HYMENEUS. 487 
elongate, not at all narrowed behind, and only very slightly towards the front angles ; 
with a broad smooth space along the middle, and on either side of this rather sparingly 
and irregularly punctate; between this irregular punctuation and the sides with a 
few punctures, and with numerous others at the lateral margin. Scutellum shining, 
with a few punctures. Elytra of a darker violet colour than the head and thorax, 
scarcely longer than the thorax, very finely and rather sparingly punctured. 
HYMENEUS. 
Corpus parum punctatum, politum. Mandibule ineequales, sinistra medio dentata, basi minus crassa, membrana 
libera aucta ; labrum angustum, prominens, medio fere ad basin divisum. Palpi articulo ultimo elongato. 
Thorax elongatus oblongus, prosterno sat elongato, pleuris haud abbreviatis, lineis marginalibus haud 
conjunctis, superiore integro, versus angulos anteriores subtus sat deflexo. Caput trophique secundum 
sexum dissimiles. 
This genus comes nearest to the Eulissus division of Xantholinus, from which it is 
well distinguished by the structure of the mandibles, the basal part of which is 
comparatively slender; the prosternum, too, is longer and narrower, and the peculiar 
structure of the head in the males is characteristic of the genus. The head of the 
male is much broader than in the other sex, and differently sculptured at the sides and 
beneath; the maxillary palpi are more elongate, the second joint being elongate and 
slender, not stouter than the following; the mandibles are more elongate and slender, 
and more unequal, the left having a large bifid tooth in the middle, which is absent on 
the right mandible, the inner margin of this latter being, however, more twisted and 
sinuate; the female has a bifid tooth on the middle of the left mandible, and a smail 
tooth on the middle of the other one. The front tarsi are quite slender. 
Hymeneus is no doubt peculiar to Tropical America; the species, I believe, are 
stercoraceous in their habits. Xantholinus impressifrons, Guer., and X. temporalis 
and X. pygialis, Sharp, belong to the genus. 
1. Hymeneus godmani. (Tab. XIII. fig. 1.) 
-Nitidissimus, niger, capite thoraceque violaceo-cyaneis; elytris cyaneis, fere impunctatis, abdominis apice 
late rufo. 
Long. 16 millim. 
Hab. Costa Rica, Irazu 6000 to 7000 feet (Rogers); Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui up 
to 6000 feet, Bugaba (Champion). 
Head evidently narrowed in front, very polished, behind the eye with a single 
puncture, the vertex with numerous coarse punctures; the hind angles rounded, not 
at all denticulate. Thorax oblong, narrower than the elytra, near the anterior angles 
with two large punctures, but with no other punctures, except those quite near the 
margins ; a short, distinct channel at the base in the middle. Elytra rather longer than 
the thorax, only very obsoletely punctured, indeed the only punctuation that is evident 
