PLATEROS. 19 
PLATEROS. 
Plateros, Bourgeois, Comptes-rendus, Soc. Ent. Belg. 1879, p. 16; Waterh. Ill. Typical Col. 
B. M.1. p. 25 (1879). 
This genus, in the wide sense given to it by Mr. Waterhouse, is distributed over 
nearly all the world. I have a species from Lake Nyassa, in Africa, which does not 
differ essentially from the species from Asia attributed to it by him. It would be very 
difficult to point out characters which would separate the Eastern species into a homo- 
geneous group. The species here treated agree in having the antenne simply serrate 
in both sexes, the thorax rounded in front, the base bisinuate, often notched in the 
centre, with acute, somewhat depressed hind angles, the disk carinate, or a little raised 
in front and channelled behind, and the elytra with about ten rows of closely packed 
punctures, the alternate interstices being rather more costate than the others. 
1. Plateros seminiger. (Tab. II. fig. 15, 9 .) 
Niger, prothorace elytrisque a basi pone medium aurantiacis; his pube brevi vestitis, lineis quatuor elovatis, 
intervallis seriebus duplicibus punctorum, sutura basi nigra; illo vitta mediana equaliter lata nigra, antice 
indistincte carinato, postice canaliculato. Long. 13-19 millim. ¢ 9. 
Hab. Mexico, Cordova, Santécomapan (Sal/é). 
The thorax narrowed from the base, with acute hind angles, the central black vitta, 
and suture black at the base, and the brick-red or orange elytra with rather more than 
the apical third black, render this an easy species to recognize among its congeners. 
The elytra of this and cognate species are described as having nine costate nervures ; but 
they are more correctly crenate striate, with the alternate interstices raised. 
This species is known in French collections by the name I have adopted; it is also 
sometimes called “ mécheli, Petit ;’ but I cannot find that either name has ever been 
published. I have only seen it from Mexico as yet. 
2. Plateros bourgeoisi. (Tab. I. fig. 20 2, II. fig. 10 ¢.) 
Ater, prothoracis lateribus, disci carinula antica et canaliculo postico, elytrorumque humeris late rubris ; his 
lineis quatuor elevatis, intervallis biareolatis. Long. 8-12 millim. ¢ 9. 
Hab. Britisn Honpuras, river Sarstoon (Blancaneaux) ; GuaTeMALA (Sallé), Capetillo, 
Dueias (Champion). 
The body and appendages are deep black, except that in some specimens the anterior 
and middle coxe, trochanters, and a small pectoral space is pale. The antenne are 
broadly but not acutely serrate ; and there is no important difference between the sexes. 
The abdominal structure is normal, the seventh segment in the male being deeply cut 
out; the apical one in the female bears a very minute notch. ‘The disk of the thorax 
is black and shining; but the carina and the channel are both yellow, the former well 
marked; and the disk is slightly rugose on each side of it. 
D 2 
