PARNUS. 123 
in the female of P. odscurus; but the relative proportion of the joints is different, the 
terminal joint being, as in the male of P. obscwrus, not more than twice the length 
of the penultimate. In other respects the species is extremely similar to P. obscurus : 
the legs, however, are shorter and stouter; the posterior tarsi, on the other hand, are 
considerably longer, and nearly equal the tibize in length. 
PARNUS. 
Parnus, Fabricius, Syst. Ent. i. p. 245; Er. Nat. Ins. Deutsch. ii. p- 510. 
Dryops, Oliv. Enc. Meth. Ins. vi. p. 297. 
This genus comprises about sixteen species, all except one inhabiting the Mediter- 
ranean region, the exception being a South-American insect; other undescribed species, 
however, exist in Tropical America. These New-world species all have the second 
joint of the antenna much less developed than is the case with the European species; 
the club, moreover, consists. distinctly of nine joints, while in the Old-world repre- 
sentatives of the genus only seven or eight can be distinguished. The Central-American 
insects here described agree in the above-named respects with the series of South- 
American species alluded to by Erichson (op. cit. p. 512) ; the differences, however, cannot 
at present be considered of generic importance, especially as some authorities (cf. Rey 
in Muls. Hist. Nat. Col. Fr., Diversicornes, p. 20) state that the antennal club in the 
European species is nine-jointed. 
1. Parnus pusillus. 
Hlongato-ovalis, parum convexus, nigro-fuscus, subopacus, pube fusca brevissima dense vestitus setulisque sat 
elongatis erectis ; pedibus piceis ; elytris parce et parum fortiter punctatis. 
Long. 12, lat. ? millim. 
Hab. GuaTEMALA, Chacoj, Rio Maria Linda 500 feet, Pantaleon 1700 feet, Rio 
Naranjo 450 feet, San Gerénimo, Paso Antonio (Champion); Nicaragua, Chontales 
(Janson); Panama, Bugaba (Champion). 
Var. Paulo angustior et magis elongata, antennarum articulo secundo extus minus acuminato. 
Hab. Mexico, Cordova (Sal/é). 
A small obscure species, densely clothed with tomentum, by which it is rendered 
dull, and with moderately numerous upright hairs, and with a distant, rather fine, and 
not deep punctuation on the thorax and elytra. The auricular (or second) joint of the 
antenne, though much less developed than in the European species, has still a consi- 
derable prolongation externally. The space separating the antenne at their insertion 
is very small, quite as small as in the European P. prolifericornis. | 
A very large series of this species has been obtained, and the variation exhibited by 
the individuals is very slight. I can find no trace of external sexual characters amongst 
RR 2 
