398 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 



Honduras, Dr. J. L. Le Conte. This beautiful insect has been for some years 

 in the Academy's cabinet. I have till the present deferred its description, with 

 the hope that in some of the many memoirs on the insects of Mexico and the 

 adjacent regions, its description might be found. The characters above given 

 render it inadmissible in any of the groups of the true Rutelides, combining the 

 characters of two groups in a manner rendering it inadmissible in either. The 

 horizontal labrum and posterior margin to the thorax define it as a true Rute- 

 lide. 



Two groups form this tribe, Pelidnotas and Areodae, characterized mainly 

 by the absence of the frontal suture. The present genus can enter neither 

 group, as the presence of the frontal suture excludes it from the former, while 

 the forked tarsal claws exclude it from the latter, while the form of the mandi- 

 bles serves to distinguish it from either. By a modification of the characters 

 of groups of Areodae of Lacordaire, it might enter here to form the analogue of 

 Macropoides, of the Pelidnotae. I prefer, however, separating it entirely, to 

 form an intermediate group. With this view the Rutelidse verse may be thus 

 tabulated : 



Epistome not distinct from front Pelidnotae. 



Epistome separate from front. 



Mandibles tridentate ; outer tarsal claws forked Macropni. 



" simple; " " simple Areodae. 



In addition to the above characters, it might be mentioned that the front is 

 twice as broad as long, the eyes large and convex, the epistome much broader 

 than the front, forming the canthi of the eyes by the posterior angle. The 

 head is short, being a third broader than long, and is deeply set in the thorax, 

 causing the eyes to be partially hidden by its anterior angles. The mesosternal 

 spine is moderate, flattened, and slightly grooved beneath. The large posterior 

 coxae depress the plane of the metasternum below that of the abdomen. Me- 

 tasternum truncate posteriorly and vertical. Posterior coxa? separate. The 

 abdomen forms an abrupt convexity beneath, thus causing the pygidium to 

 assume a rather more acute form than usual. The pygidium is very convex 

 from above downwards, and finely granulate, presenting a more rugose appear- 

 ance than any other portion of the insect. The species resembles our Cotalpa 

 lanigera in form, being, however, slightly more elongated, though less 

 elongated than either of the Areodae. 



A single specimen, a male, from which the above description has been taken, 

 exists in the cabinet of the Academy. 



BRANCHUS Lee. 



obscurus, oval, slightly convex, black and opaque, sparsely covered with 

 short black erect hair, head very densely and coarsely punctured, front trans- 

 versely and longitudinally impressed ; thorax one-third broader^ than long, 

 densely and coarsely punctured, narrowed anteriorly, and emarginate ; sides 

 broadly rounded, slightly emarginate in front of posterior angles, which are 

 but slightly produced and rounded ; base rounded at the middle, emarginate 

 on each side. Thorax above with a median slightly elevated line, and two 

 fovea: ; on each side of the median line are four slightly oblique elevated ridges, 

 arranged in anterior and posterior pairs. Elytra subcostate, with densely 

 placed elevated granulations towards apex indistinctly foveate. Beneath smooth 

 shining, scarcely punctured. 



Long. -55, lat. -30. Nicaragua. 



Differs from the other species by its less convex form ; the sides of thorax are 

 also slightly emarginate before the angles. The elytra have a distinct ridge 

 continuous with the thoracic margin and extending very nearly to the apex. 

 The species of this genus may be divided into two groups ; floridanus Lee. has 

 the thorax very convex, while in woodii Lee. and obscurus Horn the thorax and 

 elytra are rather depressed. 



J [Dec. 



