424 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 117 



the last antennal segment is lighter than the preceding ones. Type 

 locality, "Calif ornie." Neomida suhquadrata Motschoulsky (auctor). 

 According to Kelejnikova (in litt.), the type (UMMZ) is in very poor 

 condition but quite distinct from specimens of any species submitted 

 for comparison. An outline sketch of the type, kindly sent by 

 S. Kelejnikova, indicates a very robust species. Undoubtedly the 

 remarks concerning P. janus (Fabricius) would apply equally well 

 here, this name referring to one of the host of Central and South 

 American species, all having a frustratingly similar external appear- 

 ance. Type locality, "Amerique Centrale." Platydema pernigrum 

 Casey. Holotype USNM 46814 and paratype USNM 48814. These 

 specimens fall well within the range of normal variation encountered 

 in this species. The following notes were made with the types plus 

 Casey's specimens of what he considered to be typical ''janus" 

 {=nigratum) before me: "The holotype and paratype are larger 

 than any of Casey's specimens of P. nigratum. True, they are 

 blacker than the latter specimens, but the differences in head sculp- 

 ture to which he alludes seems quite nebulous to me. The paratype 

 is the cleaner of the two and for this reason its interstrial areas appear 

 slightly more convex. Also, in the paratype, these areas are quite 

 evidently punctured ; not so on the holotype. Casey's eye length 

 character escapes ms completely and all diagnostic characters which 

 he mentions are well within the range of normal variation which I 

 have observed for this species." 



The Casey collection contains seven Texas specimens of P. ni- 

 gratum placed under the name ''janus" and one British Honduras 

 and two Arizona specimens placed under "suhquadratum" With 

 such short series available to him, it is understandable why he chose 

 to regard them as distinct. Where he had little more than a dozen 

 specimens on which to base his conclusions, I have examined al- 

 most 300 specimens from scattered localities throughout the range 

 of the species. Type locality, Arizona (Morrison). 



Platydema ventrale Chevrolat, described from Mexico, was listed 

 as a synonym of the present species by Champion (1886) who states 

 that he "examined a typical example of P. ventrale and see no reason 

 for separating it from" the present species. This synonymy was 

 followed in later checklists (Leng, 1920; Gebien, 1911; Blackwelder, 

 1945). Specimens of P. nigratum from Mt. Colima, Mexico, were 

 compared mth the Chevrolat type by A. Villiers who states (in litt.) 

 that they do not correspond. According to Villiers, P. ventrale is 

 broader, more convex, and less parallel than the specimens sub- 

 mitted. Chevrolat's species must therefore be considered valid 

 until a more comprehensive study of the Central American species 

 of Platydema can be undertaken. 



