42 NEOTROPICAL PSELAPHIDAE 



widest medianly, with the mesial face relatively convex and lateral face 

 relatively flat; a short, acute palpal cone inserted at apex of fourth segment. 

 Lower surface of head almost glabrous, shining. Occipital angles well-defined. 

 Sides of ventral face defined and carinated between eyes and mentum; sides 

 evenly and smoothly rounded posteriorly from eyes. Mentum characteristically 

 broad. Cardo of maxilla characteristically produced obliquely into a prominent 

 projection which tends to obscure first segment of maxillary palpi. Lower 

 surface of head with a pair of oblique, strong carinae. Each carina begins 

 near lateral union of mentum and gena, and converges obliquely to join its 

 fellow from the opposite side near the posterior margins of the eyes, forming 

 a long V-shaped pattern; enclosed surface of the V evenly concave. 



Pronotum wider than long, widest medianly, above transverse sulcus. 

 This transverse sulcus is entire, biarcuate. Anterior to sulcus the pronotum 

 narrows evenly, to form a rounded-triangular apical half. Posterior to sulcus 

 the sides are almost straight for a short distance, then become abruptly nar- 

 rower in basal fifth, giving a highly irregular outline to the lateral margins. 

 No longitudinal sulci. Transverse sulcus with a lateral nude fovea in its floor, 

 near but not at the lateral margin. Disc of pronotum with a conspicuous, 

 regularly transversely oval antebasal platform or saucer. This peculiar plat- 

 form has the edges carinated, and is elevated above the pronotal disc so that 

 its posterior edge partially overhangs the transverse sulcus. Transverse sulcus 

 curves basally around the antebasal platform and tends to widen medianly, 

 so that from a certain point of view, this platform appears to form a raised, 

 undercut, isolated, transversely oval plateau within the expanded median 

 portion of the transverse sulcus. 



Elytra transversely carinated at base. Laterally this carina is produced 

 so that the humeri are dentate. No dorsal stria. Sutural stria entire, deep, end- 

 ing basally in a sutural fovea. Sutural fovea recessed beneath transverse basal 

 carina. Transverse basal carina shortly arcuate to a point above the recessed 

 median basal fovea, and then straight to the humeral basal fovea, which is 

 recessed beneath the humeral tooth. Each elytron, therefore, has three nude 

 basal foveae. A longitudinal carina on the elytral flank, extending apically 

 from the humeral tooth. Median to the carina is a longitudinal sulcus which 

 extends apically from the humeral fovea. The floor of this sulcus is of un- 

 even depth and there is an accessory fovea in its floor at basal fifth, apical to 

 to the humeral fovea. 



Abdomen with five visible tergites, which become gradually narrower to 

 apex. First tergite twice as long as second; second slightly longer than third; 

 third slightly longer than fourth; fifth quite small. Six stemites visible. First 

 sternite very short, largely obscured by the posterior coxae, the stemites 

 regularly narrower to apex; second twice as long as third; third and fourth 

 subequal in length; fifth medianly very short, about half as long as fourth, 

 with a small tubercle at its median, posterior margin; fifth sternite deeply and 

 regularly incised semicircularly to accomodate the large sixth sternite; sixth 

 sternite with a shallow, broad depression in basal half, this depression be- 



