SCIRTES. 609 



1. Scirtes oblongUS. (Tab. XXVI. figg. 28; 28 a, hind coxa?.) 

 Scyrtes oblongus, Guer. Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1861, p. 546 \ 



Hab. Mexico, Vera Cruz {Salle), Yucatan {Pilate l ) ; Guatemala, Panzos {Champion). 



In a series of nineteen examples from Panzos, on the Kiver Polochic, one only 

 belongs to the pallid form described by Guerin. The other specimens may be 

 described as having black or piceous elytra, each with three or four long oblique 

 lines on the disc, the second the broadest, and usually extending from the base to 

 near the apex, and the suture, base, and sides, pale testaceous ; the pale lines on the 

 disc are sometimes obliterated, but their position is generally indicated by lines of 

 pallid pubescence. These examples have the antennae black or piceous, except at the 

 base, the thorax usually more or less infuscate on the disc, the scutellum piceous, and 

 the legs, the basal half of the femora excepted, suffused with piceous. The entire 

 upper surface is densely, minutely punctate, and thickly clothed with fine sericeous 

 pubescence. The antennal joints 4-10 become gradually shorter outwards. S. oblongus 

 may be readily identified by its elongate shape, and by the rounded and acutely 

 margined sides of the thorax, the latter widest before the base, appearing narrowed 

 behind. The single specimen from the Salle collection belongs to the pallid form. A 

 well-marked example from Panzos is figured. The insect lives upon willows. 



2. Scirtes cseruleus. (Tab. XXVI. fig. 29.) 



Transversely orbicular, very convex, shining ; head, profchorax, and scutellum black, the elytra bluish-violaceous, 

 the body beneath, antennae, and legs testaceous ; the upper surface clothed with short, semierect, rather 

 coarse, cinereous hairs. Head minutely punctulate, the eyes rather prominent ; antennae slender, joint 3 

 very short, the following joints elongate (7-11 broken off); prothorax very short, forming a continuous 

 outline with the elytra when viewed from above, very minutely punctulate, the sides finely margined and 

 a little rounded, the anterior and hind angles obtuse ; scutellum minutely punctulate ; elytra gibbous, 

 abruptly declivous and very obtuse behind, deeply emarginate in front for the reception of the prothorax, 

 finely margined, thickly, finely punctate, the epipleurae excessively broad and concave in their anterior 

 half; legs very stout, comparatively short, the tibiae distinctly bicarinate externally, the hind pair strongly 

 bowed inwards. Posterior coxae contiguous, abruptly quadrangularly dilated inwards. 



Length 3|, breadth 3| millim. 



Hab. Panama, Bugaba {Champion). 



One female example. This extraordinary insect has entirely the facies of an Azya, 

 of the family Coccinellidse. The pubescence is abraded on the disc of the thorax and 

 elytra. The puncturing of the head, thorax, and scutellum is only visible under a 

 strong lens, that of the elytra being much coarser. The legs are unusually stout. 

 The elytra, when viewed laterally, are sinuous at the sides behind the middle, 

 appearing arcuately dilated anteriorly. 



3. Scirtes rotundatus. (Tab. XXVII. fig. l.) 



t Ju- v Rotundate, convex, shining ; rnfo-testaceous, the elytra with about the apical two-thirds black, the antennae 



testaceous, with the apical three or four joints infuscate, the legs testaceous, with the posterior femora 



biol. centr.-amer., Coleopt,, Vol. III. Pt. 1, March 1897. 41 



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