460 HETEROMERA. 
ERXIAS. 
Last joint of the maxillary palpi long and moderately broad, its outer side much longer than the apical side, 
the inner apical angle somewhat rounded; last joint of the labial palpi broad ovate, the apex truncate ; 
mentum trapezoidal, large, not much broader than long; ligula large and prominent; mandibles long, 
feebly cleft at the apex; labrum very large and prominent, connected with the epistoma by a broad 
membranous space; head long and narrow, subrostrate, strongly exserted, the sides obliquely converging 
in front, the epistoma long and separated by a shallow groove; eyes small, widely separated, distant from 
the prothorax; antenne ( @) very stout, the joints cylindrical, 3 longer than 4, 5-11 as wide at the base 
as at the apex, 9-11 rather more slender, 11 about one third longer than 10 and somewhat pointed ; 
prothorax broader than long, moderately convex, very sharply margined at the sides and base, the 
sides much rounded anteriorly and straight (though slightly converging) behind, the hind angles acute, 
the base broadly rounded in the middle, the median portion a little produced, the basal fovee smal] and 
oblique; scutellum large, scutiform; elytra moderately long, broad, fully one half wider than the pro- 
thorax at the base, widest beyond the middle, the intrahumeral depression deep, the humeri rounded, the 
surface finely punctate-striate ; abdomen with five visible segments; coxee rather widely separated ; inter- 
coxal process short, very broadly triangular; legs moderately long and stout, the tarsi not lobed beneath ; 
claws pectinate ; body winged, obovate, rather convex, broad, clothed with long, widely scattered, suberect 
hairs. 
This interesting new genus departs widely from any yet described; it has the inter- 
coxal process of the abdomen very broad and accordingly belongs to the ‘“ Lystrony- 
chides” as defined by Lacordaire. In the subrostrate form of the head it approaches 
certain Central-African forms, though differing widely in other respects. The two 
species referred to it, one from Nicaragua and one from the State of Panama, are closely 
allied; both are bright reddish-testaceous in colour, with the elytra, antennae, palpi, and 
legs (except rather more than the basal half of the femora) violaceous or cyaneous, and 
the upper and under surfaces more or less shining. Our examples of both species are 
females. 
1. Erxias violaceipennis. (Tab. XXI. figg. 5,2; 5a, labium; 58, maxilla 
and maxillary palpus.) 
Bright reddish-testaceous, shining, the palpi, antenne, and legs (except rather more than the basal half of the 
femora) dark cyaneous, the elytra and epipleure violaceous or bluish-violaceous and duller. Head 
sparsely, very irregularly, and coarsely punctured, the epistoma more finely so, a narrow transverse space 
on the vertex impunctate; prothorax with widely scattered, irregularly arranged, coarse and fine punc- 
tures, the coarse punctures each bearing a long erect hair, the short basal foves connected by a deep 
groove running along the base, the disc very shallowly impressed in the middle behind; scutellum with a 
few fine scattered punctures ; elytra finely and lightly punctate-striate throughout, the punctures closely 
placed, the interstices quite flat and irregularly and thickly punctured (the punctures as coarse as those 
of the strie and towards the sides confused with them) and each with a row of distantly placed coarser 
setiferous impressions ; beneath with a few minute very widely scattered punctures and here and there a 
coarser setiferous one, the venter with shallow longitudinal wrinkles. 
Length 12-13 millim.; breadth 54 millim. ( 9.) 
Hab. Nicaragua, Chontales (Belt, Janson). 
Two female examples. 
2. Erxias bicolor. 
Closely allied to Z. violaceipennis, and differing as follows:—The head still more regularly punctured ; the 
