MON'OGRAPH OF WEST IXDIAX STAPHYLINIDAE 455 



Remarks. — The above description was taken from a Trinidad ex- 

 ample collected in 1935. Several series from South and Central Amer- 

 ica indicate that the species is much more variable than the Trinidad 

 examples indicate. The elytra are frequently greenish, and the entire 

 green surface may be somewhat metallic. The punctures in the pro- 

 notal series are very variable, numbering from 7 to 10. Immature 

 specimens (from Bolivia) are dark rufous throughout exce]:)t for the 

 greenish head and the testaceous abdominal apex. This species be- 

 longs in the subgenus Xenovygus as defined above. 



My examples were collected from freshly cut cocoa pods. 



LXXI. Genus DIOCHUS Erichson 



Dlochus Erichson, lS39b, p. 300. 

 Rhegmatocerus Motschulsky, 1858, p. 657. 



Genotype. — Diochus nanus Erichson (monobasic). Of Rhegniato- 

 cerus, R. punctipennis Motschulsky (designated here). 



Diagnosis. — Head and pronotum without dense umbilicate puncta- 

 tion; head not margined beneath the eyes; antennae moderately well 

 separated at anterior margin of head, outer segments densely 

 pubescent; labrum large, suborbicular ; third segment of maxillary 

 palpus large, acicular; gular sutures separate, converging toward 

 base ; pronotum with side margin double, the lines separate through- 

 out ; anterior coxal cavities open behind ; front coxae large, exserted ; 

 posterior coxae contiguous, "triangular"; first and second abdominal 

 sternites absent; intersegmental membranes of abdomen with a pat- 

 tern of irregular rounded sclerotized areas arranged in longitudinal 

 rows ; femora unarmed beneath. 



Remarks. — This genus has generally been placed in the Xantholinini, 

 but I am unable to reconcile many of its characters with those of the 

 true xantholinines. The front of the head is entirely different from 

 Xantholhvus, the gular sutures are not united, the elytral suture is 

 not beveled ; the pattern of the intersegmental membranes of the abdo- 

 men is different, and the males are clearly different from the females 

 by the usual modifications of the seventh and eighth sternites. 



Six species have been recorded from the West Indies, but I am un- 

 able to distinguish them. 1 have seen 244 examples from the West 

 Indies, including the types of four of the names. I believe all are one 

 species. 



1. DIOCHUS NANUS Erichson 



Diochus nanus Erichson, 1839b, p. 301. — Duponchei,, 1841, p. 57.— Lacordaire, 

 1854, p. 65.— Chevtjolat and Faxtvel, 1863, p. 430.— Lynch. 188 1, p. 172.— 

 Sharp, 1885, pp. 466, 467.— FAmTix, 1891, p. 106.— Eichelbaum, 19(^9, p. 161.— 

 Blatchlky, 1910, p. 400. — Bernhauee and Schubert, 1914, p. 319.--Leng and 

 MuTcHLEB, 1914, p. 406.— Cameron, 1922, pp. 116, 117.— Bet.n H.i tier, 1929, 

 p. 193. 



