CARPOPHILUS. 287 
members of the genus are as strictly restricted in their distribution as Coleoptera 
in general are. 
The species are very difficult to determine from the descriptions that have been 
published, as the best characters for the distinction of the species have hitherto escaped 
attention. These consist. of the sexual peculiarities at the extremity of the hind body, 
which are frequently very marked, the females as well as the males possessing positive 
and easily recognized characters. In the male the part where these characters are best 
seen is the last ventral plate, whereas in the female it is the pygidium or last dorsal 
plate. Ifthe pygidium of the female and the last ventral plate of the male were 
dissected off and figured in the case of each species, the great majority of these insects © 
would be recognized with ease. The terminal segments in dried specimens are usually 
much retracted, and in that case the characters I am referring to cannot be so well 
perceived ; if, however, the specimens be thoroughly relaxed little difficulty will be 
experienced in withdrawing the retracted segments to their natural position. 
Murray divided the genus into several subgenera, but the majority of his divisions 
are quite useless, if not worse, for the purposes of arrangement and determination; I 
have therefore adopted a system with a view to facilitate the determination of the 
rather numerous Carpophili we have received, and give below a key to it. 
Finally, I may remark that colour and size are extremely variable in a great many 
species of the genus, but punctuation, pubescence, shape of the thorax, and the sexual 
distinctions are remarkably constant ; indeed in many species these characters exhibit 
no variation whatever in large series of specimens. 
Mesosternum divided intotwo cells. . . 2... . . . .. (G hemipterus) Species 1. 
Mesosternum simple . . . . 2... ee ee eee ew ee Species 2-41. 
Metasternum with axillary space . . . . . . 1 we ee. Species 86-41. 
Metasternum without axillary space . 2... 1. 1 1 ew ee. «Species 2-85. 
Sides of elytra ciliate (fimbriate) . . . . . .. . . . . . . Species 32-35. 
Sides of elytra not distinctly fimbriate . . . . . . Species 2-31. 
3 with the supplementary segment placed chiefly on the ventral surface. Species 2-22. 
g with supplementary segment placed at extremity of body, not covered 
by the pygidium . . . . 2... 1... «Species 23-35. 
§ 1. Mesosternum divided into two cells by raised spaces, between the front of which 
the prosternal process is accommodated. (Species 1.) 
1. Carpophilus hemipterus. 
Dermestes hemipterus, Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. xii. 1, pt. 2, p. 565. 
Carpophilus hemipterus, Er. in Germ. Zeitschr. iv. p. 256. 
Hab. Fere ubique: Norra America.—MeExico, Cordova (Sallé), Jalapa (Hége) ; 
British Honpuras, Belize (Blancaneauz) ; GuaTEMALA, Guatemala city, Capetillo, Cerro 
Zunil (Champion). 
