AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 125 



Through the kindness of Dr. H. A. Hagen of the Museum of Com- 

 parative Zoology, I have been enabled to study this genus which appears 

 to have been passed in silence since its description by Motschulsky. 

 The male only has been examined, the description of the female antennae 

 are after the latter author. 



It is to me a matter of great surprise that Motschulsky, and after 

 him the authors of the Catalogus, should have placed such a char- 

 acteristic ' insect so far from its natural relationship. The presence 

 of extensible vesicles and the structure of the male antennae are suffi- 

 cient to have suggested its place at once. It is placed by Motschulsky 

 as a Ptinide. 



. There can be no doubt but that AJt/rmecospectra is allied . to Collops. 

 The antennae are however more distinctly eleven-jointed than in the 

 latter genus, while the true third joint is similarly dilated in both. The 

 tarsi are similar in the sexes, the anterior pair being five-jointed in both, 

 while in Collops they are four-jointed in the males. While it is related 

 to the latter genus in its antennal structure the form of body and even 

 the color and markings reproduce Temnopwphus Horn, (^Trans. Am. Ent. 

 Soc. 1872, p. Ill ), which however has the tarsi as in Collops. 



M. Nietneri Motsch. Etudes Ent. 1858, pp. 65 and 122, fig. 17. 

 This is the only species at present known, it is found in Ceylon. The 

 original specimens were collected by Nietner, one of them having reached 

 Dr. Hagen to whom I am indebted for the privilege of examining it 

 as well as for one of the outline sketches which will be found on the 

 accompanying plate VI, figs. 18 — l! 1 . 



MEC'OMYCTER n. g. {Dasytini). 



Antennae eleven-jointed, arising midway between the eyes and the margin of 

 the front, under a slight ridge, first joint pyriform, second oval, third and fourth 

 narrower than the second, five to ten gradually broader, somewhat triangular, 

 eleventh longer, oval. Head oval, prolonged to a fiat beak of moderate length. 

 Eyes oval, moderately prominent. Labrum semicircular, membranous at base. 

 Mandibles moderately prominent, acute, feebly arcuate. Maxillae with inner lobe 

 prolonged and ciliate within, the palpi moderately long, the terminal joint longest 

 and slightly ciliate. Mentum narrow and long, the palpi slender and glabrous, 

 the last two joints equal. Thorax oval, broadest at base. Seutellum distinct, 

 quadrangular. Elytra, wider than the thorax, oval, broader behind, apices entire, 

 rounded. Legs slender. Tarsi five-jointed, slightly ciliate beneath, first four joints 

 equal, fifth longer. Ungues slender and simple, without lobes. 



This genus presents a curious combination of characters found sepa- 

 rately in various genera of Dasytini. The prolonged head allies it to 

 Arthrobrachus and the Prionocerides of Lacordaire, and its simple ungues 

 to Melyris. By the structure of its tarsi it resembles Dasytes. 



(32) 



