MONOGRAPH OF WEST INDIAN STAPHYLINIDAE 263 



3. SUNIUS OCCIPITALIS (Bierig) 



Xenocharis occipitalis Bierig, 1934f, p. 329, figs. 1, 4. — Blackwelder, 1939a, p. 122. 



Description. — Riifotestaceous throughout. Head as long as broad, 

 base rather strongly emarginate, triangular above the neck; eyes 

 very small, separated from base by more than three times their 

 length ; sides slightly arcuate, basal angles narrowly rounded ; labrum 

 with two distinct denticles near the center; gular sutures moderately 

 separate but very feebly converging apically ; surface with rather small 

 umbilicate punctures, separated by their diameter or less, absent along 

 middle; without ground sculpture. Pronotum as long as broad, 

 scarcely narrower than head; sides feebly converging posteriorly; 

 with punctures similar to those on head but sparser, generally sep- 

 arated by more than half their diameter and frequently more than 

 their diameter; middle stripe smooth, slightly elevated posteriorly; 

 without ground sculpture. Elytra barely longer than wide, as wide 

 as pronotum ; punctured as pronotum but less distinctly umbilicately ; 

 somewhat coriaceous but without ground sculpture. Abdomen very 

 minutely but not very densely asperately punctate. Male^ seventh 

 sternite flattened at middle and becoming feebly concave posteriorly, 

 produced posteriorly in center half, the lobe with a rounded emargi- 

 nation about half as deep as wide, eighth sternite with an emargina- 

 tion of breadth equal to that of seventh but as deep as wide, set off 

 by a minute inwardly directed tubercle at the inner edge of the pos- 

 terior angles. Female, sternites not modified. Length, 2 mm. 



Type locality. — Cuba. 



Types. — In the collection of Alexander Bierig. (One "cotype" is 

 in the United States National Museum (No. 52729) through the 

 generosity of Sr. Bierig.) 



Records. — The following are the records known to me : 



Cuba: San Vicente, Sierra de los Organos (Bierig, 1934), Range!, Sierra del 

 Rosario (Bierig, 1934; Bierig, in U.S.N.M.), Aspiro (Bierig, 1934), Bejucol 

 (Bierig, 1934), Cruz de Piedra, province of Habana (Bierig^ 1934), Cayamas 

 (Schwarz, in U.S.N.M.). 



Specimens examined. — I have seen one male and one badly broken 

 female in the United States National Museum, in addition to the 

 "cotype." 



Remarks. — I am unable to separate the Cayamas specimens from 

 the "cotype" of occipitalis. The description has been taken from the 

 Cayamas examples. 



The punctation of the head and pronotum indicates that this species 

 belongs in the subgenus Sunius s. str. It is very similar to Medonella 

 minuta Casey {=jSunius minuta) from Florida from which it is dis- 

 tinguished by the very small eyes and long temples as well as by de- 

 tails of punctation. 



The types were found under fallen leaves. 



