PTILODACTYLA. 651 



Var. The elytra more distinctly seriate-punctate, the punctures placed in shallow striae in one specimen, the 



outer interstices slightly raised. 

 Length 7|-8§, hreadth 3^-4 millim. ( <$ $ .) 



Hob. Guatemala, San Isidro {Champion); Panama, Bugaba, Caldera, Volcan de wUsVTPT 

 Chiriqui (Champion). 



Found in numbers at Caldera. The variety, represented by four specimens, is from 

 the Volcan de Chiriqui. From Guatemala a single female example only has been 

 obtained. Allied to P. mexicana, but more robust and less flattened above, the 

 scutellum larger and usually not so deeply notched in the centre in front. 



P. opima is also very like P. vilis, Kirsch, from Pern, but it is more robust and has 

 a smoother thorax, the basal margin of the latter being more finely denticulate. 



44. Ptilodactyla denticulata. (Tab. XXVII. fig. 23, fifth ventral seg- 

 ment, <$ .) 



Moderately elongate, rather narrow and somewhat fusiform ( $ ), broader and subparallel ( $ ), flattened above, 

 shining, thickly clothed with rather coarse, short, brownish pubescence ; piceous or reddish-brown, the 

 antennas and legs testaceous or brownish, the femora sometimes paler. Head densely punctured, the 

 eyes large ; antennae long and slender, the joints 4-10 each with a rather long ramus in the male and 

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

 apex and slightly explanate at the sides behind, the sides rounded and rapidly converging from a little 

 before the base to the apex, the hind angles acute ; the base trisinuate, denticulate throughout ; the 

 surface coarsely granulate-punctate. Scutellum closely punctured, notched in the centre in front. Elytra 

 moderately long, subparallel in tbeir basal half in the female, usually widest at the shoulders in the male, 

 wider than the prothorax, sharply margined at the sides, rapidly narrowing towards the apex, and with 

 the apices a little produced, the humeri rounded ; finely and shallowly punctate-striate to near the 

 apex, the interstices flat and rugulosely punctate. Fifth ventral segment in the male abruptly and 

 very deeply emarginate at the apex, and slightly plicate on either side of this, the two plicae meeting 

 along the median line and enclosing a triangular space in front of the emargination, and in some speci- 

 mens extending forwards as a single plica to the base, and with a space on either side of this very finely 

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

 in the female. 



Length 6§-7|, breadth 2^-3 millim. (<?$.) 



Hob. Mexico, Puebla, Toxpam, Cordova, Juquila (Salle), Orizaba (H. II. Smith) ; 

 Guatemala, near the city (Sa Ivin), Duenas and Capetillo (Champion); Costa Eica, 

 E. Sucio, Cache, and Volcan de Irazu (Rogers). ' fBsr 



Found in numbers at the Volcan de Irazu, sparingly elsewhere. This is one of 

 several extremely closely allied Central-American species which can only be distinguished 

 with certainty by the abdominal male-characters, these being very characteristic in 

 P. denticulata. The males are somewhat fusiform in shape. 



45. Ptilodactyla aequinoctialis. 



Elongate, rather narrow (<J)> broader ($), flattened above, shining, thickly clothed with short brownish 

 pubescence ; piceous or rufo-castaneous, the humeri sometimes with a reddish patch, the legs and 

 antennae brownish or testaceous. Head rugulose, the eyes large ; antennae elongate, slender, the joints 

 4-10 each with a long ramus in the male and serrate in the female. Prothorax short, moderately 



402 



