244 HETEROMERA. 
for the Central-American species. Nautes and Tarpela, placed in this group by their 
describers, are here referred to the “‘ Helopides.”’ 
The different species are chiefly found by beating the branches of decaying forest 
trees, or upon herbage on the margins of the forest; doubtless the earlier stages 
are passed in decaying timber. 
CYRTOSOMA. 
Cyrtosoma, Perty, Del. anim. artic. Brasil. p. 59 (1830) ; Lacordaire, Gen. Col. v. p. 418. 
Cnodalon, Castelnau, Hist. Nat. Ins. Col. ii. p. 229 (partim). 
This Tropical-American genus is represented in Central America by two species, one 
of which (C. denticolle) is the largest and most typical of the known forms, and 
characteristic of our region. In Cyrtosoma, at least in our species, the mandibles are 
cleft at the apex, and not truncate as in most of the genera of “ Cnodalonides.” 
These insects are found beneath the loose bark of decaying forest trees and also by 
beating dead branches. 
1. Cyrtosoma denticolle. (Tab. XI. fig. 1.) 
Cyrtosoma denticolle, Chevr. Petites Nouv. Ent. ii. p. 273°. 
Hab. Mexico, Cordova (Sailé); British Honpuras, Belize (Blancaneauxr) ; GuatE- 
MALA }, Lanquin, San Juan in Vera Paz, Chacoj, Teleman, Panzos, Cerro Zunil (Cham- 
pion); Nicaragua (Sallé), Chontales (Belt, Janson); Costa Rica (Sallé); Panama 
(coll. F. Bates), Chiriqui (Ribbe), Volcan de Chiriqui, Bugaba, David (Champion).— 
CoLomBIA, Bogota. 
A common species throughout our country, and extending southwards into Colombia ; 
C. denticolle is found from the sea-level up to an elevation of 4000 feet. Allied forms, 
C. atrum, Serv., and C. unicolor, Perty, are found in South America. 
2. Cyrtosoma decem-lineatum. (Tab. XI. fig. 2.) 
Oblong ovate, broad, convex, black, rarely reddish-brown, shining. Head shallowly, finely, and sparingly 
punctured, transversely impressed in front; prothorax strongly transverse, slightly and about equally 
narrowed at the base and apex, strongly margined, the sides broadly and shallowly emarginate before the 
rounded anterior angles, still more feebly so about the middle, and also just before the subacute hind 
angles, the base strongly margined, the surface very shallowly, finely, and sparingly punctured ; scutellum 
smooth ; elytra convex, finely punctate-striate, the striae not very deeply impressed, the interstices flat, 
exceedingly finely and almost imperceptibly punctured, the alternate ones red from the base—the first 
(or sutural) to the apex, the third and seventh united a little before the apex and enclosing the abbre- 
viated fifth, the ninth also abbreviated behind, the first, third, and fifth united at the base, and the seventh 
and ninth also a little below the shoulder; beneath shining, the ventral surface longitudinally wrinkled 
and sparingly punctured ; prosternum horizontal, longitudinally grooved on each side, the apex strongly 
produced and received by the deeply excavate V-shaped mesosternum. 
Length 8-103 millim. 
Hab. Mexico, Cordova (Sallé) ; Brrtise Honpuras, Belize (Blancaneauax) ; NICARAGUA, 
Chontales (Belt, Janson, coll. F. Bates); Panama, Bugaba (Champion). 
