NEOBROTICA AND RELATED GENERA — BLAKE 339 



antennal differences from the female. On two old specimens of 

 the British Museum is the Dejean Catalogue name "Cerotoma exarata." 



Eccoptopsis^ new genus 



Elongate oblong oval, the head with the eyes widely set and the face 

 of the male more or less deeply excavated, often with spines, the third 

 and fourth antennal joints in the male usually swollen and always 

 excavated at the adjoining ends. Antennae in the female with the 

 third joint usually longer than the fourth, rarely equal, never shorter. 

 Prothorax with a more or less distinct transverse sulcus, sometimes 

 only marked by a depression on each side. Elytra usually with distinct 

 costae, but in some species only feeble traces of costae, the punctation 

 in the intervals being geminate striate. Anterior coxal cavities open, 

 the tibiae with a spine, the first tarsal joint of the middle and hind legs 

 long, claws appendiculate. 



Type species: Neobrotica denticornis Jacoby. 



Remarks: This genus has been erected for some species that have 

 been assigned to the genus Neobrotica but which are in reality inter- 

 mediate between that genus and Eucerotoma. They resemble both 

 Cerotoma and Eucerotoma in the development of the sexual charac- 

 teristics of the male in having the face excavated and the third and 

 fourth antennal joints cut out. In the female the third antennal joint 

 is usually longer than the fourth, rarely equal to it, and never shorter. 

 There is considerable variation in the extent of development of these 

 male characters. In some species, such as Neobrotica denticornis 

 Jacoby, the face and antennae resemble species of Cerotoma or 

 Eucerotoma. In two other species, one of them Neobrotica cavifrons 

 Jacoby, there is a different modification of the antennal joints as well 

 as differences in the face in the male. And in three South American 

 species, the third and fourth antennal joints are only slightly swollen, 

 but have the excavation at the adjoining ends, and the face is only 

 shallowly excavate but with spines. 



This genus is distinguished from Cerotoma by having the anterior 

 coxal cavities open ; from Eucerotoma it is distinguished by having the 

 elytra usually considerably less costate and the prothorax with a 

 transverse sulcus, like that found in Neobrotica, not so deeply carved 

 as in Eucerotoma. It is distinguished from Neobrotica and Hystiopsis 

 by the development of the male characters in the antennae and face. 

 And it is distinguished from Eucerotoma, Neobrotica and Hystiopsis 

 by having the third antennal joint in the female longer than (rarely 

 equal to) the fourth joint, never shorter as is the case in Eucerotoma, 

 Neobrotica and Hystiopsis. 



The name Eccoptopsis is derived from the Greek eKKoirru, meaning 

 "cut out" and'o^ts, meaning "face." 



