MONOGRAPH OF WEST INDIAN STAPHYLINIDAE 369 



LVII. Genus ECHIASTER Erichson 



Echiaster Ekichson, 1840, p. 636, 

 Subgeniis Leptogenius Casey, 1886b, p. 214. 



Genotypes. — F. longicollis Erichson (designated by Duponcliel, 

 1841). Oi Leptogenius, L. hrevicoruis C^iS&y (monobasic). 



Diagnosis. — Body moderately elongate and strongly constricted, with 

 very dense sculpture; head not grooved behind eyes; vertex not 

 carinate; eyes large, prominent; antennae posteriorly flexile, not 

 strongly geniculate, basal segment not much elongate, first and second 

 not enlarged with rest slender; labrum moderately large, with four 

 triangular denticles; third segment of maxillary palpus enlarged but 

 not subspherical, fourth segment subulate; gular sutures united; neck 

 slender; prothorax not elongate or prolonged in front; prosternum 

 dilated under front coxae and connate with hypomera ; hypomera feebly 

 lobed behind the coxae ; anterior coxal cavities open behind above but 

 closed beneath by tlie prosternal processes; anterior coxae large, ex- 

 serted; middle coxal cavities confluent; posterior coxae contiguous, 

 "conical"; fiist and second abdominal sternites absent, eighth sternite 

 sometimes broadly emarginate in male ; tarsi 5-segmented, fourth seg- 

 ment not strongly lobed beneath. 



Remarks. — This genus is confined to temperate and tropical 

 America. It is distinct by its dense sculpture and quadridentate 

 labrum. I am unable to distinguish Leptogenius Casey as more 

 than a subgenus. 



Tlie record of Eckmster soUiaiius Sharp from Jamaica by Gowdey, 

 1926, is probably a misideutification. Until the specimens can be 

 reexamined, it must be regarded as a doubtful record. 



I have examined 63 specimens from the West Indies, which I assign 

 to 6 species of which 1 appears to be new. 



KEY TO WEST INDIAN SPECIES OF ECHIASTER 



1. Elytra with intervals between punctures smooth and shining, 



6, impressicollis 

 Elytra densely punctate, intervals not shining or distinct 2 



2. Eyes large, at less than their length from base 3 



Eyes .small or moderate, at their length or more from base 4 



3. Elytra black, obscurely lighter at the shoulders; head densely graiiularly 



sculptured 4, sharpi 



Elytra testaceous with apical third black; head densely and finely unibili- 

 cately punctured 5. buphthalmus 



4. Eyes moderate, at about their length from base 5 



Eyes very small, at twice their length from base 1, microps 



5. "Dull pitchy black ; elytra obscurely lighter at the shoulders" 2, distinctus 



Ferruginous, not as above 3. waterhousei 



