OEDEMERIDAE FROM TEXAS — ARNETT 



51 



closely similar, and 0. maculicollis (Champion) which it closely 

 resembles. It is separated from 0. mariae by the distance between 

 the eyes in dorsal view; the eyes are more widely set apart in 0. 

 howdeni and more placed in 0. mariae. The antennal segments of 

 0. howdeni are longer and narrower than those of 0. mariae. The 

 general color of 0. howdeni is fuscus, while that of most specimens of 

 0. mariae is a dark chestnut, almost piceus ; but some specimens may 

 be fuscus. 0. maculicollis is confined to tropical Central America and 

 has different genitalic characters. 



Figure 2. — Vasaces elongatus Arnett, male: a, ventral view of penis; b, paramere. Oxycopis 

 howdeni, new species, male: c, lateral view of penis; d, ventral view of paramere. 



Holotype: Male, Tornillo Flat, Big Bend National Park, Tex., 

 3200 ft., May 12, 1959 (collected by Edward Becker and Henry F 

 Howden). Deposited in the U. S. National Museum (type no. 67447). 



Description: Head fuscus with mandibles, labrum, and posterior 

 portion of vertex pale; pubescence fine, recumbent, sparse, yellow; 

 punctation coarse, distance between punctures less than the diameter 

 of the puncture, interspaces microreticulate. Antennae with apical 

 segments approximately foiu" times as long as broad, second segment 

 one-half the length of the third. Eyes large, emarginate near inser- 

 tion of antennae, well separated anteriorly, interocular distance to 

 head length (measm-ed from fine across head behind eyes to apex of 

 labrum) ratio 1.9473. Mandibles moderate in length, apices bifid. 

 Maxillary palpi with apical segment cultriform. 



Thorax pale fuscus; pronotum with somewhat darker lateral areas 

 which occupy the space from the anterior margin nearly to the base; 



