LACHNODACTYLA. 659 



the middle on the inner side and spongy within, the insect apparently having the 

 power of distending it at will : in most of the specimens examined this joint has 

 shrivelled a good deal in drying. A similar form of the tarsal claws is found in a 

 section of Ptilodactyla. In both species the front of the scutellum, as well as the 

 basal margin of the thorax, is denticulate, and in one of them the scutellum itself is 

 very small. In the females of L. parviscutum the apical joint of the maxillary palpi is 

 less elongate than in the corresponding sex of L. monticola. 



1. Lachnodactyla monticola, (Tab. XXVII. fig. 25, 6 ; 26 a, maxilla and 

 maxillary palpus ; 25 b, tarsal claw ; 25 c, fifth ventral segment ; 25 d, genitalia.) 



Elongate, narrow, parallel, flattened above, shining, thickly clothed with rather long, decumbent, pale brownish 

 hairs ; pitchy-black or piceous, the elytra often paler than the prothorax and usually with an oblique streak 

 at the shoulders and the sides towards the apex ferruginous or obscure testaceous, the antennae piceous or 

 obscure testaceous, the legs testaceous or obscure testaceous, the tibiae usually darker. Head moderately 

 broad, densely, rugulosely punctate, the eyes large and prominent in the male, much smaller in the 

 female ; antennae long and slender, the joints 4-10 each with a slender ramus in the male and serrate in 

 the female. Prothorax moderately transverse, feebly convex in front, and slightly depressed behind, 

 sharply margined at the sides and apex, the sides rounded and rapidly converging almost from the base, 

 the hind angles acute ; the base bisinuate, denticulate ; the surface thickly, somewhat coarsely granulate- 

 punctate. Scutellum moderately large, transversely cordate, with a shallow notch in the centre in front 

 and three fine teeth on either side of it. Elytra elongate, considerably wider than the prothorax, parallel 

 in their basal half, narrowly margined at the sides, the humeri rounded ; finely or obsoletely punctate- 

 striate, the interstices flat and finely, rugulosely punctate. Fifth ventral segment arcuate-emarginate at 

 the apex in the male. 



Length 6-8, breadth 2-2f millim. ( <$ $ .) 



Hab. Mexico (Salle), Omilteme and Chilpancingo in Guerrero (H. H. Smith) 

 Guatemala, Quiche Mountains 9000 feet, Las Calderas 7000 feet, and San Geronim 

 (Champion). 



Found in numbers at Las Calderas and sparingly elsewhere, all the specimens having 

 been found at a considerable elevation above the sea. The males are narrower than 

 the females. The Mexican specimens have the elytra obsoletely punctate-striate. 



2. Lachnodactyla parviscutum. 



Moderately elongate, elliptic, flattened above, shining, thickly clothed with brownish pubescence ; pitchy-black 

 or piceous, the anterior margin of the prothorax and the shoulders or sides of the elytra sometimes 

 ferruginous, the antennae and legs brownish or testaceous. Head densely punctured, the eyes large ; 

 antennae long and slender, joints 4-10 each with a moderately long ramus in the male and serrate in 

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

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

 denticulate ; the surface thickly, somewhat coarsely punctate. Scutellum very small, cordate, and usually 

 with a shallow notch in the centre in front and two fine teeth on either side of it. Elytra moderately 

 long, wider than the prothorax, broadly margined and somewhat rounded at the sides, the apices rather 

 sharp ; obsoletely punctate-striate, the interstices flat and finely, rugulosely punctate. Fifth ventral 

 segment feebly arcuate-emarginate at the apex in the male. 



Length 5±-7, breadth 2|-3 millim. ( 6 $ .) 



Bab. Mexico, Jalapa (Edge). 



4P2 



I v 



