74 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. los 



and by the elytral epipleurae being obsolete below the middle; the male insect 

 is further distinguished by the structure of the antennae, and by the intermediate 

 tibiae being notched near the apex. 



Type of genus: Oroetes Jlavicollis Jacoby. 



Oroetes flavicollis Jacoby 



Figure 2,e 



Oroetes flavicollis Jacoby, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Coleopt., vol. 6, pt. 1, p. 

 600, 1888. 



About 5 mm. in length, oblong oval, shining, the elytra finely punc- 

 tate; pale reddish yellow, antennae with basal joints pale, rest piceous, 

 elytra a violaceous blue except for a pale margin in basal half. In 

 male the 3d antennal joint long and with a rounded excision, 4th 

 joint flattened and curved, in female the 3d joint short; in male the 

 face excavated and a spine in the middle of the lower front, the pro- 

 notum with a median tubercle; middle tibiae notched near apex. 



Head in female smoothly rounded over occiput and down front, 

 with little sign of frontal tubercles or interantennal carina, lower 

 front flat, interocular space more than half its width; in m.ale, the 

 lower front excavated between antennae and below this a transverse 

 ridge with a median spine, two flat side pieces extending from below 

 antennal sockets to labrum. Antennae nearly as long as beetle, in 

 female filiform, slender, pubescent, first two joints pale yellow, 3d, 

 also pale, and 4th short and subequal, rest much longer and dark. 

 In male the first four basal joints pale, the first joint swollen, 2d 

 short, 3d long and flattened below and broadened with a cut out ex- 

 cision near the base, 4th joint flattened below and a little swollen and 

 long, remainder long and hairy and dark. Prothorax almost rec- 

 tangular with sides only slightly curved, in male the anterior margin 

 roundly produced in middle over occiput of head, in female straight 

 across; in male, a median tubercle on anterior half with a fovea in 

 front of it; in both sexes a semilunate transverse depression in basal 

 half. Surface shining, impunctate, pale reddish yellow. Scutellum pale. 

 Elytra shining violaceous with the anterior explanate margin pale, 

 distinctly and moderately densely punctate. Epipleura becoming 

 indistinct before apical curve. Body beneath and legs entirely pale, 

 anterior coxal cavities open, tibiae with fine spine, middle tibiae of 

 male notched near apex, first tarsal joint of anterior legs in male 

 slender and cylindrical with tympanum-like covering underneath; 

 in posterior legs first tarsal joint long, claws appendiculate. Length 

 5-5.4 mm.; width 2.4 mm. 



Type: Probably in British Museum (Natural History), described 

 from specimens from Chontales, Nicaragua, and Bugaba and David, 

 Panama. 



