DEROMECUS.— SMILICEEUS. 405 



DEROMECUS. 



Deromecus, Solier, in Gay's Hist. fis. y polit. de Chile, Zool. v. p. 11 (1851); Candeze, Monogr. 



Elat. iii. p. 7. 

 Podonema, Solier, loc. cit. p. 19. 

 Mecothorax, Solier, loc. cit. p. 22. 



The described species of this genus are all Chilian, with the exception of two from 

 Colombia. The single species from Mexico here referred to it possesses all the 

 structural characters of Deromecus. 



1. Deromecus trivittatus. (Tab. xviil. fig. 12.) 



Elongate, narrow, flattened above, slightly shining ; black, the prothorax with the anterior margin partly or 

 entirely and the hind angles testaceous ; the elytra testaceous, with the suture, and a rather broad 

 marginal vitta extending from just below the shoulder to the apex, piceous or black ; the antennae 

 piceous or pitchy-brown, with the basal joint testaceous; the legs and mouth-parts testaceous; the 

 abdomen pitchy -brown, bordered with testaceous ; above and beneath thickly clothed with yellowish- 

 cinereous pubescence. Head moderately convex, densely punctured, the front rounded anteriorly and 

 with a very prominent marginal carina ; antennae slender, nearly half the length of the body, joints 

 2 and 3 equal, the two together as long as 4. Prothorax narrow, a little longer than broad, subparallel 

 from the middle to the apex, strongly and obliquely dilated behind, with the hind angles greatly extended 

 and divergent; the latter narrow, acute, and not carinate ; the surface closely, somewhat coarsely, 

 punctate. Elytra elongate, much wider than the prothorax, flattened on the disc, narrowing almost from 

 the base, truncate at the apex, with the sutural and outer angles sharp ; punctate-striate, the interstices 

 flat on the disc, feebly convex at the sides, and somewhat thickly punctured. Beneath closely punctured ; 

 prosternal sutures channelled in front ; posterior coxal plates considerably widened from the middle 

 inwards. 



Length 7|-8, breadth 1| millim. 



Sab. Mexico, Yolotepec in Oaxaca (Salle). 



Three examples, apparently males. This species belongs to Candeze' s first section of 

 the genus ; the insect is unknown to him. 



SMILICEEUS. 



Smilicerus, Candeze, Monogr. Elat. iii. p. 20 (1860) . 



A Tropical-American genus containing four described species, one of which inhabits 

 Nicaragua, the others being found in the northern parts of South America. 



l. Smilicerus belti. (Tab. XVIII. fig. 14, e .) 



Smilicerus belti, Sharp, Ent. Monthly Mag. xvii. p. Ill (1880) \ 

 Hob. Nicaragua, Chontales (Belt 1 ). 



We have received a single specimen of this remarkable species. It has the fifth 

 ventral segment produced into a sharp spine at the apex. 



