SCAPTOLBNUS. 557 



Fam. CEBKI0NIM1*. 



This family is represented in Central America by a single genus only, Scaptolenus, 

 which has its head-quarters in Mexico and Guatemala, extending northwards to Texas 

 and southwards to the Isthmus of Panama. 



SCAPTOLENUS. 



Scaptolenus, Leconte, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. x. p. 504 (1853) ; Chevrolat, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1874, 

 p. 506 ; Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. ix. p. 83. 



Chevrolat, in his " Revision des Cebrionides," enumerated twenty-one species of this 

 genus, all but one or two being from our region, whence several others are now added. 

 Altogether, eleven species are known from single examples only, and it is highly 

 probable that when additional specimens of some of these are available for examination 

 they will prove to be not really distinct. The females are excessively rare, and only 

 four specimens, belonging to as many species, have been seen, and it is by no means 

 certain that all these have been assigned to their proper partners. The males, too, 

 in most cases, are very rarely obtained ; those of S. femoralis and S. rubriventris have, 

 however, been found in some numbers. According to Chevrolat, the females are 

 apterous ; but this is a mistake, as the abbreviated wings are plainly visible in the 

 three specimens described by him. The three North- American species enumerated by 

 Dr. Horn, all from Texas, are known from males only. The males of these insects are 

 chiefly found upon leaves, but they are sometimes attracted to light. The females 

 bear a superficial resemblance to various Melolonthidse, and this is accentuated by 

 their peculiar short clubbed antennae. 



The following table, based upon the males only, may be of service in identifying the 

 numerous species ; it must, however, be used with caution, as there is a complete 

 gradation in the form of the antennse from one section to another. S. sulcijpennis and 

 S. subapicalis have been somewhat doubtfully identified from the descriptions ; but of 

 the other species enumerated by Chevrolat the types (several of which are contained in 

 M. Rene Oberthur's collection) have been available for examination. 



a. Antennae strongly serrate from the fourth joint; prothorax villose, the hairs 



fulvous ; elytra attenuate, at the base much broader than the prothorax f. 



a'. Body broad and robust; penultimate joint of the maxillary palpi not 



stouter than the apical joint ; prothorax densely clothed with very 



long fulvous hairs ; elytra gibbous, rather deeply sulcate ; anterior tibise 



with the median tooth acute fulvus. 



* By G. C. Champion. 



t The North-American 8. lecontei, Chevr., belongs to this section. 



