44 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



prothorax, very minutely, sparsely punctulate; antennae nearly as 

 in the preceding but with rather more dilated club; prothorax 

 nearly similar; elytra longer, evidently not as wide as long, less 

 evenly parabolic in outline, the very obtuse apex more rapidly 

 rounded laterally, about twice as long as the prothorax, the punc- 

 tures of the series excessively feeble, especially toward the sides, 

 where however they become broad, as usual in this section; meta- 

 sternum as in the preceding. Length 1.75-2.15 mm.; width 1.1-1.3 

 mm. Mexico (Cuernavaca in Morelos and Rio Balsas in Guerrero), 

 Wickham *reticulosus n. sp. 



The form of the metasternal process is rather radically diversified 

 in the ovalis group. In capax and ovalis, which are larger species, 

 it is circularly rounded and evenly beaded at apex, in the former 

 extending far beyond the coxae, but in the latter more abbreviated, 

 aligning with the anterior limits of the latter. In californicus, 

 atrolucens andjejunus, which constitute a natural group, it is however 

 transversely truncate, short and with the bead expanded at the 

 lateral angles. Atrolucens is much broader and more oblong than 

 either californicus or jejunus, and the latter two differ materially 

 in the character of the elytral series of punctures, as well as in other 

 features. The fine stria along the basal margin of the pronotum 

 medially is evident in every American example that I have examined, 

 even of simplex, the latter being especially distinguished by LeConte 

 because of the obsolescence of this character, which faulty observa- 

 tion was probably due to the feeble optical enlargement formerly 

 regarded as adequate for work among these and other minute 

 insects. In regard to the absence of this margination recorded by 

 Sharp of certain Central American species, I am unable to express 

 any opinion, except to venture the suggestion that renewed ob- 

 servations be made. The side margins of the elytra are thin and 

 slightly elevated, the fine edge being subsulcated by a series of short 

 deep and subcontiguous grooves. 



Neither subtropicus nor reticulosus of the table, can be the same 

 as rufipes Shp., from Cordova, for, besides being smaller, they both 

 have the marginal stria at the middle of the pronotal base well de- 

 veloped and, even supposing that the absence of this marginal stria, 

 as recorded of rufipes, may be due to an error of observation, the 

 latter differs in having the apex of the elytra and sides of the pro- 

 notum picescent. 



