388 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. in 



elongate and depressed form, and the relatively enormous, coarsely- 

 faceted eyes. 



The one species known to science occurs in Florida and the West 

 Indies. 



Palembus ocularis Casey 



Plates 2 (Fig. 10), 3 (Fig. 21) 

 Palembus ocularis Casey, 1891, p. 65.— Wolcott, 1948, p. 328. 



Description. — Elongate parallel, moderately convex, light reddish 

 brown, glabrous, shining. Head feebly and evenly convex; clypeus 

 large, well defined, convex, anterior margin feebly rounded, posterior 

 angles almost in contact with eyes; genae flat, horizontal; antennae 

 and mouthparts reddish brown; punctures fine and dense on clypeus 

 and genae, coarser and more widely spaced on frons. Pronotum 

 transverse, apical margin broadly and evenly but feebly arcuate, base 

 feebly bisinuate; lateral margins slightly arcuate, not at all expanded, 

 widest near middle; both basal and apical angles obtuse, broadly 

 rounded; a very fine bead continuous around entire pronotum; surface 

 finely and densely punctured with conspicuous microreticulations be- 

 tween punctures. Elytra elongate, lateral margins parallel, bead fine 

 and strongly reflected; striae feebly impressed, rather coarsely punc- 

 tured; intervals slightly convex, finely and sparsely punctate with 

 minute reticulations between punctures. Ventral surface of pronotum 

 convex, finely and rugosely punctured; entke ventral surface light 

 reddish brown, coarsely and densely punctured, including the entu-e 

 epipleura, microreticulations between punctures; tibiae straight except 

 anterior pah- which are slightly bowed at base. Male aedeagus (pi. 3, 

 fig. 21) long and narrow, apical sclerite comprising more than one 

 thu'd the total length, truncate at base, acute apically, penis membra- 

 nous, the struts very fine. Measurements: length 3.5-4.3 mm. ; width 

 1.3-1.6 mm. 



Remarks.^ — ^This very distinct species apparently is not as rare as 

 cabinet material indicates. Wolcott (1948), in Puerto Rico, found 

 both adults and larvae feeding on seeds of tamarind {Tamarindus 

 indica Linnaeus) at Loiza and at Faro de Cabo Rojo. He also re- 

 ported it from "on ground" at Point Cangrojos and on sedges at Ponce 

 and at Cabo Rojo. 



The number of specimens accompanied by data listing tamarind as 

 the host suggests that there is probably more than a superficial or ac- 

 cidental association between the beetle and the plant. Tamarind, a 

 member of the Leguminosae, is a native of the Old World tropics and 

 has been naturalized in southern Florida, including the Keys, the 

 West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America. It is possible that 



