144 BULLETIN 182, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



XVII. Genus ESPESON Schaufuss 



Espeson Schaufuss, 1882a, p. 168. 



Subgenus Par espeson Bernhauer, 1926a, p. 261. 



Genotype'. — E. moratus Schaufuss (monobasic). Of Parespeson, 

 Espeson (Parespeson) angustissimus Bernliauer (monobasic). 



Dmgnasis. — Narrow, cylindrical; head without depressions; gular 

 sutures entirely absent; labrum very short with membranous processes 

 at the outer angles ; antennae feebly enlarged apically, only the outer 

 segments transverse ; mandibles very short ; second segment of maxil- 

 lary palpus enlarged, third very small, fourth long and slender; 

 anterior coxal cavities confluent, open behind ; mesosternum carinate 

 or elevated posteriorly; posterior coxae approximate, not expanded 

 beneath the femora; abdomen not marginated, without paratergites ; 

 sternites of first and second segments not present ; tarsi 3-segmented. 



Remarks. — I can find no description of this genus except the brief 

 one given by Schaufuss. The diagnosis given above was drawn 

 from E. moratus and E. crassuhis. The genus must date from its 

 publication in the Annali del Mu.seo Civico di Storia Naturale di 

 Genova (pages 97 to 352 were published in March 1882) instead of 

 from the note in the Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France 

 (pages 1 to 48 were published in May 1882). 



The record of Espeson crenicollis Fauvel from the West Indies 

 by Leng and Mutchler, 1914, is based on its record from Key Island. 

 This refers, however, to the East Indies. It must, therefore, be 

 removed from our list. 



I have examined 37 examples of this genus from the West Indies. 

 Of these I collected 9 during 1935-37. They belong to 4 species, 

 all previously known. 



KEY TO WEST INDIAN SPECIES OF ESPESON 



1. Elytra coarsely punctate 1. crassulus 



Elytra moderatoly or finely punctate 2 



2. Base of pronotum deeply foveolate in front of scutelluui 2. euplectoides 



Pronotum scarcely depressed at middle 3 



3. Pronotum posteriorly depressed on each side of narrow middle 



area ; strongly narrowed posteriorly 3. moratus 



Pronotum not impressed posteriorly ; much less narrowed 4. nitens 



1. KSPESON CRASSULUS Fauvel 



Espeson •crassulus Fauvix. 1902a, p. 35. — Beujnhauer and Schuhert, 1910, p. 24. — 

 Leng and MurrnLEu, 1914, p. 403. 



Description. — Rufous throughout. Ilcad convex, almost as wide as 

 pronotum, strongly rounded behind the eyes, scarcely constricted at 

 the neck above; with the dorsal tentorial pits visible on the vertex 

 n^ar the constriction; without elevations above the base of the 



