MYRMEDONIA. ; 199 
Since then the genus has received a large addition of Oriental (many of them Termi- 
tophilous) species from Kraatz; and lately the European portion of the genus has been © 
divided by Mulsant and Rey to form several distinct genera. The characters used by 
these latter authors are drawn chiefly from the tarsi and sternal pieces; and to apply 
their system to the extra-European species would involve a complete revision of the 
genus and its dismemberment into a considerable number of genera. This is a task 
that cannot at present be accomplished by me; and I have therefore followed a similar 
course to that of Erichson by referring the Central-American species to the same genus 
as the European and Oriental forms, thus disregarding the very different facies of many 
of the New-world species. In all these forms the middle coxe are widely separated, 
the mesosternum being very little produced between them, and possessing a rounded 
extremity which is separated by a well-marked interval from the corresponding 
metasternal process, the posterior tarsi are elongate and slender, the basal joint 
markedly longer than the second, which, however, is itself elongate. These characters 
will bring the Amazonian Tachyusa extranea and T. picticornis, Sharp, and Homalota 
culpa, Sharp, into the genus. The greater number of the Central-American species have 
a Homalotoid facies ; I entertain great doubt as to what their mode of life may be. 
I scarcely suppose that many of them will prove Myrmecophilous or Termitophilous, 
as is the case with most of the Old-world species ascribed to the genus. 
1. Myrmedonia fauveli. 
Gracilis, testacea, nitida, capite thoraceque rufis, elytris dilute fuscis, basi margineque apicali testaceis, abdo- 
mine fusco-signato ; capite thorace elytrisque parcius subtilissime punctulatis, abdomine levigato. 
Long. 3} millim. 
Hab. Nortu America, United States—Mexico, Jalapa (Hoge). 
Antenne elongate, testaceous, the penultimate joint about as long as broad, the 
eleventh equal in length to the two preceding together. Head red, almost impunctate. 
Thorax but little transverse, slightly narrowed behind, red and shining, sparingly and 
extremely indistinctly punctulate, quite without basal impression. Elytra but little 
longer than the thorax, of a brownish colour, with the apical margin and the base 
pale; they are extremely indistinctly punctulate, yet their punctuation and pubescence 
are a little more distinct than those of the other parts of the upper surface. Hind 
body yellow, the segments marked at the sides with fuscous or black, the larger part of 
the dorsal plate of the fourth segment nearly black, the fifth and sixth fuscous. Legs 
clear yellow, Under surface yellow, the breast infuscate across the middle, and the 
ventral plates more or less definitely dark transversely. 
I received some specimens of this species from M. Fauvel some years ago as being 
the Myrmedonia labida of Erichson. The latter species, however, is found in Venezuela. 
and although it is no doubt a species closely allied to Mf. fauveli, yet I think it is clear, 
from Erichson’s description, that it is different. The only specimen of H. fawveli that 
