38 PHTTOPHAGA. 



Fam. CKYPTOCEPHALID-E. 



This immensely rich group, of which more than 1200 species are known and 

 described, is distributed over the entire world. The neatness of their shape and the 

 variety of their coloration justify fully the favour they have found amongst collectors. 

 As regards Central America, the proportion to other countries may be put down as one 

 to eighteen ; of the 1200 species, about eighty are found in Central America. 



MONACHUS. 



Monachus, Chevrol. Dej. Cat. 3rd ed. p. 449; Sufeian, Monogr. in Linn. Entom. vi. p. 210 (1852). . 



This genus, characterized by its small size and peculiar shape, and principally 

 distinguished from Cryytocephalus by the short and thickened antennas, contains about 

 100 species, of which the great bulk inhabit Tropical America. Central America 

 does not contain more than eleven species ; and the larger West-Indian Islands have 

 not furnished us with a single Monachus. 



1. Monachus guerini. 



Monachus guerinii, Perbosc, Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 264 l ; Suffr. Linn. Entom. vi. p. 216 2 . 



Hob. Mexico, Vera Cruz (Perbosc x ), Jalapa 2 ; Guatemala, San Geronimo, city of 

 Guatemala (Champion). 



This species seems to be not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Guatemala, and is 

 contained in most collections ; it is easily recognizable by its bright coloration of red 

 and blue and its comparatively large size. I have seen Suffrian's specimen in the Berlin 

 Museum. 



2. Monachus scaphidioides. 



Monachus scaphidioides, Suffr. Linn. Entom. vi. p. 215. 



Black below ; above black, opaque, with a slight bluish tint ; thorax impunctate, opaque ; elytra very finely 

 punctate-striate, the stria3 diminishing posteriorly, the two margiual ones distinct in shape of grooves. 



Hah. Mexico, Yucatan ; Guatemala, San Juan in Vera Paz (Champion). 



This species is described by Suffrian as blue ; all the specimens I have seen, including 

 the type from M. Deyrolle's collection, are black below. It cannot be confounded 

 with the preceding species, on account of the impunctate and black thorax and the 

 abbreviated red elytral band. 



3. Monachus guatemalensis, (Tab. III. fig. l.) 



Broadly ovate, metallic dark blue ; thorax purplish, distinctly punctured ; elytra deeply punctate-striate, dark 

 blue, each elytron with an oblique transverse baud below the base, not touching the suture. ' 



Length \\ line. 



Head flat, impunctate, dark blue ; antennae robust, each joint gradually widened and thickened towards the 

 apex, blackish- blue, the first two basal joints stained with fulvous below ; thorax very convex, much 

 narrowed anteriorly, sides nearly straight, posterior angles acute, surface with two very shallow depres- 



