402 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. in 



Venter: Lateral third finely and rather ii-regularly rugulose; each 

 segment with one or two submarginal setigerous punctures. 



Length of body: 4.08. 



Color: Dorsally and ventrally light yellow; spines fuscous to 

 black; dorsal punctm-es fuscous, becoming paler laterally on head, 

 thorax, and coria; following areas distinctly clouded with fuscous: 

 Occiput, calli, basal angles and apical margin of scutellum, inner 

 base of clavus, lateroapical angle of mesocorium, and broad, lateral 

 areas on mesopleuron and metapleuron. 



Type data. — Berg's (1879, p. 12) pair of specimens (Univ. Nac, 

 fide Kormilev, in lit.) was from "Mendoza," Argentina. 



Specimens studied. — 1 female. 



Argentina: Santiago del Estero to Rio Hondo, Feb. 14, 1948, R. Golbach, 

 1 female (UnivTuc). 



Discussion. — This species stands alone among all others of the 

 Western Hemisphere in its color. 



The inclusion of nigropunctatus in Mici^o'porus might come as a sur- 

 prise, especiall}^ in view of its range being so distant from those of its 

 congenitors. However, if the sculpture of the peritreme can be used 

 as a phylogenetic indicator the auriculate development here definitely 

 allies this form with the northern ones. The greatly reduced lateral 

 pubescence separates it rather markedly and suggests the possible 

 need for subgeneric recognition. But I am hesitant about erecting 

 supraspecific taxa in the Cydnidae on the basis of vestiture alone, 

 especially for just one or two species, and so refrain from it here. 



Microporus obliqiiiis Uhler 



Plate figures 8, 28, 29, 90a, 118, 151, 198 



Microporus obUquus Uhler, 1872, p. 394; 1877, p. 373.— St&l, 1876, p. 27.— 



Signoret, 1882, p. 161, pi. 7, fig. 97. 

 Microporus mexicanus Distant, 1880, p. 8, pi. 4, fig. 8. New synonymy. 

 Cydnus obliquus Signoret, 1882, p. 161. — Uhler, 1886, p. 3. — Lethierry and Severin, 



1893, p. 67.— Banks, 1910, p. 99. 

 Cydnus mexicanus Signoret, 1882, p. 241. — -Uhler, 1886, p. 3. — Lethierry and 



Severin, 1893, p. 67. 

 Aethus ohliqxius Van Duzee, 1917, p. 20. 

 Aethus {Microporus) obliquus Torre Bueno, 1939, p. 179. 



Diagnosis. — M. obliquus is characterized within the genus by posses- 

 sion of a large, loop- or ear-shaped process on the peritreme (fig. 90, a) 

 and the piceous color. 



Description. — Male: Broadly oval. 



Head: Length more than two-thirds width, 0.84(0.72-0.96): 

 1.13(1.00-1.26); interocular width, 0.80(0.71-0.91); anterior outline a 

 flattened semicircle, juga slightly longer than clypeus; dorsum shining, 

 with radiating rugae and few to many punctures; juga ventrally and 



