THEAGENEl— STAPHYLTJS. 429 



Its range in altitude extends from the sea-level to a height of as much as 5000 feet 

 in the mountains of Guatemala. 



The male genitalia have a tegumen ending in a single strong central point, at the 

 base of which on either side is a short tooth ; the scaphium is feebly developed ; the 

 right harpe is simple, and ends in a stout slightly upturned point : the left harpe is 

 much more complex, one portion of the extremity is thin and bent inwards, its outer 

 edge is serrate and carries strong bristles, at the commencement of this projection is a 

 rounded lobe ; from nearer the base a strong process starts, which is bent forwards 

 into a lobe, all the ventral edge of which is armed with strong teeth. (See 

 Tab. LXXXVIII. fig. 29.) 



STAPHYLTJS, gen. nov. 



There are a number of South- and Central-American species of Hesperiidee allied to 

 Eelias ascalaphus, Staudinger, the position of which is very obscure. Little difference, 

 and in some cases practically none at all, can be traced in the outward form or in the 

 coloration of the wings between many of these species ; and it is only by following up 

 some very slight divergence in the length of the terminal joint of the palpi or their 

 clothing beneath, or other minute point, and by making dissections to show the structure 

 of the male genitalia that their real status is proved. Having done this, it appears 

 certain that a number of true species exist whose outward form gives scarcely any clue 

 to their distinction. 



In the arrangement of the species which follows, though we have been guided almost 

 entirely by the similarity or dissimilarity of the male genitalia, we have also used, as 

 far as we possibly can, such external characters as can be definitely described. 



It may, at some future time, be necessary to divide this genus as we now understand 

 it, but before doing so a number of South-American species will have to be thoroughly 

 examined, many of which do not fall satisfactorily into any of the sections into which 

 we temporarily subdivide the species of our region. 



Taking S. ascalaphus as the type, the genus may be defined by the following 

 characters, none of which taken separately are characteristic: — 



The antennae have a distinct club which is drawn to a somewhat blunt point, the 

 swollen portion being on one side, so that the opposite side is slightly concave : the 

 primaries have a distinct costal fold, the discocellulars are nearly transverse and 

 subequal, the third median segment short ; the secondaries have a marginal indenta- 

 tion (not present in most of the other species) between the median and subcostal 

 nervures. The palpi have a short porrect terminal joint projecting moderately beyond 

 the somewhat long clothing of the basal segments of the palpi. The hind tibiae have 

 two pairs of spurs, but no tibial tuft. 



Staphylus differs from Pholisora in having less prominent palpi and sharper antenna?. 



