STAPHYLIXID/E. 



79 



of the hind tarsi equal. Length (strongly contracted) 1.9 mm.; width 0.45 

 mm. Iowa (Cedar Rapids), Brendel. 



Distinguishable by its rather small size, antennae and subtrans- 

 verse metasternum. 



Metaxya bracata n. sp. Parallel, rather convex and shining, the punctu- 

 ation very fine and inconspicuous; color dark piceous, the head and abdomen 

 black, the latter paler only at the extreme tip and feebly along the apices of 

 the basal segments, the elytra pale, dusky about the scutellum, the legs very 

 pale; head moderately transverse, the eyes at distinctly more than their 

 own length from the base, the tempora scarcely visibly swollen, the carinae 

 very fine, feeble and far from entire; antennae red-brown, moderately long, 

 rather stout, slightly incrassate, the outer joints evidently wider than long, 

 the last not as long as the two preceding, the second and third much elongated 

 and subequal, the third if anything a little longer and not, as usual, shorter 

 than the second ; prothorax large, nearly as wide as the elytra, very distinctly 

 wider than the head, parallel, with very feebly arcuate sides, which are grad- 

 ually converging and more arcuate anteriorly, evidently wider than long, 

 finely, feebly impressed along the median line and rather strongly before 

 the scutellum; elytra slightly wider than long, the suture about a fourth 

 longer than the prothorax; abdomen slightly narrower than the elytra, 

 parallel., the border narrowing rapidly on the fifth tergite, which is much 

 longer than the fourth, the sixth broadly arcuato-truncate at tip, with rounded 

 angles; four basal joints of the hind tarsi elongate, the first a little shorter 

 than the second. Length 3.0 mm.; width 0.63 mm. Nevada (Reno). 



Two perfectly similar examples of this fine species, probably 

 males, were taken by the writer near the Truckee River. 



Metaxya deceptor n. sp. Much like the preceding in all its structural 

 characters but somewhat more slender and less convex, less parallel, nearly 

 similar in coloration but with the abdomen paler to a greater extent apically, 

 the antennae not pale brown but black and more slender but otherwise nearly 

 similar, the last joint still more evidently shorter than the two preceding; 

 head distinctly smaller, the tempora evidently swollen behind the eyes, the 

 carinae fine but almost entire; prothorax nearly similar but very much more 

 greatly exceeding the head in width, not quite as wide as the elytra, the 

 basal impression distinct; elytra shorter and more transverse, the suture 

 but very little longer than the prothorax; abdomen similar throughout, 

 the sixth ventral plate similarly broadly arcuato-truncate at tip. Length 

 3.0 mm.; width 0.6 mm. New Mexico (Gallup), Wickham. 



Closely allied to bracata but readily separated by its relatively 

 smaller head, shorter, more transverse elytra and blackish antennae. 

 The type is probably a male. 



Metaxya discreta n. sp. Moderately stout and convex, rather shining 

 the reticulation feeble, the punctures very fine, not close, inconspicuous 

 the pubescence not dense, rather coarse; color dark piceous, the head and 



