HAPTONCUS. 305 
Subfam. NITIDULIN. 
HAPTONCUS. 
Haptoncus, Murray, Trans. Linn. Soc. xxiv. p. 401 (1864) *. 
Haptoncura, Reitter, Verh. Ver. Brinn, xiii. Abhandl. p. 61 (1875) ’*. 
Epurea (pars), Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. vu. p. 801°. 
Haptoncus is a genus of a few species of very small size, but has a wide distri- 
bution, occurring in the Malay Archipelago and some of the Pacific islands, as well as 
in the Antilles and in the Northern continent of the New World. 
Reitter2 established his genus Haptoncura for our species and some others; but I 
fail to find any character to distinguish it from Haptoncus, and I presume that in sepa- 
rating it from Epurea, in which the species was at the time placed, he forgot to com- 
pare it with Haptoncus. Horn thinks the species may remain in Epurea, but this 
does not seem correct; no species of Epurea has the elytra so short as Haptoncus, 
and the genus is, in fact, a link between Carpophilus and Epurwa. The segments of 
the hind body are usually much retracted in dried specimens, but during life there are 
probably two segments uncovered by the wing-cases. 
These points have, indeed, already been commented on by Murray 1, This author 
placed the genus in the Carpophiline, but Reitter and Horn include it in the Nitiduline ; 
I think the latter course more correct, though it must be admitted that no good line 
of demarcation between the two groups, as at present defined, exists. 
1. Haptoncus luteolus. (Haptoncus floreolus, Tab. IX. fig. 24, 3.) 
Epurea luteola, Er. in Germ. Zeitschr. iv. p. 272"; Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. vii. p. 301’. 
Haptoncura luteola, Reitter, Verh. Ver. Brinn, xii. Abhandl. p. 62. 
Haptoncus pauperculus, Reitter, op. cit. xu. p. 179. 
Hab. Norv America, Gulf States!—Mexico, Cordova (Hoge), Teapa in Tabasco 
(H. H. Smith); British Honpuras, Belize, R. Hondo (Blancaneaus) ; GUATEMALA, near 
the city, Capetillo, Zapote (Champion); NicaRraeua, Chontales (Janson).—ANTILLES 
Cuba ?. 
Apparently a common insect in our region, and varying considerably in size. I have 
not seen any North-American examples, and entertain a slight doubt whether they are 
really this species, the dilatation of the male tibie being rather different from the figure 
and description given by Horn”. 
Our figure represents the male. 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Coleopt., Vol. II. Pt. 1, February 1890. 2 R* 
