BEETLES OF THE GENUS MYOCHROUS — BLAKE 21 



Remarks. — Contrary to Jacoby's description the prothorax in the 

 San Juan Bautista specimens is wider than long, and furthermore 

 the ridges on the occiput are not any more developed than in the 

 majority of the species. The prothorax is rather more finely punctate 

 than in most Central American species of Myochrous^ with a tendency 

 for the punctures to be elongate and to occur in longitudinal lines. 

 The aedeagus is more tapering than in M. femoralis or M. melanchoU- 

 cus and more like the North American species M. denticollis. A num- 

 ber of specimens of what seem to be this species have been intercepted 

 in shipments of bananas from Mexico at New Orleans. Apparently 

 it is abundant in certain banana-growing districts. 



MYOCHROUS SQUAMOSUS LeConte 



Plate 2, Figure 1 

 Myochrous squamosus LeConte, Smithsonian Contr. Knowl., vol. 11, p. 24, 1859. 



About 5 mm. in length, oblong, black, shining with a bronzy, some- 

 times bluish luster, covered by wide, flat, brown-and-white scales, in 

 many specimens forming a white lateral elytral vitta, sometimes scales 

 on elytra entirely pale, sometimes brown with several more or less in- 

 terrupted white vittae; prothorax not definitely toothed but with 

 an anterior angularity; elytral punctation not round but angular or 

 star-shaped. 



Head rounded over occiput and covered with scales down to antennal 

 sockets, no trace of median depression or of the usual occipital ridges, 

 punctation fine, dense and in lines ; lower front shining under sparser, 

 finer scales, with scattered punctures. Antennae reaching below 

 humeri, reddish brown, of the usual proportions, outer joints thicker. 

 Prothorax a little wider than long, widest anteriorly, and without 

 lateral toothing but with an anterior angularity, a small tooth at 

 apical and basal angles ; punctation tending to be in confluent lines, 

 but not so dense as in the other species of this group and without ridg- 

 ings. Elytra with small humeri, a short intrahumeral depression, the 

 rows of punctures not closely placed and punctures somewhat star- 

 shaped, becoming much finer and less dense in the apical half ; scales 

 very broad and flat, covering punctation, rather easily rubbed off, 

 forming various color patterns, sometimes entirely pale, usually 

 brownish with a white lateral vitta and spot at apex, sometimes several 

 broken vittae or spots. Body beneath shining with a metallic luster 

 beneath the white scales, the scales on abdomen finer; first segment 

 finely and rather densely punctate; abdomen of female without de- 

 pressions, a faint triangular depression at tip of male abdomen ; legs 

 reddish brown. Hind femora without tooth, anterior tibiae with a 

 small inconspicuous tooth on inner side. Length 4,3 to 5.5 mm.; 

 width 2 to 2.5 mm. 



