CORYSTES.— THALASSA. 183 



structure of the epistome, which partly divides the eye. Crotch, however, placed it at 

 the beginning of the " Hyperaspides." 



1. Corystes hypocrita. (Tab. x. fig. 13.) 



Corystes hypocrita, Muls. Spec. Col. Trim, secur. p. 507 1 ; Crotch, Rev. Coccin. p. 208 2 . 



Hab. Nicaeagua, Chontales (Belt, Janson). — Guiana, Cayenne l 2 ; Amazons, Ega 2 , 

 Santarem 2 , San Paulo 2 . 



The example figured is from Chontales. 



Subfam. HYPERASPIDES. 



The Hyperaspides are, as Chapuis remarks, chiefly distinguished by the epipleurse of 

 the elytra being furnished with fossae, which are usually deep, and which permit the 

 knees of the middle and hind legs to move over them with facility. In addition to 

 this character, we here meet with another, possessed by very few Coccinellidae, viz. the 

 presence of a tooth on the front tibiae. 



The subfamily as here restricted, by the exclusion of Corystes, Pentilia, and Crypto- 

 gnatha (the two latter of which were included in the Hyperaspides by Chapuis), 

 contains but few genera, yet the species are numerous, those of the genus Hyperaspis 

 alone amounting to about two hundred. By far the larger number of these are from 

 the New World, several, however (including the type of Hyperaspis), are European, 

 and a few have been described from Africa. 



THALASSA. 



Thalassa, Mulsant, Spec. Col. Trim, secur. p. 511 (1850) ; Crotch, Rev. Cocc. p. 209. 

 Menoscelis, Chapuis, Gen. Col. xii. p. 233. 



Chapuis has united Thalassa with Menoscelis. Crotch, however, while placing 

 M. glauca in Thalassa, retained the name Menoscelis for M. insignis, which is a large 

 and differently coloured South-American insect. 



1. Thalassa pentaspilota. (Tab. X. fig. 14.) 



Chilocorus pentaspilotus, Chevr. Col. Mex., Cent. ii. no. 124 (1835) \ 

 Thalassa pentaspilota, Crotch, Rev. Coccin. p. 209 2 . 

 Thalassa pentastigma, Muls. Spec. Col. Trim, secur. p. 512 3 . 



Hab. Mexico 123 , Jalapa (Hbge); Guatemala, Capetillo (Champion). — Cuba 2 . 



An apparently rare insect, of which we have only received three examples ; it was 

 originally sent by Salle to Chevrolat. 



2. Thalassa montezumae. (Tab. X. fig. 15.) 



Thalassa montezumm, Muls. Spec. Col. Trim, secur. p. 512 L ; Crotch, Rev. Coccin. p. 209 2 . 

 Hab. North America, New Orleans 2 . — Mexico x 2 , Ventanas in Durango, Matamoros 



