A REVIEW OF THE AGYRTES (SILPHIDAE) OF NORTH AMERICA*

Dr. John Lawrence and Dr. Roy Crowson pointed out to me that the type specimen of Lendomus politus Casey (placed in Mycetophagidae by Casey) seemed to be a silphid in the genus /tgyrtes. This led me" to study the Casey type and to review the species of /lgyrtes of North America as the first part in a projected series of reviews of the silphid genera of North America. The genus ,Jgyrtes is Holarctic. Seven species are known and a key to them is given by Hlisnikovsky (964). Of these, two species occur in and are limited to North America. The habits of the North American species are unknown, but the European species occur in forests nder bark, in moss, and at rotting mushrooms.

The genus ,Jgyrtes is Holarctic. Seven species are known and a key to them is given by Hlisnikovsky (964). Of these, two species occur in and are limited to North America. The habits of the North American species are unknown, but the European species occur in forests nder bark, in moss, and at rotting mushrooms. gyrtes longulus (LeConte) Figures ,2,8,9,  Diagnosis. Antennal club composed of four segments, first three o.f club with rings of dense pubescense on inside apical margin, third antennal segment appreciably longer than the second. Prothorax conspicuously wider than long, less narrowed towards the front, posterior angles distinct. Aedeagus in side view with pronounced bend (fig. Io), paramere an elongated spatula ( fig. 9).
Distribution. The species ranges from southern California northwards through the coastal mountains to British Columbia and southern Alaska, and inland to Idaho. In addition to the type I have seen the following material" Hatch (957) also mentions that the species occurs in northern Idaho. Biology. Virtually nothing is known of the habits of the species or of its life cycle. The seasonality data show that it is most active in the winter months. The species has been taken most often on snow but also in flood debris, and under chips of live oak. It is presumably associated with forested habitats.
Notes on synonymy. The type of Lendomus politus Casey was examined and dissected. It was found to be identical, within reason-Psyche [September-December able limits of variation in the shape of the aedeagus, with Agyrtes longulus. Since a number of beetles in eastern Canada have been introduced from Europe (Lindroth, 1957) there was the possibility that the Agyrtes of Casey might be a species introduced from Europe. It was compared with the European A. castaneus (F.) and the aedeagus drawings of Hlisnikovsky (1964) and was found to be distinctly different.
Since Casey's specimen is the only Agyrtes known from eastern North America, I think that an error was made in the labeling of Casey's Agrtes, and we may continue to believe that the genus Agrtes and the species A. lonulus occur only in the coastal and interior mountains of western North America. Diagnosis. Antennal club composed of five segments, first four of club with rings of dense pubescense on inside apical margins, third antennal segment only a little longer than the second. Prothorax wider than long but more elongate and more gradually narrowed toward the front, posterior angles rounded. Aedeagus in side view relatively straight ( fig. 7), paramere a rounded spatula ( fig. 6). . '4. similis paramere, setae omitted. 7. ,4. similis aedeagus, lateral view.
Biology. Nothing is known of the habits or life cycle of this beetle. The collection records show that it is active only in the winter months. It is presumably associated with forested habitats.
Notes. There is a remarkable similarity in the dorsal view of the aedeagus and of the paramere of Agyrtes bicolor Lap. of central Europe (as illustrated by Hlisnikovsky, 1964) and of A. similis, but other characters in the key of Hlisnikovsky seem to separate the species. The aedeagus of A. bicolor in side view is not illustrated. I have not studied material of A. bicolor, although I have seen the Hlisnikovsky collection in Prague.