PYRGODESMIDZ.—LOPHODESMUS, 131 
be separated as a family from Lophodesmus, Psochodesmus, and others in which the 
dorsal area of the terga is furnished with two crests of enlarged granules. At the 
present time, however, this would be, in my opinion, an unnecessary proceeding. 
The known Central-American genera belonging to this group may be readily 
distinguished as follows :— 
a. Dorsal surface fairly uniformly covered with tubercles; the dorsal crests 
not coalesced on the 19th and 20th tergal plates; pores present on the 
keels of the 9th, 12th, and 16th segments . . . . . . . . . . Lopnopzsmus. 
a’. Dorsal surface not uniformly tubercular; the dorsal crests coalesced to 
form a single median crest on the 19th and 20th segments; no pores 
upon the 9th, 12th, and 16th segments . . . . . . . . . . . DEcAPoRoDESMUS. 
Related to these two genera, and lying somewhat midway between them in the 
number of pores, is the genus Psochodesmus, Cook * (‘ Brandtia,’ v. p. 25, 1896), the 
type species of which, namely P. crescentis, was from Florida; three others assigned 
to Cryptodesmus were subsequently described by Broélemann (Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. Ixvii. 
p- 268, 1898) from Venezuela (see Attems, Denk. Akad. Wien, Ixviii. p. 370, 1900). 
Attems, however, places Psochodesmus in the Cryptodesminee and Lophodesmus in the 
Pyrgodesmine. Brélemann’s species of Psochodesmus differ from the Central-American 
forms here referred to Lophodesmus in having the anterior border of the keels dentate 
and no pores on the keels of the 16th segment. 
LOPHODESMUS. 
Lophodesmus, Pocock, in Weber’s Reise Niederl. Ostind. iii. p. 872 (1894) ; Attems, Denk. Akad. 
Wien, Ixviil. p. 877 (1900) ; Carl, Rev. Suisse Zool. x. p. 669 (1902). 
Body convex, sometimes strongly elevated and compressed, with strongly inclined keels; keels small or large 
with lobate lateral margins, those of. the second segment somewhat larger than those of the third 
and fourth segments. First tergal plate with its anterior edge produced into a horizontal crest 
completely covering the head and antenna, its anterior border with ten lobes. Head strongly rugose on 
the frontal area. Antenne: short, thick, the fifth segment the longest and thickest. Segments tubercular, 
with a pair of dorsal crests formed of larger tubercles. Anal tergal plate broad; its margin with six 
lobes. Pores very distinct on segments 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16 t, carried on pale pedicels projecting 
from the posterior angle of the laterally bilobate keels. Legs short. Sterna narrow, sulcate. Phallopods 
with coxal segment protruding, enlarged to form a dome-shaped cavity facing inwards and lodging the 
terminal portion of the organ. 
Type, Z. pusillus, Poe. 
Distribution. E. India (Flores aud Java); Centra AMERICA. 
Two of the species here referred to Lophodesmus appear to belong unmistakably to 
that genus, but the third with the large laminate keels, more like those of Oryptodesmus, 
may possibly deserve generic distinction. I prefer, however, to leave it in this genus, 
* Omitted from the ‘ Zoological Record.’ 
tT In some specimens, at all events, minute pores appear to be retained on the dorsal side of the posterior 
lobe of the keels of the 17th, 18th, and 19th segments. 
82 
