June iSg^] Casey : On Americam Coccinellid^. hi 



among these small obscure forms. As a guess, the species from aiiri- 

 citlata to cethiops (Crotch — Rev. Cocc, p. 206), may be assigned to 

 Cryptognaiha, those from reedi to nigra/is to (Etieis, and piisilla and 

 puncticoUis to the new genus described below. The Ceylon species 

 flavcsccns, uigritula and lateralis probably constitute another distinct 

 genus. The species of Qineini are either wholly or in great part 

 glabrous, and are all among the most minute members of the family. 



Delphastus, gen. nov. 



In some respects this genus is allied to Sniilia, although so differ- 

 ent in prosternal structure and retractility of the legs ; the upper sur- 

 face, for example, has rather long, stiff and very remotely scattered 

 erect setae, corresponding to the very short and microscopic erect hairs 

 of that genus ; the pronotum has an oblique line at the apical angles, 

 closer to the margin than in S/n/lia, and finally the antennal fove^ are 

 at the apex of very deep lateral emarginations of the front, rather re- 

 mote from the eyes, which latter are entire. Were it not for the radi- 

 cally different structure of the abdomen, Smilia could therefore enter 

 the present tribe quite as well as the Scymnini, the deflexion of the pro- 

 sternum not being in general an essentially tribal character, any more 

 than the crural impression of the epipleurre. In the Coccinellidae 

 tribal characters must be determined from the general structure of the 

 body, rather than from any special modifications, and, considering all 

 points, it seems to me that Smilia should either constitute a distinct 

 tribe just before Hyperaspini, or else enter the Scymnini. 



In Delphastus the body is very broadly oblong- oval and only mod- 

 erately convex, highly polished, subglabrous and subimpunctate, the 

 antennae well developed, with a compressed elliptical club, the coxae all 

 very remotely separated, the epipleurK narrow, horizontal and feebly 

 concave, the anterior femora greatly dilated, so that in repose the un- 

 der side of the prothorax may present an almost unbroken surface from 

 side to side, the anterior tibi;-e and tarsi being completely concealed be- 

 neath the expanded femora lying deeply within the prosternal depres- 

 sions ; the meso-crural excavation is very deep and abruptly limited, 

 and extends to the outer margin of the epipleurae. The tarsi are long 

 and slender, and may be flexed upon the tibice in repose, but are not 

 received in grooves ; the posterior tibi^ are, however, slightly ex- 

 panded and broadly subangular externally. The claws are small, slen- 

 der and abruptly bent behind the middle with an internal swelling at 



