A new species of the genus Pericompsus Le Conte (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Bembidiini) is described from Catamarca province, Argentina. It is found along the borders of rivers and creeks in this arid region of western Argentina. The morphological characters of the new species place it within the subgenus Pericompsus (Pericompsus), and allow its recognition as a new species of the hirsutus species group. The discovery of this species extends the geographical range of the hirsutus group to the parallel 27° South. A description and illustration of the new species, together with a key to differentiate it from other hirsutus group species are provide.

A new genus and species of hetaeriine histerid is described. Aritaerius pallidus is known almost exclusively from specimens collected at UV light. It inhabits xeric areas in the U. S., in Arizona, and in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, Mexico.

The first records of Bycrea villosa Pascoe (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae; Opatrinae) outside Mexico are reported, including recent collections from Arizona, USA, and specimens from Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala. The beetle is of interest because of its association with the nests of leaf-cutter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), specifically Atta mexicana (F. Smith) and probably other Atta species that have above-ground refuse dumps. A diagnosis and images of the beetle adult and larva are included.

Trachyscelis flavipes Melsheimer (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), described from North America in 1846, has been found to be an introduced species, probably from Europe. It is synonymized under T. aphodioides Latreille (new synonymy) described from France in 1809. Using literature and museum collection data, the distributional history of the beetle is reviewed and a new record for South America (Brazil) is reported.

Plateros milleri, new species, is described from southeastern Arizona and is placed in the sanguinicollis group on the basis of the orange-red coloration of the pronotum and the twisted structure of the aedeagus. Aedeagal characters are utilized to distinguish this species from its closely related congeners. Figures of the aedeagus and a habitus photograph are presented.

Photuris bethaniensis McDermott, 1953, is recorded only from Sussex County, Delaware, from the original species description. In 1998 we relocated P. bethaniensis near the type locality. From 1998 through 2000, Photuris bethaniensis was found exclusively within freshwater interdunal swales occurring within Delaware's backdune depressions. The species was discovered in 7 of 18 swales surveyed within a 25-km stretch of Atlantic shoreline. Photuris bethaniensis was most common in swales with dense shrub thickets. The temporal stability of freshwater interdunal swales may be an important factor influencing the distribution of this species.

The genus Lasiodactylus contains four species, the type species L. brunneus Perty from Peru and Brazil, and three new species described here; L. centralis Cline from southern Mexico, Belize, and Honduras, L. falini Cline from Suriname and French Guiana, and L. kelleri Cline from Argentina. Lasiodactylus kelleri inhabits the burrow systems of dynastine scarabs in the genus Heterogomphus and feeds on plant sap flows caused by their feeding. The genus is characterized by at least two unambiguous characters, a well developed triangular supraocular region and mentum with a sulcate anterior margin. Other external characters shared with the Aethina-complex of genera also are described to assess the position of Lasiodactylus within the Nitidulinae. A key to Lasiodactylus species is provided and new country records for L. brunneus are listed.

Cholomus luteopictus Víquez and Anderson, new species, is described from Panama and Costa Rica (type locality, Panama, Chiriqui Province, Reserva La Fortuna). Cholomus luteopictus can be distinguished from C. panamensis Vaurie, the only other known Central American species, by its more elongate body form, its more prominent and ventrally directed male mesosternal process, and, the distinct pattern of scales on the elytra.

The genus Aglylptinus Cockerell (Leiodinae: Scotocryptini) is predominantly Neotropical in distribution. A. laevis (LeConte) is the only species known from the USA and Canada. It is distributed in eastern North America from southern Canada to south Florida and east Texas. The distribution is mapped. Adults are usually found in moist forests, in association with fungi, and are known from all months of the year. A lectotype is designated.

The new species Zabrotes maesi is described from Granada, Nicaragua. Zabrotes maesi is closely related to Z. subfasciatus (Boheman) and Z. sylvestris Romero and Johnson. The external surfaces and male genitalia are illustrated for Z. maesi and compared with the other two species. Seventeen other species of Bruchidae not reported from Nicaragua are listed along with their known hosts.

Taphrocerus gracilis (Say) was observed mining the leaves of Rhynchospora corniculata (Lam.) A. Gray (new larval host record) at several locations in southeast Missouri. Two generations per year were observed, and no other plant species were observed being utilized as larval hosts. The beetle is also reported from R. corniculata in Mississippi.

A new species of checkered beetle, Enoclerus addisoni, is described from Colombia. This new species, with its shining blue integument, and transverse antemedian and subapical eburneus fasciae, is readily separable from all other described congeners. The status of our knowledge of the Colombian Enoclerus species is summarized.

Larval behavior of Dinoptera minuta (Gebler) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) was observed in natural and experimental situations. In dead twigs of Cornus controversa, the larvae were found only under the rotten, fragile bark, and were observed to subsist on inner phloem, whereas xylem portions were never eaten. Mature larvae crept under the bark with their dorsum facing the xylem side. Meanwhile, as the outer phloem was broken, mature larvae left the dead twig and burrowed into the soil beneath. In the laboratory, movement of the larvae from the twigs to the soil took place from late August to late December. Most of the mature larvae transferred to test tubes filled with soil were observed to stay at certain positions in the soil at an average depth of 4.3 cm. A comparison of digestive tracts of an immature feeding larva and a mature moving larva revealed little change of total tract length, marked atrophy of the midgut of the latter, little change of hindgut, and a color change from ocherous to clear white, suggesting mature larvae in the soil ingest water but do not feed. Movement from twig to soil in autumn, followed by formation of the pupal chamber of an individual in early January, suggests that the species is univoltine in the lowland of Honshu, Japan.

A new subspecies of Cicindela nevadica LeConte, Cicindela nevadica makosika Spomer, is described from the South Dakota Badlands. Geographically, the population occurs at the periphery of the range of C. nevadica knausii Leng. However, this new population is geographically isolated from the nearest C. n. knausii populations, which occur ca. 100 air miles N and over 100 air miles south. Phenotypically, C. n. makosika appears most similar to C. n. tubensis Cazier from NE Arizona. A possible threat to this population is habitat destruction by cattle.

Alyma Arias, a new genus of Elateridae from Chile, is here described and illustrated with eight included species: A. pallipes (Solier), new combination, A. ariasvillegasai Arias, new species, A. calafquenensis Arias, new species, A. contulmoensis Arias, new species, A. lawlerae Arias, new species, A. quiriquinaensis Arias, new species, A. rieseorum Arias, new species, and shapiroi Arias, new species. The type species of the genus Alyma is Cardiophorus pallipes Solier, 1851.

The first North American records of Xylosandrus mutilatus (Blandford), an ambrosia beetle of Asian origin, are reported from Mississippi and Florida. Data on the distribution, seasonality, and abundance of X. mutilatus in Mississippi are presented. A redescription and illustrations of X. mutilatus are provided, and its life history is reviewed.

Bledius beattyi Blackwelder, 1943 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) and Dyschiriodes sublaevis (Putzeys, 1846) (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Scaritinae) are both recorded from Big Pine Key, Florida, providing the first United States record for the former and the first Bledius Leach-Dyschiriodes Jeannel co-occurrence (likely prey-predator) record for both species. In combination with previously published data, these records provide the first information on possible predator-prey associations for B. ceratus Blackwelder, 1943 as well.

Amborotubus clarkei, new genus and species from a lowland transitional forest in the Department of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, is described and illustrated based on two female specimens. It is placed into the monotypic Amborotubini new tribe based on the following characters: clypeus bilobed, epipharynx with two anterior setose lobes visible in dorsal view, antennal fossa contiguous with subclypeal area and anterior portion of labrum excavated, mentum platelike and concealing labium and maxilla, pronotal carina asetose, hypomeron with glabrous ocular rests, mesoventrite visible in ventral view, femora and tibiae flattened, tarsal pads transverse and poorly developed, ovipositor with apical styli. The relationship of Amborotubus to other nitidulines is unknown. It is similar in appearance to members of the Australian tribe Cychramptodini, but differs in many morphological details.

Bledius hei, new species, is described and illustrated. It belongs to the Bledius kosempoensis group and was found under a moth-killing lamp in Doujiangyan City, Sichuan Province, Southwest China. Bledius hei may be distinguished from other members of the group by features of the aedeagus, the microsculpture of the head, pronotal shape and color of the elytra.