteroxys Langurites FIG. 1. Male genitalia of Languriidae. 128 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 in these two characters. The legs are gener- the punctures virtually touching one another. ally shorter and more robust than in Dasy- In shape it is sometimes transverse and rec- dactylus, and shorter and less robust than in tangular, sometimes almost square, or trape- the other genera; the front femora in zoidal. Languria and Dasydactylus are not so swollen ANTENNAE: Piceous in color except in at the middle as in Acropteroxys and Langu- denticulata, mozardi, trifasciata, and irregu- rites. The last abdominal segment in male laris which may have red basal segments or Languria, as in male Dasydactylus, is not all segments red. Segments of the stem, or emarginate as in the other genera. shaft, range from round to elongate, the third Three species of Languria, taedata, ery- segment being always longer than the others. throcephala, and bicolor, have the male char- The club (fig. 2) is composed of flattened, acters of the genus Dasydactylus, namely, slightly hairy segments usually increasing in teeth on the inside of the front and middle size from base to near apex, the apical seg- femora and tibiae. The first two of these also ment being more or less round. Made up of have very hairy, dilated tarsi and long legs five segments, but of six in bicolor and con- in both sexes, as in Dasydactylus. vexicollis. Excluding the apical segment, the The female genitalia in Languria are pro- clubs (whether five- or six-segmented) fall portionately longer and narrower than in the into three general groups: other genera. The male genitalia (fig. 1) are 1. Those that emerge gradually from the somewhat similar to those of Dasydactylus, stem (i.e., the first segment of the club is but the penis, seen from the side, is generally about intermediate in size between the seg- more curved in Languria and has the apex ments preceding and following it), with the not rounded but obliquely truncate before individual segments broader than long and the apex. Dorsally, the penis is very narrow, not much dilated to the inner side (californica, and somewhat compressed in both genera, bicolor, discoidea, denticulata, and mozardi). thus differing from Acropteroxys and Lan- 2. Those that emerge abruptly from the gurites, in which it is broad and has an open- stem (i.e., the first segment of the club is defi- ing (fig. 1). nitely larger than the segment preceding it), The principal differences between Languria with the individual segments not only broader and Dasydactylus are in the elytral apices and than long, but strongly and distinctly dilated in the general conformation. The elytral to the inner side (convexicollis, lacta, irregu- apices are never dentate in Languria, and laris, trifasciata, collaris, angustata, and mar- Languria is broader, more convex, and less ginipennis). elongate. 3. Those that emerge gradually from the Some general remarks on morphology stem with the individual segments longer which are not necessarily repeated under the than broad and not much dilated to the inner discussion of each species follow: side (taedata and erythrocephala). HEAD: Red above in about half the spe- In the old descriptions each segment was cies, piceous in marginipennis, angustata, often described in detail in its relation to the trifasciata, collaris, and irregularis: a mix- others, but the individual variation is too ture of both colors in taedata, erythrocephala, great for such comparisons to be of value. and convexicollis. Head below generally the THORAX: Always red (from yellow red to same color as above. Punctuation may be dark red), with or without a piceous median shallow or deep, sparse or dense, but varies spot of varying dimensions. The spot is occa- somewhat within the species. The top of the sionally so widespread as to obscure the red. head is usually more sparsely punctate than Under surface of thorax also red, but with the region towards the front. areas of piceous on or near the front coxae in Ems: A deep ocular stria is present close californica, convexicollis, and laeta. to the eye in all, starting from the antennal The conformation (length, shape, outline) socket and reaching to the end of the eye. varies between species but it is also sexual, CLYPEUS: Generally, but not invariably, the females having the thorax generally the same color as the head. Punctuation is shorter, squarer, and less convex than the usually deeper and denser than the head, males. Some species have the thorax more 1948 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 129

'

Lerythrocephata L.mozardi Llaeta L.angustata

D.cnici A.gracilis L.Uineatus Pupa-L.mozardi FIG. 2. Antennae and pupa of Languriidae. 130 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 nearly square, as angustata, others longer and the remainder. Where the legs have both narrower, as trifasciata; in some it is less con- piceous and red, it is usually the femora that vex, as marginipennis and angustata, in most have the two colors, with the red always at it is more convex, and in convexicollis males, the base. The tibiae and tarsi in these spe- very convex. The outline of the sides of the cies may be all shades of piceous or red, but thorax is wavy or sinuous, but in some indi- these are not important differences as they viduals it is nearly straight. The basal depres- vary within the species. In angustata the sions characteristic of the family vary indi- front femora are half piceous and half red, vidually in length and depth. while the other femora have only their tips Punctuation is generally shallow, some- piceous. what deeper and denser in taedata and ery- The femora and tibiae of three species, throcephala. The punctures are regularly taedata, erythrocephala, and bicolor, are pro- spaced, as a rule, but are sometimes grouped vided with small teeth on the inner side in at random and more noticeable in the center the males, which, says Arrow (1925, p. 164), than on the sides, which is probably owing to is probably for gripping the females. These the convexity of the thorax. In trifasciata, teeth are also a feature of the males of other angustata, and marginipennis there is a con- genera, Dasydactylus from Texas and Central centration of larger, deeper punctures in a and South America, Languriomorpha from line along the base, but this is not always Japan, Doubledaya from Indo-Malaya, and evident. Stenolanguria from Africa. The femora of SCUTELLUM: Red in the majority of ery- both sexes in North American species have throcephala, denticulata, mozardi, and irregu- two short impressed lines on the inner side, laris; piceous in the rest. Sometimes with one although this is difficult to see in many speci- to five punctures. Shaped like a flattened mens. The tibiae have from one to four punc- heart, the point downward. tures on the outer side, and these too are ELYTRA: All species have piceous, uni- often hard to find. The tibiae are slightly colored elytra except trifasciata and some curved and usually have some light-colored angustata, which have red across the middle hairs at the side nearlthe apex. The femora third, or at the sides. The elytra have nine are slightly swollen at the middle. regular, distinct rows of punctures which In most species the hairs of the tarsi are become smaller and fainter near the apex, short, but in taedata and erythrocephala they plus a short scutellar stria of varying number are very long, as long as the width of the tar- of punctures. Under a high-power lens all the sal segment. The first segment on the hind spaces between these rows show some punc- tarsi is longer than any of the following seg- tures, very definite in some species, with ments. only a few shallow scattered ones in others. PROSTERNUM: Always red except in three of The interspaces are sometimes transversely the species with piceous abdomens, califor- wrinkled or creased. The elytra are two and nica, convexicollis, and laeta, in which most of one-half to three times longer than the thorax. the prosternum is red, but there is piceous on Their sides are parallel to almost the apical or near the front coxae, sometimes spreading third where they bend inward towards the onto the hind angles of the prosternum. apex. In most species this bending inward Punctuation shallow in about half the spe- comes rather near the apex, thus giving a cies, deep in the others. There are often trans- more rounded effect; in erythrocephala and verse wrinkles in the center. trifasciata it starts nearer the middle of the MESOSTERNUM: Usually same color as first elytra, making it more pointed and narrow. abdominal segment, but in angustata some- The elytral apices in most species are evenly times red and sometimes piceous. Always rounded, but in denticulata and often in with a few large deep punctures. discoidea they are sinuate, and in angustata METASTERNUM: Piceous in those with and marginipennis they are more truncate piceous abdomens, red in all others except than rounded. some angustata (first abdominal segment red, LEGS: Piceous in californica, bicolor, con- metasternum usually piceous) and margini- vexicollis, laeta, and collaris, red in irregularis pennis (first abdominal segment red, meta- and trifasciata, and a mixture of the two in sternum piceous except front margin). Punc- 1948 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 131 tures generally shallow and sparse, often mostly red ...... 3 hardly visible, but in californica, taedata, and Head densely, deeply punctate; mesosternum erythrocephala they are deep and dense, es- and metasternum piceous; abdomen piceous; 6F9 mm...... californica pecially in the front, and are even larger than 3. Thorax with ill-defined median dark spot or those on the mesosternum. thorax darkened; head usually piceous; META-EPISTERNUM: Piceous in those with scutellum piceous; large, robust; 9-11 mm. piceous abdomens, red in all others except ...... taedata angustata and marginipennis. Punctuation Thorax without median dark spot; head usu- same as in metasternum except that in con- ally red; scutellum usually red; smaller, vexicollis and laeta and even at times in indi- narrower; 6-10k mm. . . erythrocephala viduals of other species, the punctures are 4. Antennal club six-segmented ...... 5 more like elongate impressions, as if someone Antennal club five-segmented ...... 6 made a dot with a pen and then let it drag on 5. Abdomen red with last segment piceous; meso- the surface. sternum and metasternum red; 7-13 mm...... bicolor REFLEXED ELYTRAL MARGINS: Entirely Abdomen piceous; mesosternum and meta- red in marginipennis, piceous and red in sternum piceous; 9-1 11 mm.. . convexicollis trifasciata and angustata, and piceous in all 6. Head red to yellow ...... 7 others. Scattered punctures have been found Head black to piceous ...... 10 on some individuals in all species, but they 7. Thorax...... without median dark spot; thorax and seem very erratic in occurrence. elytra not alutaceous, appearance shining

ABDOMEN: Red with one or more apical ...... 8 segments piceous in the majority of species, Thorax with irregular large median dark spot entirely piceous in californica, convexicollis, which usually reaches apex; thorax and laeta, and collaris, usually entirely red in elytra alutaceous, appearance greasy; 5-O10 mm...... discoidea taedata and erythrocephala. The number of with piceous segments in those with bicolored ab- 8. Elytral apices evenly rounded; abdomen domens varies somewhat within the species. more than one piceous segment, or unicolor- ous .. . 9 In some species there are individuals with Elytral apices...... sinuate or wavy, with small additional piceous spots on the sides of the tooth at suture; abdomen with last segment red abdominal segments. Punctuation gener- only piceous; 8-10 mm.. ... denticulata ally shallow, and more sparse down the center 9. Antennal club emerging gradually from stem, than on the sides, but it is deeper and seventh segment less than twice as wide as denser in californica, taedata, and erythro- preceding segments, segments only slightly cephala. dilated to inner side; abdomen red with last SIZE: From 4 to 13 mm., often varying two or three segments piceous; small, 4-9 greatly within the species. The smallest speci- mm...... mozardi Antennal club emerging abruptly from stem, men recorded is a mozardi, the largest, bi- seventh segment at least twice as wide as color. preceding segments, segments strongly di- GENITALIA: Male: In most species the lated to inner side; abdomen unicolorous, penis is nearly cylindrical, curved, semi- large; 8-11 mm...... laeta transparent, and more or less obliquely trun- 10. (6) Legs varicolored (piceous and red), or cate before the apex. In trifasciata and an- uniformly piceous ...... 12 gustata the apex is more rounded. In taedata Legs uniformly red ...... 11 and erythrocephala it is slightly sinuate, and 11. Elytra unicolorous, irregularly creased, with the entire penis is more compressed (fig. 1). large, deep punctures; 6.8-8 mm. irregularis Female: There seem to be no specific dif- Elytra with red band at middle third, smooth, ferences. with small, shallow punctures; 5-9k mm...... trifasciata KEY TO THE SPECIES OF Languria 12. Abdomen with all segments piceous . . .

1. Metasternum deeply and irregularly punctate ...... collar ss

...... 2 Abdomen with not more than two segments Metasternum impunctate or sparsely, shal- piceous ...... 13

lowly punctate ...... 4 13. Abdomen with last two segments piceous; 2. Head sparsely, shallowly punctate; meso- reflexed elytral margins piceous at base; sternum and metasternum red; abdomen 6-9...... mm...... angustata 132 BULLETIN AMERICAN: MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92

Abdomen with last- segment only piceous; re- abdomen so numerously and deeply punc- flexed elytral margins red at base; 7-91 mm. tured as californica...... marginipennis BIOLOGY: Fall's specimen was taken on Astragatus crotalarae, the same family as al- Languria californica Fall falfa, in the stems of which mozardi develops. Languria californica FALL, 1901, Occas. Papers SEASON: May and June. California Acad. Sci., vol. 8, p. 235. SCHAEFFER, 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 199. Languria taedata LeConte Languria taedata LECONTE, 1854, Proc. Acad. Small, robust; antennal club five-seg- Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, p. 160. CROTCH, mented, emerging gradually from stem; head 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 350. red; thorax spotless; area near front coxae SCHAEFFER, 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. usually piceous; mesosternum, metasternum, 12, p. 199. abdomen, and legs always piceous. Punctua- Languria rufiventris MOTSCHULSKY, 1860, in tion below deep, dense. Schrenck, P. L., Reisen und Forschungen im Amur- Head- red; antennae with club five-seg- Lande, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 242. mented, emerging gradually from stem, seg- Large, robust; antennal club five-seg- ments broader than long, not much dilated to mented, emerging gradually from stem; head inner side; thorax without median dark usually piceous; thorax greasy in appearance spot; elytra with apices evenly rounded, with vague median dark spot; front tarsi "green-black" (Fall, 1901), "blue" (Schaef- large and hairy; scutellum piceous; abdomen fer, 1904); femora, tibiae, tarsi piceous; un- red with apex sometimes piceous. Elytra der surface of thorax red with area near front usually uniformly piceous. coxae usually piceous, all the rest below pic- Head piceous, often lighter in front; an- eous. Length 61 9 mm. tennae with club five-segmented, emerging Punctuation: Head, clypeus, thorax shal- gradually from stem, segments narrow, longer lowly but densely; prosternum, metasternum, than wide, loosely strung, hardly dilated to abdomen deeply, densely; elytra deeply, with inner side; thorax with large, ill-defined me- shallow punctures and creases between the dian piceous spot, sometimes well defined; striae. scutellum piceous; elytra with apices evenly TYPE LOCALITY: Redondo, California. rounded, "brassy black" (LeConte, 1854), DISTRIBUTION: California. "greenish" (Crotch, 1873); femora piceous, SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, nine, all often paler et extreme base, but no sharp line from California: Los Angeles, four; Salinas, of demarcation between the colors, front fem- three; Idlewild, one; "So. Cal.," one. ora usually darker, tibiae piceous, some- DISCUSSION: Fall states that "convexicollis, times middle and hind tibiae completely the only other California species, is much pale red, femora and tibiae in males with two larger, has more convex thorax, 6-jointed rows of tiny teeth on inner side, tarsi brown, antennal club and generally feebler sculp- "almost rufous" (LeConte, 1854), each seg- ture." L. mozardi, however, also occurs in ment about three times larger than the last California (Wildermuth and Gates, 1920), antennal segment, tarsi with long hairs; but the red segments on its abdomen would under surface red (apex of abdomen some- differentiate it from californica. Other dif- times slightly darkened), with fringe of yellow ferences between the two are that californica hairs at apex of abdomen. Length 9-11 mm. is more deeply punctured below and has the Punctuation: Head sparsely, shallowly, legs, the area around the front coxae, the often impunctate at top; clypeus, thorax mesosternum, metasternum, and episternum more deeply, densely; prosternum, meta- piceous. The antennae are as in mozardi, but sternum, abdomen deeply, irregularly; elytra the punctuation of the metasternum is as in with faint punctures between the deeply taedata and erythrocephaa. It can be told punctured striae. Prosternum and inter- from these two species by the more densely spaces of elytra much creased. punctate head, the piceous on the under sur- TYPE LOCALITY: New York, on seashore. face, and the wider, more compact antennal DISTRIBUTION: Atlantic coastal states club segments. No other langurid seen has the from District of Columbia northward. 19481 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 133 SPECIMENs EXAMINED: Total, 62: New those of Dasydactylus." Gorham (1-887, p. 14) Jersey, 26; New York, 21; Connecticut, two; stressed this character of the males in de- Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, fining the genus Dasydactylus. The teeth are one each; without locality labels, 10. Of 46 of present on all the legs but are usually more these examined for teeth on the femora, 25 marked on the front ones. They are more were males, 21 females. noticeable on the femora than on the tibiae DIscussIoN: The antennae in taedata, as and are arranged in two evenly spaced rows also in erythrocephala, are quite different from on the former, while on the latter there seems those of the other species of the genus. They to be only one row. The teeth are visible are longer and narrower, not so compact, but under a 14-X hand lens. The legs of the fe- loosely articulated. The club is also narrower males appear rather granular but have no and its formation is so gradual (the first two actual roughness.- The only other difference segments being not much larger than the found between the sexes is that the females preceding stem segments) that at first glance have a slightly shorter, more square thorax. the club seems three-segmented instead of The median piceous spot on the thorax in five-segmented. In some individuals this is taedata is often so diffused as to appear a more marked than in others. There is more dirty smudge; sometimes the entire thorax is red on the abdomen in taedata and erythro- darkened. cephala than in any other species. Another This species differs from most other spe- even more striking difference between tae- cies in the longer legs and larger, more hairy data and erythrocephaka on the one hand and tarsi, in the longer, thinner antennae with all the others except caUifornica on the other narrower antennal club, and in the deeply is that the metasternum is deeply and coarsely punctured metasternum. Resembles erythro- punctured, especially in front (though some- cephala in these characters, but differs from times the base is nearly smooth). After the it in being longer, broader, and darker and in shallowly pun;ctured metasterna of others of having a median dark spot on the thorax. the genus, some of which are so finely punc- Also the elytra is more uniformly piceous in tured as to be seen only as pinpricks, these taedata without areas of paler color on the seem like veritable craters. LeConte did not suture, and the femora are more piceous than mention this character in his original de- red. This is the only instance in this genus scription of taedata, but Crotch (1873, p. where two species so similar in their main 350) observed it, saying "sides of the meta- characters as taedata and erythrocephala.have sternum are very coarsely punctured in front." not so far been found to overlap in their The pro-episternum and abdomen in the geographical range, the former having been above three species are also punctured more taken north of the District of Columbia, in deeply than in most others. The tarsi have coastal states, and the latter in Florida and long hairs (as long as the tarsi are wide), a Alabama only. Perhaps when more material feature of the genus Dasydactylus and not becomes available for study, intergrading present in other Languria. forms may be found. The male genitalia in taedata and crythro- Motschulsky (1860, p. 242) had only a few cephala also differ from those in other spe- general words to say about his Languria cies, the apex of the penis being almost rufiventris from North America. It is now rounded and showing a sinuation not present considered synonymous with taedata. in the others, and the entire penis is more SEASON: June to August. compressed and flatter, less cylindrical. Neither LeConte nor Crotch remarked on Languria erythrocephala Blatchley the teeth on the femora and tibiae of taedata Languria erythrocephalus BLATCHLEY, 1924, males, but Schaeffer (1904, p. 200) described Canadian Ent., vol. 56, p. 167. "the femora and tibiae beneath asperate in Medium-sized, narrow; antennal club five- the males, smooth in the females," adding segmented, emerging gradually from stem; that taedata "is somewhat intermediate be- head usually red; thorax shiny, spotless; tween the genera Dasydactylus and Languria, front tarsi large and hairy; scutellum red; the anterior legs in the males are similar to abdomen red with apex usually piceous. Ely- 134 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. .92- tra usually with paler, reddish area along specimens and under a high-power lens suture. (36-X), even those with the red have the Head red, sometimes piceous at base; an- entire elytra piceous (dark reddish brown), tennae with club five-segmented, emerging with the sutural area merely a paler color. gradually from stem, segments narrow, In taedata the elytra are also piceous but longer than wide, loosely strung, hardly usually without the paler area along the dilated to inner side; thorax without median suture. Another color difference is that the piceous spot but sometimes slightly darkened; femora have more red in erythrocephala, and scutellum generally red; elytra with apices the red and piceous are sharply defined. The evenly rounded, "bluish-black, some with coloration of the last abdominal segment reddish tinge" (Blatchley, 1924); femora varies in both species, although in general it piceous apically, red basally, line of demarca- might be said that having the apex of the tion definite, tibiae and tarsi piceous, femora abdomen piceous is more characteristic of and tibiae in males with two rows of tiny erythrocephala than of taedata. (Of 29 erythro- teeth on inner side, each tarsal segment about cephala, 23 have the apical margin sometimes three times larger than last antennal segment, slightly but usually definitely piceous; the tarsi with long hairs; under surface red with other six have it red. Of 23 taedata, only 13 apical half of last abdominal segment usually have a slightly darkened area at the apex, piceous and with fringe of yellow hairs at never distinctly piceous as in erythrocephala, apex. Length 6-10k mm. while 10 have the apex truly red.) For com- Punctuation: Head, clypeus sparsely, shal- parison with taedata in antennal structure, lowly; thorax more densely; prosternum, punctuation, and genitalia, see under taedata. metasternum, abdomen deeply, irregularly; This species resembles californica in the elytra with some few punctures between the deeply punctured under surface, but that striae.. Prosternum and interspaces of elytra species has the head more densely punctured, much creased. the abdomen, mesosternum, and meta- TYPE LOCALITY: Moore Haven, Florida. sternum piceous, the antennal club shorter, DISTRIBUTION: Florida and Alabama. wider, and more compact. SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 33: Florida, SEASON: March to August. 32; Mobile, Alabama, one. Of these, seven Languria bicolor (Fabricius) were males, 26 females. Florida specimens Trogosita bicolor FABRICIUS, 1798, Supple- were: South Bay, Lake Okeechobee, 28; mentum entomologicae systematicae, p. 50. Moore Haven, two; Crescent City, one; Languria bicolor, LECONTE, 1854, Proc. Acad. Homestead, one. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, p. 159. CROTCH, DISCUSSION: Blatchley evidently did not 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 350. notice the teeth on the femora and tibiae of SCHAEFFER, 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. the males of erythrocephala or the deep punc- 12, p. 199. BLATCHLEY, 1910, Coleoptera of Indi- tuation of the metasternum, which may be ana, vol. 1, p. 541. why he did not compare it with its closest Languria ruficollis LATREILLE (nom. nud.), relative, taedata, which possesses both these 1802, p. 209. SCHENKLING, 1928, in Junk, W., ColeoptVrorum catalogus, vol. 15, p. 16. characters. Instead he said it was "like Languria thoracica OLIVIER, 1807, Entomologie, marginipennis, but the latter has black head, vol. 5, p. 463. HORN, 1886, Trans. Amer. Ent. is more coarsely punctate, the joints of the Soc., vol. 2, p. 140. antennal club are much wider, and the epi- Languria puncticollis SAY, 1823, Jour. Acad. pleura in great part red." Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 3, p. 462. LECONTE, Languria erythrocephala is much more 1854, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, similar to taedata, although narrower, more p. 159. tapering, and smaller than that species, and Languria apiciventris CASEY, 1924, Memoirs on without the median piceous spot on the the Coleoptera, vol. 11, p. 177. thorax. Except for these differences, there Large, robust; antennal club six-seg- has been no other reliable character found to mented, emerging gradually from stem; head separate these two species. The red on the red; thorax with median dark spot; legs, last suture in erythrocephala is not present in all abdominal segment piceous. 1948 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 135 Head red; antennae with club six-seg- smooth. The tarsi are large, the last segment mented, emerging gradually from stem and of the front tarsi being slightly larger than one and one-half times longer than stem, club the last antennal club segment. In a specimen segments broader than long, slightly dilated examined from Illinois, the mesosternum is towards inner side; thorax with median partly piceous instead of the usual red, and dark spot though spot occasionally lacking; in another specimen there is some piceous on elytra with apices evenly rounded; femora, the metasternum between the middle coxae. tibiae, tarsi piceous, femora and tibiae of A small specimen, 71 mm., from Maryland, males roughened, femora usually with two had the last two abdominal segments, in- rows of tiny teeth on inner side; under sur- stead of the last only, piceous. face red, last abdominal segment piceous. Languria thoracica Olivier was made synon- Length 7-13 mm. (usually 10 mm. or more). ymous by Horn (1886, p. 140). Punctuation: Head, thorax, prosternum, Languria puncticollis Say was described abdomen shallowly, sparsely, in some hardly from Mississippi. Say gave its size as two- punctate; clypeus more deeply, densely; fifths of an inch and stated that it "resembles elytra with numerous fine shallow punctures bicolor, but [is] more robust." His brief de- scattered between the striae, often as many scription matches the latter perfectly. Three as five or six almost touching one another specimens labeled "ab. puncticollis" in the at various places between the striae. United States National Museum (two from TYPE LOCALITY: North America. Indiana, one from Kansas) are similar to DISTRIBUTION: Atlantic states as far north bicolor except that one of the Indiana speci- as Rhode Island and south to Jacksonville, mens had no median dark spot on the thorax. Florida; west to Nebraska, Kansas, Okla- Casey said apiciventris, "probably from homa, Texas, also Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Colorado," was near mozardi but broader, and Wisconsin. with shorter thorax and different coloration, SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 278: Mary- differing most in the six-segmented antennae. land, 54; Illinois, 51; Kansas, 35; Virginia, The type, labeled "L" (Levette Collection 32; North Carolina, 29; Texas, 21; District of according to Casey, 1924) in the United Columbia, 11; Oklahoma, 10; Pennsylvania, States National Museum, was examined and eight; Indiana, seven; Florida, six; New York was found not to differ from bicolor except and Louisiana, two each; Georgia, Nebraska, in the absence of the median dark spot on the Kansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, one each; thorax. It was small, 7.2 mm., but some without locality labels, five. Of 155 of these bicolor specimens are only 7 mm. In a series examined for teeth on the femora, 57 were of bicolor there are all gradations in size and males, 98 females. also in the size of the thoracic spot, and DISCUSSION: Crotch (1873, p. 350) stated apiciventris is almost certainly bicolor. The that the elytral interspaces were "impunc- only other species with six-segmented an- tate," but he apparently did not use a power- tennae is convexicollis, which differs by having ful enough lens, since they are very notice- the front coxae, mesosternum, metasternum, able under a 36-X binocular. With a 14-X and abdomen piceous, no median spot on the hand lens, however, they cannot be seen. The thorax, and antennal club segments strongly median piceous spot on the thorax ranges dilated to the inner side. from a small round mark no larger than a BIOLOGY: Blatchley (1910, p. 542) stated pencil dot to one a few millimeters in diam- that adults were found on pale Indian plain- eter; it can be elongate or diamond shaped as tain (Mesadenia atriplicifolia), and the larvae well as round. live in the stems. One of the specimens in the The roughness on the inside of the femora United States National Museum, taken by and tibiae of the males occurs on all the legs. Mr. Barber, was reared from larvae found In some specimens the femora are merely also in this plant; it has a beautiful clear roughened, in others the two rows of teeth yellow thorax with a diamond-shaped median are as marked as in taedata and'erythrocephala, dark spot. Eleven other specimens were the only other species with this male charac- found in stems of atriplicifolia, and a number ter. The females in bicolor have the legs of adults were taken from M. tuberosa. Adults 136 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 have been taken also sweeping weeds. TYPE LOCALITY: Owen's Valley, California. Chittenden (1904, p. 28) also found adults DISTRIBUTION: California, Arizona, Utah, on pale Indian plaintain in Maryland in and British Columbia. June. He said every plant had a pair of beetles SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 59: Cali- at the summit, that the leaves were much fornia, 38; Utah, 13; Arizona, five; British eaten, and the stems showed that eggs had Columbia, three. been laid. By the first week in September he DISCUSSION: This species is quite variable found pupae and beetles, four or five in- in coloration, punctuation of the elytra, and dividuals in each stem. Except for the fact in the size of the sixth antennal segment (the that galls often developed from the work of first segment of the club). Its geographical the larvae, he said there seemed to be no de- range includes the range described by Casey crease in the vitality of the plants. for interstitialis, which seems to be the same This insect has been taken in Alabama on species, as the above characters intergrade. dandelion (Taraxacum). The type of interstitialis, from Nephi, Utah, SEASON: April to August. has the sixth segment of the antennae but Languria convexicollis Horn little wider than long, thus making the club Languria convexicollis HORN, 1868, Trans. emerge more gradually from the stem, while Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 2, p. 140. CROTCH, 1873, the convexicollis type from Owen's Valley, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 351. SCHAEFFER, California, has this segment twice as wide as 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 199; long, with the club emerging abruptly from 1918, ibid., vol. 26, p. 211. CASEY, 1924, Memoirs the stem. The elytral interspaces are so on the Coleoptera, vol. 11, p. 177. creased and uneven in the interstitialis type Languria interstitialis CASEY, 1916, Memoirs that the punctures are barely visible; in con- on the Coleoptera, vol. 7, p. 148; 1924, op. cit., vexicollis the small punctures in the inter- vol. 11, p. 177. spaces are clearly visible on the flat surface. Large, robust; antennal club six- Other specimens have been seen, however, segmented; head piceous or piceous and red; with the elytra of convexicollis and the an- thorax spotless; legs, area on each side of tennae of interstitialis and vice versa; and front coxae, mesosternum, metasternum, and Schaeffer (1918, p. 211) said that in large abdomen piceous. series, convexicollis has the elytra sometimes Head piceous, or red bordered with piceous, smooth and sometimes creased and that the or piceous and red; antennae with club six- creases obscure the punctuation. He claimed segmented, emerging sometimes abruptly also that the difference in the size of the from stem, sometimes more gradually, seg- antennal segments was sexual, the small sixth ments broader than long, strongly dilated to segment belonging to the female. inner side, the club one and one-quarter times The color differences given by Casey for longer than the stem; thorax without median interstitialis prove also variable in con- dark spot, often margined with piceous at vexicollis. Thus the head in the latter has been base and apex; elytra with apices evenly described as "black, brownish between the rounded; femora, tibiae, tarsi piceous; under eyes" (Horn, 1868); "between eyes and surface of thorax red, tip of prosternal thorax red" (Crotch, 1873); "head reddish" process, area near front coxae, and all the rest (Schaeffer, 1904). The dark margins at the piceous. Length 9-111 mm. base of the thorax (not present in the type of Punctuation: Clypeus deeply, densely; interstitialis) range all the way from a heavy head not so deeply; thorax, prosternum, piceous line to one so faint that it might be metasternum, abdomen shallowly, sparsely; taken for just a darker red than the rest of metasternum and often pro-episternum al- the thorax. Horn described convexicollis from most smooth; elytra with interspaces some- one specimen only; thus he did not record times flat and with small punctures, some- variations in color. times so creased that punctures can hardly be This species resembles bicolor in the six- seen, sometimes with large irregular punc- segmented antennal club and large size, but tures; meta-episternum with deep, elongate can readily be told from it by the piceous impressions. coxae, mesosternum, metasternum, and ab- 1948 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE1137 domen. Differs from others -of the genus by LeConte (1854, p. 160) said that this the six-segmented club. species "resembles puncticollis, but is longer BIOLOGY: At the United States National and narrower." The latter is a synonym of Museum there are 21 specimens from San bicolor, and bicolor and discoidea could not Bernardino County, California, labeled "borer well be confused. Crotch (1873, p. 350) found in Argemone platyceros, var. hispida" (prickly it "very close to mozardi," differing only in poppy). the longer thorax, which is less rounded at SEASON: May to August. the sides, and the presence of a thoracic spot. Languria discoidea LeConte It can be further told from mozardi by its Languria discoidea LECONTE, 1854, Proc. Acad. less convex thorax, less shiny appearance, Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, p. 160. CROTCH, greater amount of piceous on the legs, and 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 350. generally larger size. Differs from denticulata SCHAEFFER, 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. in having a median dark spot on the thorax 12, p. 199. BLATCHLEY, 1910, Coleoptera of Indi- and having more than one abdominal seg- ana, vol. 1, p. 541. WATSON, 1921, Florida Ent., ment piceous. vol. 4, p. 40 (biol.). BiOLOGY: All the Ponte Vedra specimens Small to medium; antennal club five- were beaten from thistles in March; others segmented, emerging gradually from stem; were taken on garden vegetables-beans, head red; thorax with median dark spot; potato, corn, tomato, mustard,turnip, squash, abdomen with last one and one-half to three and celery. (usually two) segments piceous. Alutaceous. Watson (1921, p. 40) recorded an observa- Head red; antennae with club five- tion by John Beach, nurseryman, of West segmented, emerging gradually from stem, Palm Beach, Florida, that discoidea adults segments broader than long, not much dilated live on sago palms, eating the young shoots to inner side; thorax alutaceous, with median and even nibbling at the old leaves. He told dark spot spreading from apex to behind of a group of such palms which were ruined middle; elytra alutaceous, with apices evenly by all the buds having been killed. The rounded or sometimes slightly sinuate, "blue- beetles then attacked and killed the buds of black" (LeConte, 1854); femora red basally, Washingtonias, Arecas, Kentias, Phoenix, piceous apically, tibiae and tarsi piceous; and Pandanua. under surface red with last one and one- Schwarz (1878a, p. 445) said discoidea was half to three (usually last two) segments not rare in Florida and that it lives on a piceous. Length Sj-10 mm. species of Carduus (thistle). Punctuation: Thorax, prosternum, ab- SEASON: January to May. domen shallowly, sparsely, prosternum on some almost impunctate; head, clypeus a Languria denticulata Schaeffer little more deeply; elytra with only occasional Languria apicalis SCHAEFFER (nec Motschul- punctures between striae. sky), 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. TYPE; LOCALITY: Georgia. 198. DISTRIBUTION: Florida, Georgia, South Languria denticulata SCHAEFFER, 1918, Jour. Carolina; "southern states" (Blatchley, 1910). New York Ent. Soc., vol. 26, p. 211 [new name for SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 66: Florida apicalis Schaeffer]. 57; Georgia, eight; South Carolina, one. Medium sized; antennal club five- DISCUSSION: The spot on the thorax is segmented, emerging gradually from stem; rarely as small as in bicolor; it is elongate, head red; thorax spotless; abdomen with last diamond shaped, arrowhead shaped, or of no segment piceous; elytral apices sinuate. especial shape. It is not situated in the center Head red; antennae with some basal seg- of the thorax, but usually extends down from ments usually red, club five-segmented, the apex. A specimen from Allen River and emerging gradually from stem, segments most of a series of 20 taken by Mr. L. Lacey broader than long, not much dilated to inner in Ponte Vedra, Florida, have the elytral side; thorax without median dark spot; scu- apices slightly sinuate, ending at the sutural tellum often red; elytra "metallic green" angle with a tiny tooth as in denticulaa. (Schaeffer, 1904), with apices sinuate and 138 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 with a tooth at sutural angle; femora red at five-segmented, emerging gradually from base, piceous at apex, tibiae and tarsi piceous, stem, segments broader than long, not much "metallic green" (Schaeffer, 1904); under dilated to inner side; thorax without median surface red, last abdominal segment piceous. dark spot; scutellum usually red; elytra with Length 8-10 mm. apices evenly rounded; femora red at base, Punctuation: Head, thorax, abdomen shal- piceous at apex, tibiae and tarsi brown; lowly, sparsely; prosternum, metasternum a under surface red with last three, sometimes little deeper, sparsely; elytra with scattered last two or two and one-half, abdominal seg- punctures between the striae. ments piceous. Length 4-9 mm. TYPE LOCALITY: Brownsville, Texas. Punctuation: Head, thorax, prosternum, DISTRIBUTION: Brownsville, Texas. metasternum, abdomen shallowly; clypeus SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 22, all from sometimes more deeply and densely; elytra Brownsville, Texas, including the type with a few punctures between the deeply (U.S.N.M. No. 8156). punctured striae. DISCUSSION: Schaeffer (1904, p. 198) said TYPE LOCALITY: "America boreali." denticulata "is very distinct from any of the DISTRIBUTION: "Practically all of the described species by the sinuate elytral United States as well as parts of Canada and apices." A number of specimens of L. dis- northern Mexico" (Wildermuth and Gates, coidea, however, have this same character, 1920). although other discoidea do not have it. The SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 823, from sinuation on the type of denticulata is more 29 states. marked than on any other specimens seen of DISCUSSION: This is the commonest and either species. most widespread of all North American This species resembles mozardi but is Languriidae. It is the only one with a com- longer and with the apex of the elytra sinuate mon name, the clover stem borer, and the instead of smooth and evenly rounded. Also only one that has been studied thoroughly. differs from it and discoidea in having only For a species so far ranging, it varies little, the last abdominal segment piceous. L. dis- except in size, and in the amount of piceous coidea differs from both denticulata and on the abdomen. But neither of these charac- mozardi in having a median dark spot on the ters seems to correlate with geographical dis- thorax and in being alutaceous. All three tribution. The majority of specimens have species have the head red. the last three abdominal segments piceous BIOLOGY: Adults have been taken on (instead of the last two), 152 of 170 being so hubam clover and English pea. marked, and most mozardi are 5-7 mm. long. SEASON: January to September. A few specimens examined from the west Languria (Texas, Utah, and Arizona) are rather more mozardi Latreille deeply punctured above and below and the Languria mozardi LATREILLE, 1807, Genera legs have slightly more crustaceorum et insectorum, vol. 3, p. 66. LE- piceous on them than CONTE, 1854, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, usual, but sufficient numbers of these have vol. 7, P. 161. CROTCH, 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. not been seen to make significant compari- Soc., vol. 4, p. 349. SCHAEFFER, 1904, Jour. New sons. York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 199. BLATCHLEY, 1910, No secondary sexual differences could be Coleoptera of Indiana, vol. 1, p. 541, fig. 202. found in mozardi. WILDERMUTH AND GATES, 1920, Bull. U. S. Dept. The description of Languria apicalis Mot- Agr., no. 889, pp. 1-25, figs. 1-6, p1. 1. schulsky, from Pennsylvania, applies as well Languria apicalis MOTSCHULSKY, 1860, in to mozardi. Crotch (1873, p. 350) listed it as Schrenck, P. L., Reisen und Forschungen im =L. mozardi var. minor, without any de- Amur-Lande, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 241. scription. Small; antennal club five-segmented, This species can be told from discoidea by emerging gradually from stem; head red; the lack of the median dark spot on the thorax spotless; abdomen with last three thorax, by the shining, not alutaceous, thorax (sometimes last two) segments piceous. and elytra, and generally smaller size; from Head red; antennae red or piceous, club denticulata by the smooth, not sinuate, 1948 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 1391 elytral apices and by the presence of more agreement as to the number of eggs de- than one piceous abdominal segment; from posited in the same hole or the same stem; californica by the lack of all piceous abdomen Girault reported his insect as depositing 15 and by the shallower punctuation on the eggs in the same hole in the stem of a Leucan- under surface, especially on the metasternum; themum, June 23, 1903, Blacksburg, Virginia; from laeta by the gradual, not abrupt, emer- Wildermuth and Gates never saw more than gence of the antennal club from the stem, by one egg to a hole and usually only one egg to the lack of all piceous abdomen, and by a stem in alfalfa. smaller size. The larvae are very active, working up and BIOLOGY: While the majority of Languri- down within the stem as they feed on the idae confine their breeding activities to plants pith. After each of its four molts, the larva not useful to man, mozardi bores in the stems eats its cast skin. When full grown it is about of red clover (Trifolium pratense) in the east 8 mm. long, yellow, with six thoracic legs and and southeast and of alfalfa (Medicago pro-leg at end, the last segment having two sativa) in the southwest to such -an extent spines sticking up. The pupae are as active as that it is considered an economic pest where the larvae, wriggling up and down their ten- these crops are grown. Wildermuth and inch cell. Comstock (1879, p. 199) described Gates (1920) have given a very complete the pupa as being 6 mm. long, slender, yellow, account of the life history of, and other facts with a big head. The one figured (fig. 2) is 9 on, mozardi in their study of three genera- mm. tions of this insect in the southwest. Except On reaching adulthood, the insect remains where otherwise stated, the following in- in the stem only a few days if the weather is formation has been taken from their work. hot, several weeks if it is colder, before eating Sometimes as high as 85 per cent of the its way out. At this time it is light in color, alfalfa stalks in a field are affected so that with whitish yellow elytra, light orange head they are woody and of poor quality. The in- and thorax, black eyes and antennae. In four festation is much lower for clover in the or five hours the elytra become darkened and southeast (41 per cent; Folsom, 1909) be- the head and thorax change to dark orange, cause in the southeast there is only one then to red. The adults feed mainly on pollen, generation a year. It is the second and third but they also eat the leaves of their host generations that do- the damage in alfalfa plant and feed at the oviposition hole. They regions as the first generation confines itself feed at early morning hours, avoiding high to yellow sweet clover, which is not of value temperatures and strong sunlight. They lay to man. eggs late in the evening. Sixty days is the average time for the The larvae and pupae have been found in complete life cycle in the southwest; 49 days the stems of many other plants besides alfalfa average for the stages of egg, larva, and pupa. -and clover. The larval food plants are mostly Eggs are laid in late March or April and members of the Compositae family. Following adults emerge the end of May. 'In the south- is a list of those known (Blatchley, 1910; east the eggs are laid near the end of June, Chittenden, 1890, 1904; Comstock, 1879; the adults coming out from the beginning of Girault, 1907; Webster, 1888; Weed, 1890; August to the middle of September (Folsom, Wildermuth and Gates, 1920): 1909). Some authors have said the adult mozardi COMPOSITAE attacks older stems of alfalfa, but Wilder- Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) muth and Gates found that they chose young Burdock (Arctium minus) stems 8 to 10 inches high. The female pre- Wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) pares a hole with her jaws (Girault, 1907), Thistle (Cnicus altissimus) then turns Cone flower (Rudbeckia laciniata) around and fits her abdomen into Canadian fleabane (Erigeron canadense) the hole, placing the egg in the cavity. The Pink fleabane (E. philadelphicus) egg is slender, yellowish, about 1.7 mm. long, Daisy fleabane (E. ramosus or strigosus) rounded at both ends, and somewhat curved Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) (Comstock, 1879). There seems to be dis- Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum) 140 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 Thoroughwort or boneset (E. perfoliatum) neumonid in the burrows of mozardi, and Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) Chittenden (1904, p. 28) names a chalcid Daisy (Leucanthemum) found as Habrocytus languriae. Hopkins LEGUMINOSAE (1891, 1892) gives some lists of various para- Red clover (Trifolium pratense) sites, including Macroteleia floridana Ash- Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) mead, taken from stems of timothy infested Yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) with larvae of Languria, and Caenophanes White sweet clover (M. alba) languriae Ashmead, taken from cocoons in Bur clover (M. hispida) the stems of Ambrosia trifida and A. artemisae- folia, containing larvae of Languria (?). MALVACEAE SEASON: February to November. Malva rotundifolia Languria laeta LeConte CAMPANULACEAE Languria laeta LECONTE, 1854, Proc. Acad. Nat. Tall bellflower (Campanula americana) Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, p. 159. CROTCH, 1873, Wheat grass (Agropyron sp.?) Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 349. SCHAEFFER, Marsh grass (Spartina michauxiana and cyno- 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 199. suroides) CHITTENDEN, 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., Timothy (Phleum pratense) vol. 12, p. 28 (biol.). ARROW, 1925, Fauna of Bnrt- Tall nettle (Urtica gracilis) ish India, p. 10 (biol.). Common nettle (U. dioica) Large, robust; antennal club five-seg- In addition to the above, larvae have been mented, emerging abruptly from stem; head found in the stems of black-eyed pea in red; thorax spotless; area near front coxae, October and May, and in turnip in Texas in mesosternum, metasternum, abdomen, and November. In South Carolina, in November, legs piceous. Punctuation below shallow and an adult was found dead in the erect stem of sparse. soybean, and in December one was taken in Head red; antennae with club five- the soil near a cabbage plant. (Data from segmented, widening abruptly from stem, specimens in the United States National club segments broader than long, much Museum.) dilated to inner side; thorax without median Adults were seen by Wildermuth and Gates dark spot, light or dark red, "bright rufous" feeding in the flowers of alfalfa, yellow sweet (LeConte, 1854); elytra with apices evenly clover, red clover, sunflower, prickly lettuce, rounded; femora, tibiae, tarsi piceous; under and in wild barley, wheat heads, and corn surface of thorax red except for part of silk. The Illinois Natural History Survey kept prosternal process, front coxae, or area near records of their specimens; some of these were coxae, which parts are piceous, the rest collected in early spring under boards, sweep- piceous. Length 8-11 mm. ing clover, on white clover; in May from Punctuation: Clypeus deeply, densely; freshly plowed sod and sweeping wheat; in head, thorax, prosternum, metasternum, ab- June from clover fields, sweeping woods, on domen shallowly, sparsely, but head some- spinach leaves; in July sweeping clover times more deeply; pro-episternum almost already cut; in August sweeping along road- smooth; elytra with scattered punctures sides. Adult specimens in the United States between the striae; meta-episternum with a National Museum were taken Ofn a wide few elongate impressions. variety of garden vegetables, also on cut TYPE LOCALITY: Kansas River. flowers, in cotton gin trash, and in turnip DISTRIBUTION: Nebraska, Kansas, Mis- root. These insects hibernate either as larvae souri, Colorado, and Texas; also Mexico. or adults. In the latter case they hide under SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 140: Texas, stones, leaves, sticks, fence rows, and hedges, 88; Colorado, 44; Nebraska, three; Kansas in wheat stacks, or in grass. and Missouri, one each; Mexico, three. A number of parasites of mozardi have DISCUSSION: Though the majority of been mentioned in the literature. Comstock specimens examined were from Texas, all (1879, p. 199) found a chalcid and an ich- those in the American Museum (24) are from 1948 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 141 -Colorado. Ten of these, taken in July, have piceous, apices evenly rounded; reflexed the thorax pale yellow and the elytra, meso- elytral margins entirely piceous; femora, sternum, metasternum, and abdomen a tibiae, tarsi red; under surface red with last lighter piceous than usual; they look brown two abdominal segments piceous. Length to the naked eye. The other 14, taken in 6.8-8 mm. June, July, and August, at an altitude of Punctuation: Head, thorax, prosternum, 5500 to 7000 feet, are much darker, the thorax metasternum, abdomen sparsely, shallowly; a dark red, the elytra almost black. Both elytra with deep, large, irregular punctures light and dark specimens have also been seen especially at base, elytral interspaces trans- from Texas. versely creased and with small, shallow punc- This species may be told from convexicollis tures. by the five-segmented antennal club, the en- TYPE LOCALITY: Puente de Ixtla, Morelos, tirely red head, the absence of piceous on the Mexico. thorax, and the more regular punctures in DISTRIBUTION: Arizona; Morelos, Mexico. the elytral interspaces. Differs from mozardi SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Two, both from in that antennal club emerges abruptly from Arizona. the stem, with the segments wider and DISCUSSION: The specimens seen come strongly dilated to the inner side, and in the from the collection of Mr. Alan S. Nicolay piceous legs, mesosternum, metasternum, and represent the first record of this species and abdomen.- in the United States. Casey (1916, p. 149) BIOLOGY: Chittenden (1904, p. 28) re- said it was "a very distinct species that can ported that both larvae and adults were be compared only with cyanipennis Cr. [Mex- taken in the stems of nightshade (Datura) at ico], and from this it differs in its much Hearne, Texas, August 6. All stages have smaller size, very much coarser, more widely been found on prickly poppy (Argemone and irregularly spaced serial punctures and platyceros) in Texas (Arrow, 1925), which is wholly pale legs." L. cyanipennis also differs also the food plant of convexicollis. in its red head and in having only the last SEASON: May to August. abdominal segment piceous. Languria irregularis may be distinguished Languria irregularis Casey from all other species by the large, irregular Languria irregularis CASEY, 1916, Memoirs on elytral punctures and blue sheen on the the Coleoptera, vol. 7, p. 149. elytra. It resembles trifasciata in the form Small; antennal club five-segmented, of the antennae and in having entirely red emnerging abruptly from stem, antennae with legs and black head, but irregularis has no some or all segments red; head, last two ab- red band across the elytra, is broader and dominal segments piceous; thorax spotless; more robust, and has less pointed elytral legs, mnetasternum red; elytra unicolorous, apices. It is similar in general shape and con- with large irregular punctures. vexity and in the shape of the elytral apices Head piceous; antennae with club five- to mozardi and californica, differing from segmented, widening abruptly from stem, them in antennae, punctuation, and color. -segments broader than long, dilated towards inner side, but not always so markedly as in Languria trifasciata Say marginipennis and angustata, first six seg- Languria trifasciata SAY, 1823, Jour. Acad. Nat. ments red, club red or piceous; thorax with- Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 3, p. 462. LECONTE, 1854, out median dark spot; scutellum generally Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, p. 159. CHITTENDEN, 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., red; elytra blue to naked eye, actually vol. 12, p. 28 (biol.). SCHAEFFER, 1904, Jour. New 1 The original description of L. sanguinicoUis Chevro- York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 199; 1905, Mus. Brook- lat (1834, fasc. 3) matches kaeta, but since the type lyn Inst., Sci. Bull. no. 1, p. 126. BLATCHLEY, locality of sanguinicollis is in Mexico (Tuxpan, Orizaba, 1910, Coleoptera of Indiana, vol. 1, p. 543. Vera Cruz) and no specimens have been examined, it is Languria angustata var. trifasciata CROTCH, best for the present to omit it. L. sanguinicolis appears 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 350. ULKE, in Leng's "Catalogue" (1920, p. 200) under the genus Acropteroxys, which is an error. For some reason it does 1902, Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus., no. 25, p. 16. not appear at all in Junk's "Catalogue." Small; antennal club five-segmented, 142 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 emerging abruptly from stem, antennae with trifasciata they are more pointed than in cer- some or all segments red; head, last two ab- tain specimens of gracilis but the truncate dominal segments piceous; thorax spotless; prosternum and the absence of ocular striolae legs, metasternum red; elytra with red band are good characters which will readily across middle third; reflexed elytral margins separate Acropteroxys from Languria." It can red at middle only. be seen from the above that he does not call Head piceous; antennae with club five- trifasciata an Acropteroxys but merely says segmented, widening abruptly from stem, it has more pointed apices than another mem- segments broader than long, dilated towards ber of that genus. The apices in trifasciata are inner side but not always so markedly as in not depressed before the tip as in Acropteroxys marginipennis and angustata, segments 3-6 nor do they have a fringe of hairs. In addition, (sometimes segments 4-6 or all segments) trifasciata could not belong to that genus red; thorax without median dark spot; elytra because it has the ocular striae of Languria. with red band across middle third, apices Although Crotch (1873, p. 350) and Ulke generally pointed; reflexed elytral margins (1902, p. 16) listed. trifasciata as a color red at middle only; femora, tibiae, tarsi red, variety of angustata, it is quite different from the tarsi somewhat darker red; under surface that species. It differs not only in color (the red with last two abdominal segments and base of the antennae, the legs, and meta- sometimes part of third piceous. Length 5- sternum being red in trifasciata), but it has 91 mm. the thorax more convex, is a more narrow in- Punctuation: Head, clypeus densely, shal- sect with the elytral apices more pointed, and lowly; prosternum deeply, irregularly (some is slightly more deeply punctured on the ab- more so than others); thorax, metasternum, domen. Schaeffer (1904, p. 199) and Blatchley abdomen shallowly, some with metasternum (1910, p. 543) both regarded it as a species. more deeply towards front; thorax deeply Superficially it resembles those angustata and densely along base;.elytra with scattered with the red band, but the above differences shallow punctures between striae. should readily distinguish it. Differs from TYPE LOCALITY: Miss. [Mississippi]. marginipennis in the red antennal segments, DISTRIBUTION: Atlantic states from New legs, metasternum, and episternum, in the York south, except Georgia and Florida, west last two segments of the abdomen being to Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas; piceous, and in the red elytral band. It is "western states" (LeConte, 1854). also smaller and more pointed. Distinguished SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 137: Illinois, from irregularis by the red elytral band, more 22; Virginia, 22; Iowa, 20; Ohio, 11; District pointed elytral apices, and smaller elytral of Columbia, nine; Pennsylvania, eight; New punctures. Jersey, eight; Maryland, seven; Missouri, BIOLOGY: According to Chittenden (1904, five; Indiana, four; Kansas and North Caro- p. 28) trifasciata develops in wild lettuce lina, three each; Kentucky, two; New York, (Lactuca canadensis), with oviposition oc- South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, Missis- curring from the middle of June to July 1. sippi, Nebraska, Michigan, Minnesota, one He said that in August near Washington, each; without locality labels, five. D. C., it can be found in all three stages with- DISCUSSION: Schenkling (1928, p. 30) put in the stems and that the mature insect, in this species under the genus Acropteroxys, emerging, may cut through anywhere on the and Leng and Mutchler (1933, p. 33) evi- stem. Blatchley stated that it "occurs espe- dently followed Schenkling. This transfer- cially in the foliage of Wild Lettuce" and also ence is an error and must be due to a misin- on buttercup (Ranunculus). terpretation of a discussion of that genus by SEASON: March to July. Schaeffer (1905, p. 125). Schaeffer began by Languria collaris LeConte saying that Acropteroxys is based mainly on Languria collaris Proc. the pointed elytral apices, prosternum trun- LECONTE, 1854, Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, p. 159. CROTCH, cate behind, and the absence of ocular str'ae. 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 351. He continued, "In [Acropteroxys] gracilis the SCHAEFFER, 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. shape of the apices is variable, in Languria 12, p. 200. 194814VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 143 Languria femoralis MOTSCHULSKY, 1860, in Languria. According to the original descrip- Schrenck, P. L., Reisen und Forschungen im tion, it matches with collaris, not only in the Amur-Lande, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 242. CROTCH, 1873, piceous head and abdomen, but in the Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 351. elongate thorax with its widest part at the Large, narrow; antennal club five- hind angles. There is no other known species segmented, emerging abruptly from stem; in the eastern United States with an all- thorax spotless; head, legs, mesosternum, piceous abdomen besides collaris, or any with metasternum, abdomen piceous. such a long thorax. For these reasons, Head piceous; antennae with club five- femoralis may be considered synonymous segmented, widening abruptly from stem, with collaris. club segments broader than long, much dilated to inner side; thorax without median Languria angustata (Beauvois) dark spot; elytra with apices evenly rounded; Trogossita ? angustata BEAUVOIS, 1805, Insectes femora, tibiae, tarsi piceous; under surface recueillis en Afrique et en Am6rique, p. 125, pl. 32, of thorax red, the rest piceous. Length .32 fig. 2. (LeConte). Langursa angustata, CROTCH, 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 350. SCHAEFFER, 1904, Punctuation: Clypeus, head, thorax, pro- Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 199. BLATCH- sternum, metasternum, abdomen shallowly, LEY, 1910, Coleoptera of Indiana, vol. 1, p. 542. sparsely; elytra with occasional punctures Languria pukhra LECONTE, 1854, Proc. Acad. between the striae. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, p. 159. TYPE LOCALITY: Georgia. Languria uhlerii HORN, 1862, Proc. Ent. Soc. DISTRIBUTION: Georgia, Louisiana (New Philadelphia, vol. 1, p. 188. CROTCH, 1873, Trans. Orleans). Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 350. SCHAEFFER, 1904, SPECIMENS EXAMINED: None. Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 199. DISCUSSION: The status of this species is Languria angustata var. pulchra, CROTCH, 1873, uncertain. It evidently has not been taken Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 350. since its author described it. Schaeffer (1904, Languria angustata var. uhlerisi, BLATCHLEY, p. 200) had not seen it and it was not repre- 1910, Coleoptera of Indiana, vol. 1, p. 542. sented in any of the collections examined for Small; antennal club five-segmented, this paper. Crotch (1873, p. 351) may have emerging abruptly from stem; head, antennae, had a specimen or he may have merely re- metasternum (usually), last two abdominal described LeConte's type. According to com- segments piceous; thorax with or without parative notes taken on the type, however, median dark spot; reflexed elytral margins it seems to be distinct. It resembles trifasciata red at middle and apex, the red at the middle in the narrow pointed form and in the shape passing onto the elytra in a red band, wholly of the thorax, but the thorax is even more or in part only. elongate than in trifasciata; it is nearly one- Head piceous; antennae with club five- half longer than wide, more as in the genus segmented, widening abruptly from stem, A cropteroxys, but with the front margin segments broader than long, dilated strongly much narrower than the hind margin. The to inner side, usually with a noticeable gap coloration is entirely different from trifasciata, between the seventh segment and the rest of collaris lacking the red band across the elytra, the club; thorax with or without small median and having the antennae, legs, metasternum, dark spot; elytra with apices slightly truncate and reflexed elytral margins piceous instead or evenly rounded; reflexed elytral margins of red, and the abdomen uniformly piceous red at middle, sometimes at apex, but always instead of red with two segments piceous. dark at base, the red at the middle third Also the head is more sparsely punctured in passing onto the elytra in part or as a com- collaris. The piceous abdomen and legs at plete red band; front femora red at base, once differentiate collaris from irregularis, piceous at apex, other femora with tips only angustata, and marginipennis. piceous, tibiae red, tarsi piceous, "black" Languria femoralis Motschulsky (1860, p. (Blatchley, 1910); under surface red, with 242), described from New Orleans, had not metasternum (sometimes front edge ex- been seen by any subsequent writers on cepted), episternum, often mesosternum 144- BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 piceous, but these parts sometimes entirely ciata and pulchra as varieties. Schaeffer red, last two abdominal segments piceous. (1904, p. 199) returned it and trifasciata to Length 6-9 mm. species rank. Blatchley (1910, p. 542) listed Punctuation: Head, clypeus densely, shal- it as a color variety of angustata, calling it lowly; prosternum deeply, irregularly; thorax, "scarce" in Indiana. metasternum, abdomen shallowly, sparsely; Of the 82 specimens of angustata examined, thorax deeply and densely along base; elytra 21 have the entirely red metasternum of with some punctures between the striae. uhlerii and 13 the red band of pulchra, but TYPE LOCALITY: "Caroline du Sud." others have the red extending onto the elytra DISTRIBUTION: Atlantic coastal states from in varying degrees. The specimens with the New York south to South Carolina, west to red band further vary below, the dark area Iowa, also Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, on the metasternum sometimes covering also and Texas. the hind coxae, sometimes going over to the SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 82: New mesosternum, entirely or in part. Jersey, 28; New York; 23; Illinois and This insect is very variable and when Louisiana, five each; Pennsylvania, District more specimens are available may yet be of Columbia, Iowa, three each; Maryland found to include marginipennis, but the re- and Virginia, two each; Delaware, North flexed elytral margins in angustata are red at Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, one each; no the middle or at the middle and apex, never locality given, four. at the base; it is smaller than marginipennis, DISCUSSION: The coloration of angustata the thorax is shorter and more yellow, and varies to such an extent that two color the last two abdominal segments are piceous. varieties, pulchra and uhkerii, have been It differs from trifasciata as stated above. named, both of which were first described as BIOLOGY: Blatchley (loc. cit.) took speci- species. These varieties, however, do not mens from the flowers of Ranunculus and differ from angustata in any other character goldenrod. Some specimens in the United but color, and their geographical ranges are States National Museum were found on the same as in angustata, so they will have chard and parsley; a specimen from Muncie, to be considered synonymous with that Illinois, was taken August 20 in a cat-tail species. The variety hitherto known as bog. pulchra has the red at the middle of the SEASON: March to October. reflexed elytral margins continuing across the disk of the elytra in an uneven transverse Languria marginipennis Schwarz band as in trifasciata. LeConte, in his original Languria marginipennis SCHWARZ, 1878, Proc. description (1854, p. 159), stated that it Amer. Phil. Soc., vol. 17, p. 357. SCHAEFFER, 1904, resembled trifasciata, but differed from it in Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 200. that the antennae, metasternum, and part of Medium sized; antennal club five- the legs were dark, whereas they are red in segmented, emerging abruptly from stem; the latter. The red band is also not so clearly head, antennae, metasternum, last abdomi- defined as in trifasciata nor so uniformly red, nal segment piceous; thorax with or without and the elytral punctures are often encircled median dark spot; reflexed elytral margins with piceous. The elytra are not so pointed red from base to apex. Elytra unicolorous. in angustata, and the thorax is not so convex. Head piceous; antennae with club five- Crotch (1873, p. 350) made pulchra a variety segmented, widening abruptly from stem, of angustata. segments broader than long, dilated strongly The variety known as uhlerii has no pice- towards inner side, usually with a noticeable ous on the metasternum or episternum. Horn, gap between the seventh segment and the in describing it as a species (1862, p. 188), rest of the club; thorax usually with tiny stated that it resembled mozardi but was median dark spot, sometimes none at all; more elongate and with a less convex thorax. elytra with apices evenly rounded to truncate, He thought it might prove to be a variety of sometimes slightly sinuate, "green-blue or trifasciata, but Crotch (1873, p. 350) made it blue" (Schwarz, 1878a); reflexed elytral synonymous with angustata, listing trifas- margins red from base to apex; femora red 1948198VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 145 basally, piceous apically, tibiae piceous or dilated to one side with usually a definite piceous and red, tarsi red or brown, "most of space between the first and second club seg- tibiae and tarsi blackish-green" (Schwarz, ments (fig. 2). They all have the head pice- 1878a); under surface red, with metasternum ous, and the three first-named species have and episternum piceous or "blue" (Schwarz, the base of the thorax lined with deeper, 1878a), except front margins on both, which larger punctures and the reflexed elytral are red, last abdominal segment piceous, margins red, wholly or in part. The reflexed sometimes red at base. Length 7-91 mm. elytral margin in irregularis is piceous. L. Punctuation: Head, clypeus densely, shal- marginipennis differs from angustata in hav- lowly; prosternum deeply, irregularly; thorax, ing the reflexed- elytral margin entirely red, metasternum, abdomen shallowly, sparsely; in being longer and broader, in having the thorax deeply and densely along base; elytra thorax longer and usually much darker red, with small punctures between the strongly and the last segment only of the abdomen punctured striae. piceous. It could not be mistaken for trifas- TYPE LOCALITY: Florida (Fort Capron, ciata, as the latter has the first antennal seg- Tampa, Enterprise, Cedar Keys). ments, metasternum, legs, and elytral band DISTRIBUTION: Florida, Louisiana. red, and the elytral apices more pointed. SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 102: Florida, BIOLOGY: The majority of specimens have 99; Louisiana (New Orleans, Myrtle Grove), been collected from January to March from two; Pennsylvania (probably wrongly all parts of Florida and they have been found labeled), one. Five paratypes (U.S.N.M. No. on various garden vegetables and on Cro- 4506) are included in the above total. tolaria spectabilis and on sugar cane. DISCUSSION: Both Schwarz (1878a, p. SEASON: January to December. 357) and Schaeffer (1904, p. 200) say the thorax has a median dark spot, but, although GENUS DASYDACTYLUS GORHAM the majority of specimens examined have it, Dasydactylus GORHAM, 1887, Biologia Centrali some do not, or it is so faint as not to be seen. Americana, Coleoptera, vol. 7, p. 14. SCHAEFFER, The dark area on the metasternum is quite 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 200. variable, sometimes extending farther FOWLER, 1908, in Wytsman, P., Genera insec- towards the front. The red on the reflexed torum, vol. 78, p. 22. elytral margins does not generally pass over Head with shallow, sparse punctures; onto the elytra at the middle third so as to be ocular stria deep, close to eye; clypeus small, visible from above as in angustata, but oc- rectangular, with shallow, sparse punctures; casionally it does. One of the specimens in the antennae short, reaching to half of thorax, American Museum collection from Lake with broad, compact, five-segmented club Worth, Florida, has the apex of the elytra emerging gradually from stem, club segments sinuate, almost jagged, somewhat as in only slightly dilated to inner side, last seg- denticulata and some discoidea. The para- ment rounded; thorax convex, slightly longer types of marginipennis, however, have the than broad, sides subparallel to sinuous, apices non-sinuate, but other specimens in hind angles slightly produced, closely applied the United States National Museum have to shoulders of elytra, punctuation shallow them either non-sinuate or sinuate as de- and sparse; elytra three or more times longer scribed above, with also a little tooth on the than thorax, rows of punctures distinct, shal- sutural angle. low, apices dentate (four to eight small Schwarz called marginipennis "very rare," teeth); legs long, slender, front femora hardly but the 90 specimens in the United States swollen at middle, male femora and tibiae National Museum seem to belie this. There with teeth on inner side, tarsi with long have been far fewer specimens seen of hairs and dilated; prosternum shallowly, taedata, erythrocephala, discoidea, denticulata, sparsely punctured; mesosternum short, and californica. deeply punctured; metasternum, abdomen Languria marginipennis, angustata, and to almost impunctate, last abdominal segment a lesser extent trifasciata and irregularis, similar in male and female. Length 5j-10 have the segments of the antennal club much mm. 146 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 GENOTYPE: Dasydactylus buprestoides Gor- femora and tibiae in males with tiny teeth on ham, 1887, from Cordova, Mexico. inner side, the front tarsi of both sexes This is principally a Central American dilated and hairy and larger than the middle genus comprising about 24 species. The only or hind tarsi; elytra piceous, "green" (Schaef- species that has been taken north of Mexico fer, 1904), with apices depressed before the is cnici Schaeffer. Dasydactylus can be told tip, rounded, and with five to six small teeth; from allied genera in the United States by the under surface piceous, "reddish with metallic four to eight definite small teeth on the elytral tint" (Schaeffer, 1904), last segment of apices and the entirely piceous coloration abdomen darker. Length 5j-10 mm. above and below. The males have a series of Punctuation: Head, clypeus, thorax, pro- teeth on the inner side of the femora and sternum shallowly, sparsely; under surface tibiae, and both sexes have large, dilated virtually impunctate except on mesosternum; tarsi with long hairs radiating out from them elytra with rows of shallow punctures, the (the hairs are as long as the width of the spaces between the rows also punctured, but tarsi). These two characters are not present these punctures only half the size of the in the other genera except in three species of others. Languria. TYPE LOCALITY: Brownsville, Texas. Gorham allies Dasydactylus to the Mexican DISTIUBUTION: Texas; Mexico (Matamoros, genera Goniolanguria and Trapezidera, but Vera Cruz). in the United States it is closest to Languria. SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 170, includ- Languria, moreover, is so variable that nearly ing six paratypes (U.S.N.M. No. 8157): every generic character of Dasydactylus can Brownsville, Texas, 169; San Benito, Texas, be found in some species of Languria, al- one. though no one species possesses all the char- DISCUSSION: The teeth on the femora of acters of Dasydactylus. The only character in the males are not in two rows as in some the above generic description that is not Languria, but are placed more at random. represented in any Languria is the dentation There are more noticeable dentations on some of the elytral apices and this character is not males and usually more on the front than on invariable in Dasydactylus, since four Central the middle legs. The hairy, dilated tarsi are American species do not have the apices given by Gorham (1887, p. 14) as male char- dentate or sometimes have and sometimes do acters, but both sexes in cnici have them. not. BIOLOGY: Schaeffer calls this insect quite The genera do, however, prove to be dis- common and found it especially on Cnicus tinct upon examination of the genitalia. The virginianus, a thistle. One specimen, col- female genitalia are shorter and broader in lected in November, was taken on Baccharis, Dasydactylus than in Languria and in the which is also a composite; others were taken male the penis is more compressed laterally, sweeping weeds, in pastures, on potatoes, less curved, and the apex is round, not turnip, and corn. truncate or pointed (fig. 1). SEASON: January to December. Dasydactylus cnici Schaeffer GENUS ACROPTEROXYS GORHAM Dasydactylus cnici SCHAEFFER, 1904, Jour. New Acropteroxys GORHAM, 1887, Biologia Centrali York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 200. Americana, Coleoptera, vol. 7, p. 13. SCHAEFFER, Small, narrow; head, thorax, elytra, and 1905, Mus. Brooklyn Inst., Sci. Bull. no. 1, p. under surface piceous; elytral apices toothed. 125. FOWLER, 1908, in Wytsman, P., Genera in- Head piceous; antennae with club broad, sectorum, vol. 78, p. 35. CASEY, 1916, Memoirs compact, five-segmented, emerging gradually on the Coleoptera, vol. 7, p. 150. from stem, the segments broader than long, Head with punctures shallow or deep, not much dilated to inner side, the last four sparse or dense; no ocular stria; clypeus segments five or six times broader than the rectangular, trapezoidal, or square, densely stem segments; thorax piceous, convex; or sparsely, and deeply punctured; antennae femora, tibiae, tarsi piceous, "green" (Schaef- long, reaching to three-quarters of thorax, fer, 1904), apex of femora often darker; with narrow, elongate, five-segmented club 1948 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 147 emerging gradually from stem, club segments hind angles of the thorax in both genera are only slightly dilated to inner side, last seg- more acute than in Languria, the sides of the ment elongate; thorax rather flat, longer than thorax almost straight, not sinuate as in broad in male, almost square in female, sides most Languria, and strongly margined. The subparallel, hind angles sharply produced, elytra are nearly four times longer than the punctuation shallow and sparse or deep and thorax. The femora are thicker and more dense; elytra nearly four times longer than bulbous; the mesosternum is longer, the thorax, rows of punctures distinct, deeply distance between the front and middle coxae punctured, with some punctures in inter- being about one and one-half times the spaces, apices pointed, divaricate; legs slender, diameter of the coxae, while in Languria this front femora somewhat swollen at middle, distance is the same as the diameter of the femora and tibiae smooth in both sexes; coxae. The last abdominal segment is prosternum shallowly and sparsely, or deeply emarginate in the males, although this is often and densely punctured, prosternal process difficult to see because of the hairs in that punctured; mesosternum long, deeply and region. coarsely punctured; metasternum and ab- The differences between Acropteroxys and domen shallowly, sparsely punctured, ab- Langurites lie in the ocular stria, the elytral domen with last segment always more deeply apices, and in the punctuation, which is punctured, last segment in male emarginate. hardly visible on the head, thorax, elytra, Length 6-12 mm. and prosternal process in Langurites but is GENOTYPE: A cropteroxys caudatus Gorham, quite deep in Acropteroxys. 1887, from Yolos, Mexico. The male genitalia of these two genera also This genus is represented in both the show their affinity. They are larger, thicker, United States and Mexico, with six species in more cylindrical, more sharply pointed than all. It differs from the other genera in the in Languria or Dasydactylus, and the dorsal United States by the absence of the stria over view of the penis presents a definite slit and the eye and by the acuminate or pointed an opening (fig. 1). elytral apices. The latter are separately Although data are available on the biology pointed, slightly separated, and depressed of only one species of Acropteroxys, the mode just before the apex which is fringed with of life is probably the same as in Languria, as short hairs. Under high magnification and in they breed in the same type of plants. Chit- certain specimens the apices seem almost tenden (1890, p. 347) found A. gracilis and L. dentate, but this is caused merely by the mozardi together in the stem of ragweed drawn out point at the insertion of each hair. and remarked that the "habits of the two Other characteristics of the genus are the species are very similar, if not identical." general depressed form, the rather flat and HEAD: Either piceous or piceous with red acutely margined thorax, the general widen- at the front. Head below usually red, but ing of the prosternal process behind the coxae, often mixed with piceous. Punctuation deep and the punctuation of the process. and sparse in lecontei and shallow and sparse Although the two United States species of in some gracilis, but varies in gracilis to deep Acropteroxys were for a long time under the and dense; often large impunctate areas in genus Languria, they have little in common both species. with that genus except the elongate form and EYES: No ocular stria, but punctures come the red and black color- pattern. A crop- close to eye. teroxys has, on the other hand, many similar- CLYPEUS: Same color as front of head. ities to Langurites. In both these genera the Punctuation generally deeper and denser eyes are more prominent than in Languria, than on head. bulging out so as to be wider than the thorax. ANTENNAE: Piceous. The club iscomposed The antennae are longer and narrower, with of five somewhat triangular segments, the the last segment elongate. The antennal club first being intermediate in size between the is always five-segmented and only slightly stem segments and the others of the club; dilated to the inner side. The thorax is pro- the apical segment is elongate. portionately longer than in Languria, the THoRAx: Red (from yellow red to dark 148 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 red) with a median piceous spot in lecontei; interspaces with large, deep punctures; in gracilis either red or piceous with varying broad, robust; 9-12 mm.l.. ... econici piceous marks (stripe part or all the way to Thorax red with variable piceous markings that line or whole basal half attain either base or base and apex both, apex, basal only, or thorax entirely piceous or entirely red; piceous). Under surface of thorax red or red elytral interspaces with small, shallow punc- with piceous marks near the front coxae. tures; narrow, pointed; 6-12 mm. . gracilis Thorax definitely shorter in female lecontei, but this sexual difference not so noticeable in Acropteroxys lecontei (Crotch) gracilis. Sides of thorax nearly parallel, some- Languria lecontei CROTCH, 1873, Trans. Amer. times slightly sinuous. Thorax rather flat, Ent. Soc. vol. 4, p. 351. SCHAEFFER, 1904, Jour. acutely margined. Punctuation is usually deep New York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p. 199. BLATCHLEY, and evenly spaced in both species, though 1910, Coleoptera of Indiana, vol. 1, pp. 542-543. sometimes more sparsely and shallowly. Acropteroxys lecontei, SCHAEFFER, 1905, MUS. SCUTELLUM: Piceous. Heart shaped, the Brooklyn Inst., Sci. Bull. no. 1, p. 126. point turned downward. Large, robust; head piceous; median pice- ELYTRA: Piceous. Nine rows of punctures ous spot on thorax not reaching the sides; plus a scutellar stria. Interspaces with large under surface of thorax red with piceous spot deep punctures in lecontei; smaller, shallower, to side of coxae; rest piceous. fewer punctures in gracilis. Elytra three or Head piceous; antennae long, loose, with more times longer than thorax, the sides narrow, five-segmented club emerging gradu- parallel almost to apical fourth where they ally from stem; thorax less than twice as long bend slightly inward towards apex. Apices as wide, sides subparallel, with large median more pointed and narrower in gracilis than piceous spot; elytra with apices pointed but in lecontei. not so acutely as in most gracilis, some LEGS: Piceous. Femora swollen in the slightly sinuate; femora, tibiae, tarsi piceous; middle; impressed lines present on inner side. under surface of thorax red except for large Tibiae almost straight with yellow hairs on piceous spot near front coxae, all the rest inner side near apex. First segment on all piceous but females with last abdominal seg- tarsi definitely the longest. ment covered with long yellow hairs. Last PROSTERNUM: Entirely red in most gracilis, abdominal segment of male emarginate. but sometimes with piceous marks on or near Length 9-12 mm. front coxae, as is true in all lecontei. MESOSTERNUM: Piceous, occasionally red Punctuation: Clypeus densely; head, in front. Always deeply, coarsely punctured. thorax, prosternum deeply, sparsely, but METASTERNUM: Piceous. Shallowly and sometimes more shallowly; metasternum, sparsely punctured. abdomen shallowly, sparsely; elytra with META-EPISTERNUM: Piceous, with scat- striae deeply punctured and large deep punc- tered punctures, sometimes shallow, some- tures between the striae. times deep. TYPE LOCALITY: Illinois. ABDOMEN: Piceous. Punctures shallow and DISTRIBUTION: Atlantic states from Con- sparse, but deeper and denser on last seg- necticut to West Virginia, west to Nebraska, ment. Last segment in male is emarginate in Kansas, Montana, also Alabama (Loding, both species; in female lecontei it is covered 1945). with long yellow hairs; in female gracilis SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 50: Penn- there is a small tuft of dark hairs at the apex sylvania, 13; Illinois, five; Kansas, four; New of the last segment (this often is worn off). York, four; Virginia, four; New Jersey, three; SIzE: 6 to 12 mm. Ohio, two; West Virginia, Maryland, Iowa, GENITALIA: No differences observable be- Nebraska, Montana, one each. tween the species. DISCUSSION: This is a far less common species than gracilis. The thorax is almost KEY TO THE SPECIES OF Acropteroxys square in the females and elongate in the Thorax red with large oval or round piceous males. The female has long, silky, abundant spot that does not attain the sides; elytral yellow hairs on the last abdominal segment, 1948 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 149 while in the male there may be but a few each side of, or below, or on, the front coxae, short yellow hairs. sometimes also at hind angles; mesosternum This species can be told from gracilis by red or piceous, the rest piceous, last ab- the large round or oval piceous spot on the dominal segment of male emarginate. Length thorax not reaching any of the sides. It is 6-12 mm. longer, broader, more robust than gracilis Punctuation: Head shallowly to deeply, with elytra usually less tapering. The punc- sparsely to densely; clypeus sparsely to tures in the interspaces on the elytra are densely; thorax, prosternum usually deeply, larger and more numerous. evenly, sometimes shallowly; metasternum, SEASON: March to July. abdomen, shallowly, sparsely; elytra with deeply punctured striae with small shallow Acropteroxys gracilis gracilis (Newman) punctures in the interspaces. Languria gracilis NEWMAN, 1838, Ent. Mag., vol. 5, p. 390. CROTCH, 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. TYPE LOCALITY: Mount Pleasant, Ohio. Soc., vol. 4, p. 351. BLATCHLEY, 1910, Coleoptera DISTRIBUTION: Atlantic states south to of Indiana, vol. 1, p. 543, fig. 203. South Carolina and Louisiana, west to Texas, Acropteroxys gracilis, GORHAM, 1887, Biologia Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho; also Centrali Americana, Coleoptera, vol. 7, p. 14. Ottawa, Canada; Mexico, Guatemala, British SCHAEFFER, 1905, Mus. Brooklyn Inst., Sci. Bull. Honduras (Gorham, 1887, p. 14). Inter- no. 1, p. 126. grades with divisa in Brownsville, Texas. Languria inornata RANDALL, 1838, Boston Jour. SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 313, from 27 Nat. Hist., vol. 2, p. 49. CROTCH, 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 351. FOWLER, 1908, in states. Wytsman, P., Genera insectorum, vol. 78, p. 35. DISCUSSION: This species is almost as wide Languria latreilkii LECONTE, 1854, Proc. Acad. ranging in the United States as the common Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 7, p. 160. CROTCH, Languria mozardi, but it varies much more 1873, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 351. than the latter, not only in color pattern but Languria obscura MOTSCHULSKY, 1860, in in punctuation. There are apparently two Schrenck, P. L., Riesen und Forschungen im subspecies, Acropteroxys gracilis gracilis and Amur-Lande, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 243. CROTCH, 1873, A. g. divisa. The typical form of gracilis is Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 352. Languria nigriceps MOTSCHULSKY, 1860, in widespread east of the Mississippi, but oc- Schrenck, P. L., Reisen und Forschungen im curs also in some western states; the typical Amur-Lande, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 242. CROTCH, 1873, form of divisa is common in the Huachuca Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vol. 4, p. 352. Mountains, Arizona. These two forms inter- Acropteroxys gracilis var. texana SCHAEFFER, grade in Brownsville, Texas, and probably 1918, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 26, p. 212. also in Colorado and New Mexico. Typical Medium to large, narrow; head piceous; gracilis has the thoracic mark longitudinal thorax with piceous longitudinal stripe (this from base to apex, the prosternum entirely marking variable); under surface of thorax red, and the head shallowly and sparsely red or red with some piceous, rest of under punctured. Typical divisa has the thoracic surface piceous. mark transverse on the basal half, piceous Head piceous, sometimes red in front; an- spots on the prosternum on each side of the tennae long, loose, with narrow five- coxae, and the head deeply and densely segmented club emerging gradually from punctured. The intergrading form has either stem; thorax almost twice as long as wide, the typical gracilis median stripe on the sides subparallel, usually with median pice- thorax, or this stripe much reduced, or a ous stripe going from base to apex or only much reduced transverse mark, the pro- part way, less commonly, thorax with no sternum either clear or with spots, the head markings, or entirely piceous except front either deeply or shallowly punctured. Schaef- angles, or with piceous along the base only, fer gave the name gracilis var. texana to one either longitudinally or transversely; elytra of these, which had the median stripe of with apices pointed, slightly separated, some gracilis and the prosternal markings of jagged; femora, tibiae, tarsi piceous; under divisa, but he might just as well have named surface of thorax red or red with piceous on it as a variety of divisa. In any case, since it 150 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 is an intergrading form, it is not deserving of intergrading forms similar to those of Texas a name. may be found. Since the typical form of Both gracilis and divisa present many divisa is not found outside Arizona, Colorado, variations in the thoracic markings. In a and New Mexico and since it has been shown series of 25 divisa specimens from Arizona to intergrade with gracilis in Brownsville, these vary from a median stripe only to the Texas, and probably in Colorado and New basal half piceous; specimens from Arizona Mexico, it should be considered a subspecies and Texas vary from a small piceous mark of gracilis. at the base, sometimes but not always at- Languria inornata Randall, described from taining the sides, to a median stripe. In Massachusetts and which has the thorax gracilis, east of the Mississippi, and also in entirely piceous, was made a color variety by Texas, the median stripe sometimes does not Crotch (1873, p. 350). It is merely an in- reach the apex. The median stripe in a few dividual variant, occurring spotadically eastern gracilis is very wide, covering two- throughout the geographical range of gracilis, thirds to three-quarters of the thorax. Two and is therefore synonymous with it. examples from New York State and a few Other described species made synonymous from Illinois have the thorax entirely piceous by Crotch are latreillei LeConte, from middle, except only the front angles, a form which southern, and western states, and obscura and Gorham described as common in Mexico. nigriceps Motschulsky from Pennsylvania Specimens with the thorax completely pice- and Tennessee, respectively. ous (inornata) have been reported from This species differs from lecontei in being Canada, Massachusetts, New York, Michi- narrower and shorter, with more pointed, gan, and Mexico, and some with the thorax narrower elytra, and in having fewer, smaller entirely red or red with only a faint sug- punctures between the elytral *striae. The gestion of piceous have been taken in thoracic mark, when present, is never in the Colorado, Arizona, Texas,' and Mexico. center of the thorax as in lecontei. The prosternal markings seem to be con- BIOLOGY: Chittenden (1890, p. 347) found stant in divisa where they are always present a larva of gracilis feeding on the dead pith and always dark, but in gracilis they may of ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) in November, either be absent entirely (which is true in in company with a number of larvae of L. more than two-thirds of the eastern speci- mozardi. He found one also in the stems of mens), or they may be barely visible, or light common nettle (Urtica dioica) and on flea- piceous in color,, or almost black. They may bane (Erigeron). Blatchley (1910, p. 543) be present on the coxae only, or as an unde- mentioned gracilis also as being common on fined mark below the coxae, or in the form of a both ragweed and fleabane. A specimen in the spot on each side of the coxae, with the spot United States National Museum collection sometimes spreading out to cover the hind was reared from the stem of chicory. Adults angles of the thorax. have been taken on wild rose petals, on The punctuation of the head is also vari- Jersey tea, sweeping willows, sweeping clover. able. While all Arizona specimens have SEASON: January to October. deeper and denser punctures than does Acropteroxys gracilis divisa (Horn) gracilis, gracilis specimens vary considerably in var. Languria divisa HORN, 1885, Trans. Amer. Ent. among themselves and gracilis texana Soc., vol. 12, p. 139. one cotype has the head deeply and densely Acropteroxys divisa, SCHAEFFER, 1905, Mus. punctured while the other three do not. Brooklyn Inst., Sci. Bull. no. 1, p. 146; 1918, Jour. Although A. g. divisa was described from New York Ent. Soc., vol. 26, p. 211. Colorado and New Mexico, no specimens Acropteroxys thoracina CASEY, 1916, Memoirs have been examined from that area. There on the Coleoptera, vol. 7, p. 150. ScHAEFFER, is one specimen of gracilis labeled "Col." in 1918, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 26, p. 211. the United' States National Museum, and CASEY, 1924, Memoirs on the Coleoptera, vol. 11, "L. gracilis" was reported in a state list of p. 177. New Mexico (Snow, 1906). When more speci- TYPE LOCALITY: "Colorado and New mens from these states become available, Mexico." 1948 4 VAURIE: NORTH AMERICAN LANGURIIDAE 151 DISTRIBUTION: Arizona, Colorado, New more deeply punctured, last segment in male Mexico, Texas. emarginate. Length 11-15 mm. SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, 34: Hua- GENOTYPE: Langurites vitticollis Mot- chuca Mountains, Arizona, 31; Patagonia, schulsky, 1860, from Mexico. Arizona, three. Intergrades with gracilis in There are only two species in this genus, Brownsville, Texas. lineatus Castelnau, ranging from extreme The characters that separate divisa from southern United States south to Venezuela gracilis are: thorax usually with basal half and Colombia, and apiciventris Casey from piceous, the line of division between piceous Mexico. and red sinuate, or straight, or forming an Langurites is readily told from other Lan- obtuse angle; the piceous prosternal markings guriinae by the shape of the elytral apices: always present and well defined; the head the margin of the elytra is evenly rounded to more densely and deeply punctured. For dis- the sutural third where it terminates in an cussion, see under gracilis. acute tooth, the inner third of the elytral Acropteroxys thoracina Casey, from the margin being then obliquely incised to the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona, described as suture, which also terminates in a small having "an irregular median basal spot" on tooth. Motschulsky did not further charac- the thorax, does not differ in this respect from terize this genus than to mention the long, other individual variants in the Arizona flat, trapezoidal thorax, widened at the rear, population of divisa. Differences in the shape and the obliquely incised elytral apices. In of the first segment of the antennal club, also both the widening of the thorax and in the mentioned by Casey, are also variable in acuteness of the teeth on the apices there is, divisa. however, some variation. GENUS LANGURITES MOTSCHULSKY The eyes are about as prominent as in Langurites MOTSCHULSKY, 1860, in Schrenck, Acropteroxys, to which genus it is most closely P. L., Reisen und Forschungen im Amur-Lande, allied. The ocular stria is much farther vol. 2, no. 2, p. 243. CROTCH, 1875, Cist. Ent., away from the eye and shallower than in vol. 1, p. 392. GORHAM, 1887, Biologia Centrali Languria and Dasydactylus and is shorter Americana, Coleoptera, vol. 7, p. 27. FOWLER, in extent. The antennae are narrower, longer, 1908, in Wytsman, P., Genera insectorum, vol. more loosely articulated; the last segment is 78, p. 27. elongate as in Acropteroxys, not rounded as in Head with shallow, sparse punctures; ocu- the other genera, and the club segments are lar stria shallow, distant from eye; clypeus only slightly dilated to the inner side. The rectangular to square, shallowly and sparsely thorax also resembles Acropteroxys in being punctured; antennae long, reaching nearly to flat, but the sides usually diverge from being base of thorax, with narrow, elongate, five- subparaliel and widen towards the base. The segmented club emerging gradually from prosternal process is widened behind the stem, club segments only slightly dilated to front coxae as in most Acropteroxys, but it is inner side, last segment elongate; thorax flat not punctured. The front femora are thicker or slightly convex, longer than broad, sides and more swollen at the middle than in the subparallel or wider at base, hind angles other genera. As in Acropteroxys, the last sharply produced, punctuation shallow and abdominal segment of the male is emarginate sparse; elytra nearly four times longer than which is not true of Languria and Dasydacty- thorax, rows of punctures indistinct, shallow, lus. The elytra present a different color pat- apices terminating in acute tooth and oblique- tern from the other genera, having usually ly incised to suture; legs with front femora both red and piceous, the red occurring in a much swollen at middle, especially in the longitudinal stripe of varying length. Langu- males, femora and tibiae smooth in both rites has shallower punctuation than any of sexes; prosternum shallowly and sparsely the others. punctured; mesosternum long, deeply punc- Langurites is closest to Acropteroxys, not tured; metasternum, abdomen almost im- only in external characters but in the geni- punctate, abdomen with the last segment talia (fig. 1). It differs mainly in the presence 152 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 92 of an ocular stria, in the shape of the elytral times interrupted at middle or either end, apices, and in punctuation. sometimes thorax entirely piceous or entirely red; elytra piceous with red spots on shoulders Langurites lineatus (Castelnau) sometimes extending in stripes to apex, or Languria lineata CASTELNAU, 1832, Ann. Soc. elytra entirely piceous, or piceous with oc- Ent. France, vol. 1, p. 412. Langurites lineatus, CROTCH, 1875, Cist. Ent., casional darker areas on scutellum, suture or vol. 1, p. 392. GORHAM, 1887, Biologia Centrali apex, or elytra mostly red, elytral apices Americana, Coleoptera, vol. 7, p. 27. FOWLER, terminating in an acute tooth and obliquely 1908, sn Wytsman, P., Genera insectorum, vol. incised to suture where there is a smaller 78, p. 27. CASEY, 1916, Memoirs on the Coleoptera, tooth; femora piceous above, red below, or vol. 7, p. 147. red basally, piceous apically, tibiae red Langursa scapularis CHEVROLAT, 1834, Col6op- basally, the rest piceous, tarsi piceous; under teres du Mexique, fasc. 3. Vera Cruz. surface red except for lateral piceous stripes Langurites vitticollis MOTSCHULSKY, 1860, in on prosternum and piceous at apex of ab- Schrenck, P. L., Reisen und Forschungen im domen, sometimes last two abdominal seg- Amur-Lande, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 243. Mexico. sides of Last Langurites vittatus MOTSCHULSKY, 1860, loc. cit. ments and abdomen piceous. Nicaragua. abdominal segment of male more coarsely Langurites infuscatus MOTSCHULSKY, 1860, loc. punctured, more hairy, and emarginate. cit. Central America. Length 11-15 mm. Langurites ventralis CROTCH, 1875, Cist. Ent., Punctuation: Shallowly and sparsely all vol. 1, p. 392. Orizaba. over except on mesosternum, last abdominal Langurites superciliatus CASEY, 1916, Memoirs segment and sides of abdomen; elytra with on the Coleoptera, vol. 7, p. 148. LENG, 1920, as scattered shallow punctures in the inter- Langurites supercilians Casey [in error], Catalogue spaces. of. .. Coleoptera of America, north of Mexico, TYPE LOCALITY: Colombia, South America. p. 201. DISTRIBUTION: Southern Arizona and Flor- Large; head red, often with piceous spot; ida south to Venezuela and Colombia, ex- thorax red with three piceous stripes of vary- cluding the West Indies. ing widths, or thorax all piceous or all red; SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Total, nine: Ari- elytra piceous with red, or all piceous. Elytral zona (Nogales and Patagonia), two; Mexico apices ending in tooth and obliquely incised -(Lower California, Guerrero, and Tamauli- to suture. pas), six; Guatemala (Moc.), one. Of these Head red, with or without small piceous five were males, four females. spot on top; antennae with first segment DISCUSSION: As can be seen from the usually red, the rest piceous, with narrow, synonymy, this is an extremely variable ooselyarticulated, five-segmented club emerg- species with many color varieties. The speci- ing gradually from stem, first segment of mens from Arizona are no more consistently club hardly larger than last one of stem, colored than those from Mexico. The Mexican segments only slightly dilated to inner side; specimens come from San Jose, Lower Cali- thorax with sides usually wider at the base, fornia, at sea level, up to Amula, Guerrero, red, with a median and two lateral stripes of at 6000 feet. varying widths piceous, median stripe some- SEASON: August to October. 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WILDERMUTH, V. L., AND F. H. GATES Kweichow and Yunnan. Sinensia, vol. 1920. Clover stem-borer as an alfalfa pest. 4, pp. 15-37. Bull. U. S. Dept Agr., no. 889, pp. 1-25, 1934. On some species of Languriidae of Hang- figs. 1-6, pl. 1. chow. Ibid., vol. 4, pp. 353-358. ZIA, Y. 1933. On the Languriidae of the provinces