LUPEETJS. 



597 



The straight sides of the thorax and the rugosely punctured upper surface will help 

 to distinguish L. rugosus from its congeners. 



4. Luperus parvulus. 



Black, above metallic blue ; thorax with a few fine punctures; elytra more distinctly punctured, the punctua- 

 tion arranged in semiregular rows. 



Length 1\ line. 



Head not visibly punctured ; the frontal tubercles obsoletely raised, but broad; the carina also broad ana 

 short; labrum piceous ; antennas rather more than half the length of the body, the terminal joints 

 distinctly thickened, black, the basal joints stained with fulvous below, the third joint not longer than the 

 second ; thorax subquadrate, distinctly narrowed at the base, only visibly punctured near the posterior 

 angles ; scutellum black ; elytra slightly depressed below the scutellum, rather convex and subeylmdrical, 

 more distinctly punctured anteriorly than below the middle, the punctures semiregularly arranged, the 

 apices broadly rounded; legs black,' the femora rather robust; the first joint of the- posterior tarsi as long 

 as the following two joints united. 



Eab. Mexico, Guanajuato (Salle), 



L. parvulus is distinguished by its small size, the uniform metallic blue colour of the 

 upper surface, and the distinctly thickened antennae ; also by the elytra being semi- 

 regularly punctured, the punctuation almost obsolete at the apex. 



5. Luperus subcostatus. 



Black or piceous, the head (the vertex excepted), thorax, and femora fulvous ; elytra metaUic green, finely 

 punctured, the interstices more or less distinctly longitudinally costate. 



Var. Head entirely fulvous. 



Length 2 lines. 



Head smooth, impunctate, the vertex greenish-piceous, the lower part flavous-; the frontal tubercles strongly 

 developed, flavous ; the anterior edge of the clypeus straight ; palpi slender, filiform, the third joint 

 piceous ; antennas scarcely half the length of the body, black, the three lower joints partly or entirely 

 fulvous, the third joint twice as long as the second, the fourth and following joints closely pubescent ; 

 thorax about one half broader than long, the sides strongly rounded before the middle, constricted near 

 the base, the anterior angles obliquely rounded, somewhat produced outwards, and each furnished with a 

 single hair, the surface entirely impunctate, fulvous, shining ; scutellum black; elytra very finely semi- 

 punctate-striate, the rows of punctures often doubled and towards the apex quite indistinct, the interstices 

 longitudinally costate on the disc, the punctuation closer and more irregular at the sides ; the breast and 

 abdomen piceous ; the apices of the tibiae and the tarsi obscure fuscous ; the posterior tibiae with a small 

 spine ; the first joint of the posterior tarsi not longer than the following two joints together ; claws 

 appendiculate ; anterior coxal cavities open. 



Eab. Mexico, Iguala in Guerrero (Edge). 



Of this species there are but two specimens before me. One (the variety), apparently 

 a female, differs from the other in the following manner :— the head and the antennae 

 are almost entirely fulvous, the antennae are shorter, the thorax is scarcely so transverse, 

 the elytra are more distinctly costate, and the first joint of the posterior tarsi is scarcely 

 so long as the following two joints together; all other characters agree entirely. 

 L. subcostatus may be known by the costate elytra; the shoulders are also rather 

 prominent and angular. I somewhat doubtfully include it in the genus Luperus. 



