92 PROCEEDINGS OP THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 65 



middle, the lobe sometimes strongly produced and truncate. Scu- 

 tellum very small and triangular. Elytra variable, lobed at base, 

 strongly attenuate posteriorly, with the sides near apex frequently 

 serrate. Sternal cavity formed by the mesosterum and metaster- 

 num; mesosternum divided, the lateral branches variable in shape; 

 metasternum truncate in front, with a very feeble emargination at 

 the middle. Prosternum flat or convex; anterior margin variable; 

 prosternal process constricted by the coxal cavities, behind which it 

 is strongly expanded, with a large acute tooth at the middle, which 

 fits into the sternal cavity. Posterior coxae strongly dilated inter- 

 nally; anterior margin subsinuate; posterior margin oblique. Legs 

 rather robust ; femora swollen at middle, and the anterior pair more 

 robust, sharf) on the inner margin and armed with a large obtuse 

 tooth (very rarely the tooth is absent) ; anterior and middle tibiae 

 more or less arcuate ; posterior pair straight ; tarsi compressed, first 

 joint of posterior pair rather long, third joint feebly emarginate, 

 and not armed with two long spines, the fourth very short; tarsal 

 claws simple. Body oblong, rather broad, rarely elongate, and 

 more attenuate behind than in front. 



The species of this genus are very numerous, and are found in 

 nearly all parts of the world. Some of the species are of great 

 economic importance, one of which occurs throughout the West 

 Indies has become very injurious to the Australian Pine {Casuarina 

 equisetifolia Forster) in the southern part of Florida, where this 

 plant has been introduced for ornamental purposes. Of the other 

 species found in this region, practically nothing is known of their 

 life histories. 



This genus is closely allied to Actenodes, but can be easily sepa- 

 rated from that genus by the absence of the two long spines on the 

 third joint of the posterior tarsi. 



KEX TO THE SPECIES 



1. Base of pronotum produced into a large rectangular lobe at middle and 



nearly covering the scutellum ; prosternal process nearly smooth and very 

 wide between the anterior coxal cavities, nearly two times as wide as 



the cavity sexpunctata (Fabricius). 



Base of pronotum not produced at middle, at most with only a broadly 

 rounded median lobe : scutellum not covered ; prosternal process coarsely 

 punctate and not much wider than the anterior coxal cavities 2. 



2. Pronotum uneven, with distinct depressions and elevations 3. 



Pronotum regularly convex, without depressions or elevations 6. 



3. Eyes nearly confluent on occiput, separated by less than one-fourth 



the distance between the antennal cavities 4. 



Eyes more widely separated on the occiput, separated by at least one- 

 half the distance between the antennal cavities 5. 



4. Anterior femora with a large obtuse tooth on outer margin ; posterior 



foveae on elytra obcordate and situated between the second and fourth 



