NAUTES. 281: 
Nicaraguan specimens before me in having the thorax more finely and sparingly 
punctured ; a male from Bugaba, however, agrees well with the type, and differs only 
in its very small size, 44 millim. The ventral segments 1-3 are flattened, closely 
punctured, and pubescent along the middle in the male, as in the allied species. 
6. Nautes varians. (Tab. XII. fig. 10, 2.) 
Ovate, rather broad, convex, variable in colour—usually of a metallic bluish-green, rarely greenish-bronze, 
the sides of the elytra, the suture, and the prothorax at the base and apex often cupreous, shining. 
Head coarsely and somewhat closely punctured, the punctures here and there obliquely or longitudinally 
confluent, the vertex smoother; epistoma short, broadly and feebly emarginate in front, and limited 
behind by a rather deep transverse groove; eyes small; antenne short, joints 8-10 subtriangular, the 
three or four outer joints flatter and broader than those preceding, piceous or black; prothorax convex, 
very short, almost twice as broad as long, narrowly but very distinctly margined, the sides converging 
from the base in the female, a little more rounded in the male, the apex deeply emarginate, the anterior 
angles obtuse though rather broadly subtriangularly produced in front, the base strongly bisinuate, very 
feebly margined, and with the very broadly rounded central portion produced a little beyond the obtuse 
hind angles, the basal foveze almost or quite obsolete, the surface more or less coarsely and closely punc- 
tured at the sides and more finely and sparingly so on the disc, the punctures somewhat longitudinal in 
form and frequently (especially at the sides) longitudinally confluent; scutellum with a few scattered 
punctures, often of a cupreous or golden tint; elytra broad, short, strongly convex, somewhat rounded at 
the sides, usually widest a little beyond the middle in the female, more parallel in the male, deeply striate, 
the striw finely punctate outwardly and shallowly so on the disc, the interstices flat or feebly convex and 
almost smooth; legs bronze-black, the femora almost smooth, the tibize closely punctured ; anterior tarsi 
in the male with the three basal joints dilated, the fourth joint quite small; beneath bronze-black, 
shining, very coarsely and closely punctured, the ventral surface towards the apex much more finely 
and sparingly so and also longitudinally wrinkled, the ventral segments 1-3 in the male closely 
punctured and pubescent along the middle, the flanks of the prothorax very finely and shallowly strigose ; 
prosternum coarsely punctured, subhorizontal, acuminately produced; mesosternum V-shaped, deeply 
excavate within, its raised sides rather abruptly rounded off in front. Body winged. 
Length 43-8 millim.; breadth 23-43 millim. (¢ 2.) 
Hab. Mexico (coll. F. Bates, Sallé), Juquila (Hoge), Playa Vicente (Sal/é). 
Var. The head and prothorax more coarsely punctured, the interstices more convex, the metasternum much 
smoother in the middle (the coarse punctures more confined to the sides), the flanks of the prothorax more 
coarsely strigose externally, the ventral surface more strongly longitudinally wrinkled. 
Hab. Mexico, Capulalpam, Yolos, Parada (Sallé). 
Captured in plenty by Herr Hoge at Juquila; one or two specimens only from each 
of the other localities. The variety is connected with the type by intermediate forms, 
though, at first sight, apparently distinct. This is a species with comparatively short, 
convex elytra; a very short thorax, the sides of which converge from the base; and 
short antenne, with the three or four outer joints flattened and comparatively short 
and broad. WV. varians is connected with the other species of the genus by intermediate 
forms. A typical example from Juquila is figured. 
7. Nautes antennatus. (Tab. XII. fig. 11, 3.) 
Broad ovate, short, convex, bright metallic green, the head and prothorax with golden-cupreous reflections. 
Head short, closely, somewhat coarsely, and subequally punctured, the frontal region somewhat broadly 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Coleopt., Vol. IV. Pt. 1, June 1887. 200 
