StaphylinidcB of the Amazon Valley. 



39 



This genus was established by Fauvel (Notices Eiito- 

 mologiques, 4me part. p. 8), for a small beetle from Chili: 

 and at the same time this savant established another 

 genus (op. cit. p. 10) with the name Ophioglossa, for a 

 closely allied insect from the same country. Some dif- 

 ferences in the trophi (of which the most important is 

 stated to be the labial palpi bi-articulate in Eudera, tri- 

 articulate in Ophioglossa), and a slightly longer basal 

 joint of the hind tarsus in Opliioglossa, are the only 

 characteristics given to distinguish the two genera; more- 

 over the hind tarsi are figured by the author, and on 

 measuring with compasses the length of the basal joint in 

 the two figures, I find it to be exactly the same : the 

 distinction between the two genera rests therefore entii'ely 

 on the trophi ; and very unsatisfactory such a distinc- 

 tion is in the case of two such minute insects. I feel 

 considerable doubt, after examining a s])ecimen of the 

 insect I here describe under the name of Eudera cava, as 

 to whether its labial palpi are bi-, or tri-articulate ; but 

 as the Eudera sculptilis is known to me, and I am able to 

 say that E. cava is certainly closely allied thereto, while I 

 do not know the genus Ophioglossa, I have chosen the 

 former name for the generic appellation of my new species. 

 The species I here describe is very remarkable by reason 

 of the extremely large and deep transverse impressions on 

 the basal segments of the hind body ; this character dis- 



