540 . STAPHYLINIDA. 
4. Scopeomerus obscurus. 
Angustulus, subparallelus, subtilissime punctulatus, subopacus, fusco-rufus, supra fuscus, elytris ad basin 
rufescentibus, antennis rufis, pedibus testaceis; capite oblongo, angulis posterioribus rotundatis. 
Long. 3 millim: 
Hab. Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui 2500 to 4000 feet (Champion). 
This insect has the punctuation very fine, but not quite so indistinct as in the preceding 
species, and there is no flavous colour on the elytra, though their base is indefinitely 
rufescent. The antennie are rather slender and quite immaculate. The elytra are 
considerably longer than the thorax, very densely punctate. The male characters are _ 
apparently similar to those of 8. palmatus. A single example in bad preservation. 
SCOPKUS. 
Scopeus, Erichson, Gen. et Spec. Staph. p. 604. 
This is a very widely distributed genus, occurring in nearly all the geographical 
faunistic regions, but is not yet very numerous in species, only about sixty being 
described. They are minute insects, the genus containing in fact the smallest forms 
of the Pederine; the species greatly resemble one another, but present in many cases 
very remarkable sexual characters in their males, and the cedeagus exhibits much 
variety of form. I have arranged the twenty species of our region in four groups: 
those of the first group are very similar to what we are familiar with in the European 
representatives. of the genus; those of the other three groups have a different 
appearance, and their longer legs indicate their probable possession of superior 
cursorial activity ; I do not however, at present, see any characters by which they can 
be generically separated. . 
These insects are found upon the sandy banks of strearns, beneath stones or decaying 
leaves (Champion). 
§ 1. Tarsi short ; surface of the body minutely punctulate, not shining ; anterior 
angles of the thoraa quite indistinct. 
1. Scopzus ligulifer. 
Subparallelus, fuscus, antennis pedibusque testaceis ; densissime subtiliter punctatus, opacus capite subquadrato, 
posterius leviter emarginato. 
Long. vix 3 millim. 
Hab. Panama, Bugaba (Champion). 
Antenne rather slender, not thicker externally, the terminal joints paler, the middle 
joints being slightly infuscate, the penultimate joint about as long as broad. Head very 
densely and finely punctured, quite dull, the hind angles but little rounded. Thorax 
broad, about as wide as the head and elytra, not much rounded at the sides, densely 
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