bd 
ped 
WB) 
PRIONOMERUS. 
Sect. PRIONOMERIDES. 
Prionomérides vrais, Lacordaire. 
PRIONOMERUS. 
Prionomerus, Schénherr, Gen. Cure. iii. p. 859 (1836); vii. 2, p. 240; Lacordaire, Gen. Col. vi. 
p. 600; Pascoe, Journ. Linn. Soc., Zool. xii. p. 833; Leconte, Proc. Am. Phil, Soc. xv. 
p- 210. ; 
A remarkable genus including a considerable number of Tropical-American species, 
and with one representative in the United States. Most of them appear to be very 
rarely obtained, and are known only from one or two examples. Some of the forms 
have much the facies of various Hispide of the genus Uroplata, on account of the 
sides of the elytra being sharply explanate posteriorly. These insects are often 
coated in life with a reddish, ochreous, or whitish waxy secretion or efflorescence, 
like many of the members of the genera Lixus, Larinus, Sternechus, &c., this being 
particularly noticeable in all the specimens of P. mucidus before me. The intermediate 
femora are dentate, and the hind pair unarmed. 
The Central-American species may be tabulated thus :— 
a. Antenne with the funiculus longer than the club; anterior femora black 
at the middle; body subovate. 
a’, Elytra transversely gibbous before the middle, and depressed below 
the humeri; legs stout; intermediate and hind femora wholly 
testaceous . . . . oo . se 2 oe ew ee) 6mucidus, Boh. 
b’, Elytra not transversely gibbous before the middle ; legs more slender, 
intermediate and hind femora annulate with black. . . . simplex, sp. n. 
3. Antenne with the funiculus not longer than the club, joints 3-7 of the 
funiculus strongly transverse and closely articulated; elytra broad, 
transversely gibbous before the middle, and rapidly sloping thence to 
the apex. 
‘, Elytra without prominences, rounded-subquadrate. 
a’. Anterior femora broadly rufous at the middle; prothorax shining, 
finely punctured. 
a’. Prothorax not carinate . 1. / ee ee te ee es femoralis, sp. n. 
B/’. Prothorax carinate. . . . . os - + » carinatus, sp. n. 
Bb’. Anterior femora wholly black ; prothorax dull, rugulosely punc- 
tured . + - rugicollis, sp. n. 
d’, Elytra with a large tubercle 0 on the fourth interstice before the middle, 
rounded-subquadrate. 2... ee ee et te es bigibbosus, Boh. 
e’. Elytra with a conical, more or less flattened elevation on each side at 
the suture before the middle, quadrate. 
c’, Elytra not explanate at the sides posteriorly, here and there nodose ; 
prothorax bituberculate; abdomen testaceous. . . . . . ~ . a@bdominalis, Boh. 
