470 HETEROMERA. 
Fam. NILIONID. 
This is a family of small extent, the species of which, owing to their hemispherical 
shape, resemble the Erotylid-genera Zigithus and Coccimorphus, and also the larger forms 
of Coccinellide. Two genera only are known—WNilio, containing 19 described species, 
all peculiar to Tropical America, the genus ranging as far north as Mexico ; and Hades, 
containing a single species from Java. Thomson in his monograph of the Nilionide 
[Musée scientifique, pp. 5-14, 45, 46 (1860)] also includes Catapotia (a genus containing 
a single species, C. levissima, Thoms., which is not uncommon throughout the Central- 
American region from Mexico to Panama) in it. This genus, as I have satisfied myself 
by the microscopic examination of authentic specimens from Mexico from the Sallé 
collection, has all the tarsi 4-jointed* (the third being comparatively very short) and 
very long and slender; and, in fact, it has nothing to do with the Heteromerous-series. 
Catapotia (of which excellent figures, less the tarsi, are given by Thomson, op. cit. t. 2. 
fieg. 2, 2 a-d) doubtless belongs to the Erotylide or to the Endomychide. 
The different species of Nilio are found about fungoid growth on decaying trees, and 
they are very sluggish in their movements. 
NILIO. 
Nilio, Latreille, Hist. nat. Crust. et Ins. iii. p. 179 (1802), and x. p. 8383 (1804) ; Lacordaire, Gen. 
Col. v. p. 519 (1859) ; Thomson, Monogr. in Musée scientifique, p. 7, t. 1. figg. 1 a-g (1860). 
Four species of this genus inhabit Central America, one only of which was previously 
described ; these all have the elytra (if viewed from above) subtruncate at the base. 
The following table will assist in the recognition of the Central-American species :— 
Antenne with joints 4-11 black. 
Size large (6 millim.) ; elytra very broad and with prominent shoulders sallei. 
Size smaller (4-5 millim.) ; elytra narrower and with more rounded 
shoulders . 2. 2. 1. 1 1 ee ee we ee ww ee. fuulvo-pilosus. 
Antenne with joints 6-11 black. 
Elytra coarsely punctate-striate throughout, the interstices almost 
smooth . 2. 6. 1 1 ee we ee ew we ew ww thomson. 
Elytra more finely punctate-striate, the interstices thickly punctured . chiriquensis. 
1. Nilio sallei. 
Nilio sallei, Thoms. Mus. scient. p. 10, t. 3. fig. 4°. 
Hab. Mexico!, Cordova (Sallé); Guatemata, Cubilguitz (Champion), Coban 
(Conradt). 
* In Thomson’s figure, op. cit. t. 4. f. 5, the tarsi as represented are purely imaginary, and they bear no. 
resemblance to those of C. levissima. 
