DILOBITARSUS.— -LACON. 263 



We have received five specimens of this species. It differs from D. bidens in the 

 strongly flexuous lateral carina of the thorax, a character not mentioned by Candeze. 



2. Dilobitarsus bidens. 



Elater bidens, Fabr. Syst. Eleuth. ii. p. 227 \ 



Dilobitarsus bidens, Cand. Monogr. Elat. i. p. 83,, t. 1. fig. 6 2 ; Eevis. Elat. p. 34 3 . 



Dilobitarsus tuberculatus, Latr. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1834, p. 143 \ 



Hab. Centeal Ameeica 3 ; Nicaeagua (Salle, H. M. Janson), Chontales (Belt). — 

 South Ameeica \ Colombia 2 3 , Venezuela, Guiana 3 , Brazil 2 3 4 . 



A widely distributed species in Tropical America. In some specimens the thorax 

 and elytra are narrowly ferruginous at the base. 



3. Dilobitarsus eloini. (Tab. XI. fig. 10.) 



Dilobitarsus eloini, Cand. Revis. Elat. p. 35 x . 



Hab. Mexico (coll. Janson), Cordova (Salle) ; Guatemala, Sinanja and Teleman in 

 Vera Paz (Champion); Nicaeagua, Chontales (Belt); Panama, Bugaba (Champion); 

 Centeal Ameeica *. 



Smaller than D. bidens, the thorax deeply sulcate down the middle; the elytra 

 depressed along the suture and with a well-marked fascia of flavo-cinereous hair-like 

 acuminate scales before the apex. A specimen from Bugaba is figured. 



LACON. 



Lacon, Castelnau, in Silb. Rev. Ent. iv. p. 11 (1836) ; Candeze, Monogr. Elat. i. p. 90; Revs. 

 Elat. p. 42. 



A very widely distributed genus, containing about 230 described species, twelve 

 only of which are American, these ranging from the United States to Colombia. The 

 American species greatly resemble those of China and Australia; they are closely 

 allied and difficult to distinguish, the sculpture usually being completely hidden by an 

 adherent earthy coating *. The males have a space on the fifth ventral segment, of 

 variable size according to the species, almost smooth, or with the coarse punctures in 

 great part obliterated, this space (when viewed under a strong lens) being covered 

 with a very dense minute punctuation. These insects are found under stones, loose 

 bark, &c. The following key (p. 264) will assist in the identification of the Central- 

 American species. 



* These insects can be readily cleaned for examination by immersion for a few minutes in caustic 

 potash. 



