650 SERRICOKNIA. 



seriate punctures on the elytra are usually much coarser than those of the interstices, 

 and in some specimens they are placed in shallow striae. In one female example 

 from Cbiriqui, evidently belonging to the same species, the punctures on the disc of 

 the thorax are exceedingly fine and not placed upon raised granules. 



^ 42. Ptilodactyla mexicana. 



Oval, broad or moderately broad, feebly convex, flattened above, shining ; somewhat thickly clothed with long 

 decumbent, brownish hairs ; black, piceous, or reddish -brown, the antennae and legs obscure testaceous. 

 Head thickly granulate-punctate, the eyes large and prominent ; antennas long and slender, the joints 

 4-10 each with a moderately long ramus in the male and narrow and acutely serrate in the female. 

 Prothorax short, transversely convex in front, acutely margined laterally and at the apex, explanate at 

 the sides behind, the sides rounded and rapidly converging from the base, the hind angles acute ; the 

 base trisinuate, finely denticulate, and with a projecting tooth in the centre ; the surface thickly and 

 finely granulate-punctate. Scutellum thickly punctured, notched in the centre in front. Elytra mode- 

 rately long, broader than the prothorax, slightly rounded and broadly margined at the sides, gradually 

 narrowing from a little below the base, flattened on the disc, the apices rather sharp, the humeri rounded ; 

 finely and indistinctly seriate-punctate, the punctures not or very little coarser than those of the inter- 

 stices and sometimes obliterated on the disc, and also with a row of coarse punctures within the margin, 

 the interstices flat, finely and somewhat thickly punctate, slightly rugulose in some specimens. Fifth 

 ventral segment feebly emarginate at the apex in the male. Tarsal claws with an acute curved tooth 

 in the male and rectangularly dilated in the female. 



Length 6-9, breadth 2|-4 millim. ( <$ $ .) 



Hah. Mexico, San Andres Tuxtla, Toxpam, and Cosamaloapam in Vera Cruz (Salle), 

 so 4V { Jalapa {Edge). 



^^ y Sent in plenty from Eastern Mexico. This insect is very closely allied to P. tropicalis, 

 from which it differs in having the body more flattened above, the thorax more closely 

 and less conspicuously granulate-punctate, and the seriate punctures on the elytra 

 much less distinct. In one specimen the scutellum is very feebly notched in front. 



Some of the specimens in the Salle collection are labelled with the MS. name 

 Ptilodactyla mexicana, Chevr. 



43. Ptilodactyla opima. 



Oblong-elliptic, broad, robust, shining ; thickly clothed with short, fine, decumbent brownish pubescence ; 

 pitchy-black, piceous, or obscure reddish-brown, the antennae and legs testaceous or fusco-testaceous. 

 Head broad, thickly punctate, the eyes large and prominent ; antennae long and slender, the joints 4-10 

 each with a moderately long ramus in the male (the outer rami slightly longer than the joints themselves) 

 and serrate in the female. Prothorax short, transversely convex in front, sharply margined at the sides, 

 the latter slightly explanate behind, rapidly converging from about the basal third forwards, and sub- 

 parallel towards the base, the hind angles acute ; the base trisinuate, denticulate, and with a projecting 

 tooth in the centre ; the surface thickly, finely punctate. Scutellum large, minutely punctured, notched 

 in the centre in front, the anterior margin sometimes finely denticulate. Elytra moderately long, acutely 

 margined at the sides, a little produced at the apex, the humeri rounded ; obsoletely seriate-punctate, 

 the punctures usually becoming more distinct towards the sides, and along the suture at the base, where 

 they are placed in a deep stria, and with a row of coarse punctures within the margin, the interstices 

 flat, thickly punctate, rugulose in one specimen. Pifth ventral segment deeply arcuate-emarginate in 

 the male. Tarsal claws with an acute curved tooth in the male and rectangularly dilated in the female. 



