ACRITUS. 239 
very numerous in the tropics as well as in the temperate zones. Ten are here enumerated 
from Central America. 
They are chiefly found in decaying vegetable matter. 
iletes isa genus proposed by Dr. Horn to receive four species of Acritus which 
have the scutellum invisible above ; but in all other respects Acritus and Aletes possess 
the same generic characters. Herr Joh. Schmidt [Berl. ent. Zeitschr. xxix. Heft ii. 
p. 325 (1885)] has adopted Hletes for two European species of Acritus—atomarius, 
Aubé, and clarulus, Reitter; but in the present arrangement it is not considered 
desirable to retain it. In <Aeritus the scutellum is always very minute, and varies 
relatively in size in different species, and is, as Dr. Horn observes (J. ¢. p. 352), “ difficult 
to see from the very fine sutures between it and the adjacent parts.” Marseul says of 
Acritus atomarius, Aubé (placed, as stated above, in letes by Schmidt), “ Ecusson a 
-peine visible ;” so it seems best to reject a genus which rests not only on a single 
character, but on one which requires a high microscopic power for its observation, and 
is at times so obscure that authors express themselves differently as to its existence. 
Dr. Horn’s views, moreover, of the value of /iletes as a genus are much weakened 
by the fact that he does not always consider the presence or absence of a visible 
chitinous surface to the scutellum an important character in the Histeride. The genus 
Carcinops consists of about forty species, each with a distinct, and often large, scutellum, 
and Paromalus is composed of seventy species, in all of which the scutellum is super- 
ficially invisible ; yet Dr. Horn, notwithstanding the difference of sculpture and general 
facies of these two genera, unites them (/.¢. p. 307) without remark, and in his 
synoptic table we find at the commencement two species of Paromalus, then follow nine 
species of Carcinops, and at the end are two Paromali. A classification of this kind is 
too arbitrary to follow. 
1. Acritus substriatus. 
Acritus substriatus, Mars. Monogr. in Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1856, p. 602, t. 14. no. xlii. fig. 1*. 
Hab. Mexico (Bilimek); Guatemata!l, near the city, Capetillo, Balheu, Senahu 
(Champion). 
Thirteen examples. 
2. Acritus hilum, sp. n. 
Oblongo-ovalis, convexiusculus, brunneus, nitidus, levis; antennis pedibusque flavis; fronte concava, oculis 
prominulis; pronoto lateribus striato; elytris striis obsoletis; pygidio apice subtuberculato ; prosterno 
bistriato, subquadrato, posterius angustiore; mesosterno utrinque sinuato, antice recto, stria interrupta. 
Long. ? millim. 
Hab. GuatEeMALA, Zapote (Champion). 
In this species the line which represents the suture between the meso- and the 
metasternum is feeble and formed like an inverted arch. The apex of the pygidium 
has a small, yet well-defined, obtuse tubercle. One specimen. 
