432 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 117 



P. ruficolle, and indeed, from all other species of Platydema in our 

 fauna. 



The nearest modern relative to P. micans appears to be P. inguili- 

 num, but even this relationship is not especially close and may be 

 but another case of superficial resemblance. 



A black light trap operated in 1955 by E. F. Menhmick at Dun- 

 woody, Ga., yielded 474 specimens of this beetle which had previ- 

 ously been considered quite rare. Blatchley (1910) reports taking 

 specimens from decaying fleshy fungi in Lawrence County, Ind. 

 Collection data accompanying specimens examined include: "under 

 rotton wood (Florida); red mangrove (Florida); royal pahn (Flor- 

 ida); woods trash (South Carolma)." 



Type. — ^MCZ 7211 ; type locaHty, S[outh] C[arolina] (probably from 

 near Zimmerman's home, Columbia). The specimen is now in the 

 LeConte collection. 



Specimens examined. — From the following localities, 656: 



United States: Alabama (Tuscaloosa). Arkansas (Hope, Washington Co.). 

 California (Los Angeles, in quarantine from Florida). District of Columbia. 

 Florida (Biscayne, Cape Sable, Capron, Daytona Beach, Dunedin, Edgewater, 

 Enterprise, Gainesville, Gulfport, Haulover, Jacksonville, Jupiter, Key Largo, 

 Key West, Lake Worth, Miami Beach, New Smyrna, Oneco, Ormond Beach, 

 Paradise Key, Royal Palm Park, Saint Petersburg, Sand Point, Torreya State 

 Park, Walton, Winter Park, Collier Co., Highlands Co., Volusia Co.). Georgia 

 (Atlanta, Dunwoody). Indiana (Lawrence Co.). Kansas (McPherson). Loui- 

 siana (Baton Rouge). Mississippi (Hattiesburg). South Carolina (Florence, 

 Savannah River Plant). Tennessee (East Ridge). Texas (Beeville, Brownsville, 

 College Station, Dallas, Denton, Fort Worth, Goliad, Kingsville, New Braunfels, 

 Sabinal, San Antonio, Sonora, Brazos Co.). Virginia (Norfolk). 



Cuba: Cienfuegos. 



Jamaica: Liguanea Plain. 



Haiti: Ennery. 



Mexico: Ciudad del Maiz, Rio Guagalejo, Venodio. 



British Guiana: Bartica. 



Brazil : Bahia. 



Genus Scaphidema Redtenbacher 



Scaphidema Redtenbacher, 1849, p. 591; 1858, pp. cvi, 603; 1874, pp. cxix, ii, 

 105.— Mulsant, 1854, p. 200.— Lacordaire, 1859, p. 303.— Thomson, 1859, 

 p. 116; 1864, p. 253.— Jacquehn du Val, 1861, p. 297.— Horn, 1870, p. 386.— 

 Seidlitz, 1875, p. 97; 1891, p. 131; 1894, pp. 508, 509.— Fowler, 1891, p. 15.— 

 Everts, 1901, p. 256.— Desbrochers, 1902, p. 5.— Reitter, 1911a, pp. 330, 339.— 

 Gebien, 1925, p. 143.— Portevin, 1934, p. 25. 



Nelites LeConte, 1850, p. 232. 



Type species. — Mycetophagus metallicus Fabricius (monobasic). 



Broadly oval, moderately convex, strongly shining. Head small, 

 short, and broad; eyes small, widely separated both dorsally and 

 ventrally, shallowly emarginate anteriorly; terminal segment of max- 



