130 Journal New York Entomological Society, [Voi. vn. 



The latter of these species was described as a Scymnus by its 

 author, under the supposition probably that the pubescence had been 

 accidentally removed ; the example before me is slightly smaller than 

 the type. 



Hyperaspidius Crotcli. 



This is an aberrant genus in the present tribe, in having the elytral 

 epipleura^ devoid of depressions for the posterior femora, although in 

 every other feature it is perfectly normal. The type of ornamentation 

 differs from anything observed in Hypcraspis or Bnichyacantha, and 

 the species are much smaller as a rule. The absence of epipleural 

 foveae shows that the presence or absence of this character is not so 

 important in itself as it has been assumed to be, and that it is not 

 necessarily a tribal character at all ; this is shown also in the Chilo- 

 corini, and the same statement can be made regarding the structure of 

 the tarsal claws. The epipleural depression in the Hyperaspini never 

 assumes the form of an abruptly excavated pit, as it does in some 

 ptinids and to some extent in Delphastus. The species are few in 

 number and may be defined as follows : — 



Elytra with a pale discal vitta not joining the marginal pale area 2 



Elytra with the discal vitta entirely wanting 3 



Elytra with the discal and marginal vitta largely united, leaving merely an elongate 



black spot from the callus = 4 



Elytra completely pale 5 



Elytra black, with suftused humeral and subapical pale markings 6 



2 — Head and pronotum pale in the male, the latter with the basal margin to lateral fourth 

 and two median dashes, converging posteriorly and united with the dark basal 

 area, piceous-black, black in the female, with a narrow lateral margin of the pro- 

 notum pale ; elytra in both sexes fully as long as wide, oblong, subtruncate, 

 finely, rather sparsely punctate, with a pale yellowish-white basal margin, con- 

 tinued along the sides and apex very nearly to the sutural angle, receding slightly 

 from the edge at apex, and also with its inner basal limit continued posteriorly as 

 a rather broad, sharply defined vitta to or very slightly beyond apical third, re- 

 ceding visibly from the suture from a point slightly behind the scutellum. Length 

 1.9-2.2 mm.; width 1. 25-1. 4 mm. Texas (El Paso) ; \yittigera Lee.]. 



trimaculatus Linn. 

 Head and pronotum piceo-rufous in the female, the side margin of the latter very 

 nan-owly pale and rather nebulously so toward base ; elytra scarcely as long as 

 wide, subquadrate, with arcuate sides and subtruncate apex, blackish, finely but 

 strongly, sparsely punctate, with a basal and marginal pale area nearly as in the 

 preceding species but with the subsutural vitta nearly straight, almost parallel 

 throughout to the suture and extending posteriorly to apical fifth ; legs pale. 

 Length 1.8 mm. ; width 1.2 mm. California (Alameda Co.). 



comparatus, sp nov. 



