C. T. Parsons.
Notes on North American Nitidulidae, II: Cryptarcha Shuckard.
Psyche 45(2-3):96-100, 1938.

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Psyche
[ June-Sept.
NOTES ON NORTH AMERICAN NITIDULIDAE, 11: CRYPTARCHA SHUCKARD
BY C. T. PARSONS
Biological Laboratories, Harvard University The genus Cryptarcha embraces many species which are found in all parts of the world. The six species occuring in the United States have apparently two origins. Cryptarcha ampla, grandicollis, glabru and strigatula n. sp. are closely related to the numerous Neotropical forms, whereas the smaller concinna and gila n. sp. are more closely related to the Palaearctic imperialis Fabr. and its allies. The appar- ently two origins are reflected in the two subgenera, which are keyed below.
1. Prosternum broad between the coxze and extending be- yond the middle of the mesosternum; anterior margin of the metasternum transverse or broadly rounded ante- riorly; species usually longer than 4 mm. .................................................................. Cryptarcha s. sir. 2. Prosternum more or less narrow between the cox= and not extending beyond the middle of the mesosternum; anterior margin of the metasternum acutely rounded anteriorly; species usually shorter than 4 mm. ...................................................................... Lepiarcha Sharp Subg. Cryptarcha s. sir.
This subgenus comprises at least the Palaearctic strigata, the North American strigatula n. sp., ample, glub~a, and the Neotropical species.
1. Unicolorous above ............................................................... .2. Elytra with irregular pale fascize ...................................... 3. 2. Apex of prosternal process rounded .................. ampla Er. Apex of prosternal process truncate .......... glabra Schaef.



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19381 North American Nilidzdidse 97
3. Apex of prosternal process emarginate . . . . . . strigata Fabr. Apex of prosternal process rounded ........ strigatula n. sp. Cryptarcha ampla Erichson
Cryptarcha ampla Erichson, 1843, in Germar, Zeitschr. Ent. . 4: 356.
The color varies from nigro-piceous to testaceous and the size from 4.5 mm. to 7.8 mm. The upper surface may be almost glabrous.
It has been collected at sap of maple and willow, and ex- tends from Quebec to Florida, west to California and Oregon. Cryptarcha grandicollis Reitter
Cryptarcha grandicollis Reitter, 1875, Verh. Nat. Ver. Briinn, 13 : 118.
This species was described from Venezuela but is recorded from North America by Grouvelle, 1913, Coleopt. Cat., pars 56, p. 179. Dr. R. Jeanne1 has written that there is no speci- men of this species in the Grouvelle collection in Paris; so, until confirmed, its inclusion in the North American list must remain doubtful.
Cryptarcha glabra Schaeff er
Cryptarcha glabra Schaeffer, 1909, Bull. Brooklyn Mus. 1 : 375.
This rare species is remarkable for being glabrous above, and in having parallel sides. Since only six specimens are known, their data are given. Huach. Mts., Ariz. VIII. 9 in U. S. N. M.
(type) : Carr Canyon, Huachuca Mts., Ariz. VII, 7-30 in Cal. Acad. Sci.; 4050 ft., Kits Peak, Rincon, Baboquivari Mts., Ariz. in A.M.N.H. ; two from Baboquivari Mfs., Ariz., April and August in H. C. Fall collection; San Bernardino Ranch, 3750 ft., Cochise Co., Ariz., August in the writer's collection.
Cryptarcha strigata Fabr.
Cryptarcha strigata Fabr., 1787, Mant. Ins. 1 : 51. This species is here restricted to the Palaearctic fauna. The North American individuals that have previously had



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98 Psyche [ June-Sept.
this name are separated below and the differences between the two species are given in the description of strigatula. Fig. 1. Ventral views of the prosternal processes in Cryptarcha. 1, C. arnpla; 2, C. glabra; 3, C. strigata; 4, C. strigatula n. sp.; 5, C. imperialis; 6, C. gila n. sp.; 7, C. ornasitoides (after sketch of B. M. specimen by Dr. H. Scott) ; 8, C. conch. Cryptarcha strigatula n. sp.
Cryptarcha strigata auctt. (partim) .
Crntarcha concinna Melsh., Reitter, 1873, nee Melsh., 1853, Syst. Eintheil. Nitid. : p. 150.
As the name implies this species is a diminuitive relative of strigata. It is very similar to strigata, egg-shaped, piceous, alutaeous, sparsely pubescent, with pale setae irreg- ularly arranged on the pronotum but in seven indistinct rows on each elytron. The two transverse sinuous fasciae are much as in strigata, except that the anterior may reach the sutural margin of the elytra. The prosternal process is broadened and emarginate at the tip in strigata, but only slightly broadened and rounded at the tip in strigatula (figs. 3, 4). The length is 2.7-3.2 mm., whereas the length of strigata is 3.2-4.2 mm. The minimum length of strigata is from the literature and must be unusual, since the smallest



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19381 North American Nilidulidse 99
specimen in the collections of the British Museum and the writer measures 4.0 mm.
Holotype, male, from the Bronx, New York, Aug. 15,1896, in the writer's collection. Paratypes from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Illinois in the collections of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, C. A. Frost, and the writer. Specimens have been seen from as far west as Texas and north to Michigan.
Subg. Lepiarcha Sharp
Lepiarcha Sharp, 1891, Biol. Centr. Amer. Col. 11, pt. 1 : 385 (type Cryptarcha omositoides Reitter) .
Cryptarchula Ganglbauer, 1899, Kaf. Mitteleur. 3: 551 (type Cryptarcha (Cryptarchula) imperialis Fabr.) This subgenus contains at least the European imperialis and its allies, the Central American omositoides Reitter, and the following species.
Prosternal process greatly expanded at tip (fig. 6) gila n. sp. Prosternal process only slightly expanded at tip (fig. 8) . . . . . . concinna Melsh.
Cryptarcha gila n. sp.
Elongate, piceous above, testaceous beneath. The anterior half of head, lateral fourths of the pronotum, epipleurae, and elytral fasciae testaceous.
The upper surface closely punc-
tate, finely pubescent, with numerous pale setae. The setae
are arranged in eight rows on each elytron. The under sur-
face obsoletely punctate and more sparsely pubescent. The
prosternal process expanded, as shown in fig. 6. Anterior and middle coxae pale testaceous.
The mandibles are of
equal length and notched at tip. Length 2.5-3.3 mm. Holotype male, allotype, and paratypes from Wheatfields near Globe, Arizona, May 4, 1934, D. K. Duncan, in the col- lection of the author. para type,^ with similar data in the collection of H. C. Fall. Also paratypes from Bakersfield, Calif. in the E. C. Van Dyke collection of the California Academy of Sciences.
This species is more elongate and a little longer than concinna. The apices of the elytra are more pointed than in



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100 Psyche [June- Sept.
omositoides and concinna, agreeing in this respect with imperialis. The margins of the thorax and the epipleurae are more narrowly reflexed than in concinna and more broadly reflexed than in imperialis.
Cryptarcha concinna Melsheimer
Cryptarcha concinna Melsheimer, 1853, Cat. of the desc. Col. of U. S., p. 41.
Cryptarcha liturata Leconte, 1863, List Col. of N. Amer. 1: 30.
Cryptarcha picta Melsheimer, 1866, Proc. Acad. Sci. Phila- delphia 2 : 107.
Cryptarcha bella Reitter, 1873, Syst. Eintheil. Nitid. p. 150. Thi,s is an extremely variable species, but is distinctive in its oval outline, explanate pronotal margins, and shape of the prosternal process as shown in fig. 8. The range of concinna is from Massachusetts to Florida, west to southern Cali- fornia and Oregon.




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