PHEDIUS. 447 
PHEDIUS. 
Last joint of the maxillary palpi elongate-triangular, its apical and outer sides about equal ; mandibles feebly 
cleft or subtruncate ; antenne rather short, the joints more or less filiform or subcylindrical, the third longer 
than the fourth; head long and broad, strongly exserted ; eyes distant from the prothorax, very small, very 
widely separated ; prothorax subquadrate, more or less convex, transverse or nearly as long as broad, the 
base subtruncate or slightly rounded (sometimes feebly emarginate in the middle and a little sinuate on 
each side), the sides and base feebly margined, the lateral margins not visible from above; scutellum rather 
large, transversely triangular ; elytra moderately long, much wider than the prothorax and truncate at 
the base, ovate, widest behind the middle and thence to the apex obliquely converging, the humeri more 
or less rounded, the surface with rows of fine or coarser punctures placed upon almost obsolete strize (the 
punctures of the interstices sometimes as coarse as those of the strize) or confusedly punctured ; coxe 
somewhat widely separated; metasternum short; intercoxal process triangular, rather broad; legs 
moderately long; the third and fourth joints of the anterior and intermediate tarsi and the penultimate 
joint of the hind tarsi feebly lobed beneath; claws pectinate ; body apterous, obovate, clothed with long 
erect hairs,"pubescent, or subglabrous. 
This genus contains seven species, all from Mexico. The broad exserted head, small 
eyes, filiform antenne, subquadrate thorax, short metasternum, apterous body, and 
obovate shape distinguish Phedius readily enough from the allied forms. Except for the 
pectinate claws, some of the species might be easily mistaken for ‘ Helopides’; all are 
of a black or sombre colour. The subglabrous species appear to be clothed with 
pubescence when fresh, but the pubescence soon wears off. 
I am only able to identify for certain the females, the various examples dissected all 
belonging to this sex ; we have, however, a very limited number of specimens of each 
species. From Narses the genus is readily distinguished by the much smaller eyes, 
the shorter and filiform antenne, more rounded humeri, less triangular apical joint of 
the maxillary palpi, very feebly lobed tarsi, more slender femora, obovate shape, &c. 
1. Upper surface clothed with long erect hairs. 
1. Phedius chevrolati. (Tab. XX. fig. 18, 2.) 
Black, opaque, somewhat thickly clothed with long erect hairs. Head very densely and rugosely punctured, 
the transverse frontal depression deep ; antennze very stout, the joints subcylindrical, obscure ferruginous ; 
prothorax convex, broad, transverse, the sides a little rounded about the middle and a little narrowed 
and obliquely converging behind, the hind angles obtuse, the base truncate, the basal foveze obsolete, the 
surface very densely and rugosely punctured, the punctures here and there obliquely or longitudinally 
confluent ; scutellum sparsely punctured ; elytra convex, broadly truncate at the base, the disc a little 
flattened anteriorly, the surface sparsely, finely, and confusedly punctured, the punctures becoming 
finer towards the apex and coarser and more crowded at the base, the interspaces quite flat; beneath 
shining, piceous, coarsely punctured, the ventral surface more finely and sparsely so ; legs ‘stout, thickly 
pubescent, piceous, the tarsi ferruginous. 
Length 84-9 millim. ; breadth 3? millim. (9.) 
Hab. Mexico, Cordova (Sal/é). 
Two female examples. This insect may be easily recognized by the exceedingly 
rugose punctuation of the head and thorax, the finely and confusedly punctured elytra, 
the long erect hairs of the upper surface, and the very stout antenne. Labelled 
