MALACODERMATA, 269 
Photinus ater (p. 49). 
To the Mexican localities given, add :—Ciudad in Durango (forrer). 
Three males taken by Forrer differ from the type in being longer; but are not, I 
think, distinct. 
PYRECTOMENA (p. 50). 
Pyrectomena striatella (p. 51). 
To the localities given, add :—Mexico, Cordova (Hége, 3 @ ). 
A male and a female taken by Hoge at Cordova differ in no way from this species, 
except in their rather larger size. The thorax in these two specimens is beautifully 
miniated on the disc above the transverse production of the central vitta, and there is 
a quite diaphanous spot on each side in front of this red part, the eye showing through, 
which appears like a dark mark. This is also the case in specimens from Duefias, where 
it is abundant. 
4, Pyrectomena discoidea. 
Oblonga, nigro-fumosa ; prothoracis margine laterali et frontali, elytrorum margine laterali sat late et sutura 
tenuiter albescentibus, limbo laterali attamen tenuissime nigro ; prothorace carinato, disco convexo, latius 
nigro utrinque parum miniato. Long. 7-10 millim. @. 
Hab. Panama, Taboga Island, San Miguel in the Pearl Islands (Champion). 
Of this new species only three specimens have been found, and as all are females the 
description is incomplete. The body beneath, with the legs, is nearly quite dull black, 
the trochanters, tips of the cox, and extreme margins of the ventral segments alone 
being pale. The antenne are short, even for a Pyrectomena, and have as usual two or 
three joints at base paler. The thorax is less produced and rounder in front than 
usual in this genus, and the disc is more suffused with black, so that the species at 
first sight appears very like a Photinus. The characters which usually distinguish a 
Pyrectomena are :—the elongation of the thorax, with sides nearly parallel in their 
basal half; the possession of a carina in the centre of its disc; distinct coste on the 
elytra; and in the male the fifth and sixth ventral plates are long and very distinctly 
eburated, yellow, and smooth. 
The female of this species does not appear to be at all luminous. The specimens 
differ very much in size; and in one of the two smaller ones from Taboga Island the 
suture is unicolorous with the elytra. 
