TKITOMA.— KZEMATOCHITON. 81 



built, testaceous (excepting the well-defined short club, which is fuscous), their third 

 joint rather longer than the two following. Mouth and palpi testaceous. Legs rather 

 slight and long for this genus, their tibise less widened than usual, the tarsi long ; only 

 the femora are dark, the rest being of the same yellow colour as the antennae. Under- 

 side smooth, black, excepting the abdomen, which is pitchy-red ; the prosternum is 

 broad, its raised portion forming an equilateral triangle, the side-lines appearing to 

 meet in front. The middle coxse are a little more distant from each other than the 

 front or posterior pair. 

 Three specimens. 



ILEMATOCHITON. 



Corpus oblongum, modice convexum. Antennae longitudine capitis prothoracisque conjuncti, articulo tertio 

 elongato duobus sequentibus aequali. Palpi maxillares articulo ultimo triangulari, labiales, apice truncato 

 subovato. Pedes mediocres ; tarsi articulis tribus primis subaequalibus, posticis articulo basali paullo 

 elongato. Mentum antice acutum, oblongo-quadratum. Oculi tenuiter reticulati. Linese metasternales 

 vel ventrales nullse. 



The very singular-looking species from Mexico, for which I propose this new genus, 

 has somewhat the appearance of a Mycotretus ; but the more depressed form, the feebly 

 developed apical joint of the maxillary palpi, the total absence of coxal lines beneath, 

 the deep and rather coarse puncturing of the head and thorax, the scarlet elytra, 

 and their firmer texture all point to the conclusion that this insect must represent a 

 different genus. 



l. Hsematochiton elateroides. (Tab. v. fig. 4.) 



Oblongus, parum convexus, nigerrimus, nitidus ; capite prothoraceque profunde crebre punctatis ; elytris lsete 

 sanguineis, punctato-striatis. Long. 6 millim. 



Hab. Mexico, Ciudad in Durango 8100 feet (Edge, Forrer). 



Black ; the elytra blood-red (similar to those of JElater lythropterus &c), but with 

 their extreme tips black. The antennae are rather short; the club three-jointed, the 

 eighth joint transverse and but very little wider than those preceding it. Head with 

 the epistome but little produced, and not distinct ; very even, a little depressed between 

 the eyes, thickly and distinctly punctured. Thorax transverse ; margined very neatly 

 in front and at the sides, but scarcely so at the base ; the surface very even, and with 

 oblong, deep, flat-bottomed punctures ; the anterior angles acute, but not very promi- 

 nent ; the sides narrowing slightly in front. Scutellum black. Elytra somewhat opaque, 

 but still shining; with eight series of punctures in finely impressed series — the first or 

 sutural one disappears in the suture about the middle, the rest are continued nearly to 

 the apex, but gradually disappear, the eighth being almost obsolete. Legs rather long, 

 but not especially so ; femora a little compressed, not much thickened, keeled on their 

 posterior edges. Underside smooth. Prosternum not compressed. 



This insect has very much the appearance of a small but short red Elater. It has 

 biol. CENTR.-AMEE., Coleopt., Vol. VII., August 1888. M* 



