618 SEERICOKNIA. 



CYPHON. 



Cyphon, Paykull, Fauna Suecica, ii. p. 117 (1799); Jacquelin Duval, Gen. Col. Europ. iii. p. 151 ; 

 To'urnier, Dascillides du Bassin Leman, p. 48; Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. viii. p. 105. 

 A very widely distributed genus, both in the northern and southern hemispheres, 

 being particularly numerous in species in New Zealand, but apparently poorly repre- 

 sented within the tropics. Several of the Central- American forms have the elytra 

 foveate or impressed in the females and normal in the males. These insects are found 

 upon low plants in marshy places. 



«. Antenna with joint 3 very small, much shorter than 2; head much narrower 

 than the prothorax, the eyes rounded ; elytra usually with more or less 

 distinct raised lines on the disc or at the sides, at least in the female, and 

 with depressions or foveae, and also more or less truncate at the apex, in 

 this sex ; body elongate, oblong-oval, or elliptic ( ? ), oval (£). 

 a'. Prothorax distinctly explanate at the sides ; each elytron ( ? ) with a very 



deep pyriform impression at the apex bijoveolatus. 



b'. Prothorax not or very slightly explanate at the sides. 

 a". Body elongate ( ? ) : ( S unknown) . 



a'". Each elytron ( ? ) with two deep foveae — one at the base and the 



other at the apex quadrifoveolatus. 



b'". Each elytron ( ? ) with a single deep fovea at the apex parallelus. 



b". Body elliptic ( ? ) . 



c'" . Antennae slender : ( $ unknown) . 



a 4 . Each elytron ( % ) with two large shallow depressions — one at the 

 base and the other at one-third from the apex ; the apex not 



abruptly truncate impressipennis. 



b\ Each elytron ( ? ) with two depressions — one at the base, foveiform 

 and rather deep, the other large and shallow, at one-third from 



the apex ; the apex abruptly truncate truncatus. 



df". Antennae stouter : (body oval, $ ) ( $ unknown) atratus *. 



b. Antennae with joints 2 and 3 subequal in length, or 3 very little shorter 



than 2 ; head much narrower than the prothorax, the eyes rounded ; elytra 

 without raised lines or impressions. 

 c'. Elytral punctuation fine : colour variable ; antennae more or less inf uscate, 



at least at the tip variabilis. 



Elytral punctuation coarser : colour uniform reddish-ochraceous ; antennae 



entirely testaceous guatemalensis . 



c. Antennae with joint 3 elongate, much longer than 2; head nearly as wide as 



the prothorax, the eyes very large and oval ampliceps. 



1. Cyphon bifoveolatus. (Tab. XXVII. fig. 7, elytron, $ .) 



$ . Oblong-oval, depressed, shining, finely pubescent ; nigro-piceous or piceous, the front of the head and the 

 lateral margins of the prothorax testaceous, the legs and antennas testaceous, the latter sometimes infus- 



* Perhaps wrongly placed here, the female being unknown. 



