460 PHTTOPHAGA. 



l. Physimerus basalis. 



Below piceous ; antennae and legs fulvous ; head and thorax black, clothed with yellow pubescence : elytra 

 fulvous, closely punctate-striate, the interstices convex, a transverse band at the base and a spot below the 

 middle, black. 



Length 1 line. 



Head granulate, clothed with yellow pubescence ; the frontal tubercles obsolete ; lower part of the face, the 

 labrum, and the palpi, dark fulvous, shining ; antennas half the length of the body, fulvous, the apical 

 joint darker, the third, fourth, and fifth joints of equal length, thin, the following joints thicker and 

 shorter ; thorax square-shaped, narrowed at the base, rather distinctly transversely depressed near the 

 basal margin, the surface closely granulate, clothed with yellow pubescence ; elytra with the basal portion 

 rather strongly raised, finely but closely punctate-striate, the interstices longitudinally costate, atid clothed 

 with rather long yellow hairs, the surface light fulvous, a transverse obscure black band (widened towards 

 the sutural margin) is placed across the base, and another narrow band (sometimes reduced to a spot) at 

 the middle ; legs fulvous, the posterior femora dusky at their apices. 



Hal. Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui (Champion). 



In the markings of the elytra P. basalts seems to agree closely with P. rusticus, 

 Clark, but differs in the black colour of the head and thorax, and the entirely fulvous 

 antennae. 



2. Physimerus obscuroplagiatus. 



Obscure dark fulvous, clothed with yellow pubescence ; antennae long, the seventh and eighth joints and the 

 terminal one piceous ; elytra strongly punctate-striate, each with three or four obscure dark brown spots, 

 the interstices slightly costate. 



Length lf-2 lines. 



Head finely rugose-punctate ; the vertex of a dark brown colour, with a more or less distinctly raised central 

 ridge ; eyes very large, the space in front of their inner margin clothed with golden-yellow pubescence ; 

 lower part of the face concave, shining, fulvous ; palpi subfiliform,. testaceous ; antennae nearly as long as 

 the body, the third, fourth, and fifth joints slender, elongate, and equal, the following joints shorter and of 

 equal length, the five basal joints fulvous, the basal one stained with piceous, the sixth and seventh joints, 

 as well as the last one, entirely of that colour; thorax distinctly broader than long, transversely depressed 

 along the basal margin, the entire surface clothed with bright yellow pubescence which hides any punc- 

 tuation ; elytra with a slight basal depression, dark brown, rather strongly punctured, the interstices 

 longitudinally but slightly costate, clothed with the same kind of pubescence as the thorax, but leaving 

 bare on each elytron three or four spots, of which one is placed below the base and close to the suture, two 

 others at the middle, and a fourth near the apex ; underside more or less piceous or dark fulvous ; the 

 sides of the thorax piceous or fuscous ; legs fulvous, clothed with yellow pubescence. 



Hab. Panama, Bugaba, Volcan de Chiriqui, Caldera, Tole (Champion). 



Many examples. This species is evidently closely allied to several others contained 

 in the present genus, notably to P. antennarius, Harold, on account of the long antennee, 

 and to P. irroratus, Clark, by the markings of the elytra. I cannot, however, identify 

 P. obscuroplagiatus with either of the last-named or any other described species. In 

 P. antennarius the thorax is described as longer than broad, which is not the case in 

 P. obscuroplagiatus. In this last-named species the markings of the elytra (caused by 

 the absence of the yellow pubescence in those places) are often very obscure and of 

 rather irregular shape ; but in specimens in good condition the four spots (of which the 

 one at the middle near the suture is the largest) are plainly visible to the naked eye ; 



