582 PHTTOPHAGA. 



Senahu (Champion); Nicaragua, Chontales (Janson, Belt)) Costa Rica (Van Patten), 

 Volcan de Irazu (Sogers) ; Panama, Bugaba, Volcan de Chiriqui, David (Champion).— 

 Guiana, Cayenne x ; Peru (coll. Jacoby). 



Although Fabricius has described a form or variety of this species in which the 

 elytra have each only three spots, and of which I possess a specimen thus marked from 

 Peru, all the others before me from the above localities have five fuscous spots on each 

 elytron — of these, one is placed at the shoulders, two (of elongate shape) near the suture 

 (one near the scutellum, the other below the middle), one (transverse in shape) near the 

 lateral margin at the middle, and one near the outer margin close to the apex. When 

 the posterior spots are absent the typical form as described by Fabricius is produced ; 

 specimens occur in which one or more of the spots are confluent. The thorax and 

 elytra are very closely and finely rugose-punctate. M. obsoleta is evidently a rather 

 common and very widely distributed species in Tropical America. 



5. Malacosoma brevicornis. 



Fulvous, the antennae, knees, and tarsi black ; head and thorax impunctate ; elytra closely and distinctly 

 punctured. 



Length 3 lines. 



Head with a few fine punctures ; the frontal tubercles very strongly raised, transversely oblique ; labrum and 

 the palpi piceous ; antennae short, black, the first joint fulvous, the second and third joints short, subcylin- 

 drical, the following joints, transversely trigonate, gradually widened; thorax about one half broader than 

 long, the margins rounded, the surface rather convex and not visibly punctured; elytra very closely 

 and rather distinctly punctured, the interstices somewhat wrinkled ; legs robust, fulvous, the knees and 

 the tarsi black ; the prosternum convex between the anterior coxae. 



Eab. Mexico, Monclova in Coahuila (Dr. Palmer). A single specimen. 



The antennae are very short, and do not extend beyond the base of the thorax : this 

 is the only important character in which M. brevicornis differs from the other species of 

 Malacosoma. In its general shape and colour M. brevicornis greatly resembles the 

 European M. lusitanica. 



MALACORHINUS. 



Body elongate or oblong ; palpi rather robust ; antennae filiform (sometimes serrate in the male), the third 

 joint distinctly longer than the second ; thorax subquadrate, always constricted near the base ; elytra 

 generally widened towards the centre, often with a median lateral fovea in the male, their epipleurae broad 

 at the base and extending below the middle ; tibiae mucronate ; the first joint of the posterior tarsi as long 

 as the following three joints together ; claws appendiculate ; the anterior coxal cavities open ; prosternum 

 not visible between the anterior coxae. 



Type Malacorhinus foveipennis, Jac. 



This genus seems to be rather numerously represented in Mexico and Guatemala. 

 It has the general appearance of, and was indeed at first mistaken by me for, Malacosoma ; 

 the invisible prosternum, however, forbids the identification of the rather numerous 

 species with that genus. The posteriorly narrowed and subquadrate thorax and the 



