I 



June 1899.] Casey: On American Coccinellid.'e. 133 



apex, one-half wider than long, the sides continuing the curvature of the elytra, 

 impunctate, alutaceous, the pubescence more visible toward the sides ; elytra one- 

 half longer than wide, rapidly narrowed from slightly behind the middle, finely 

 but rather strongly, somewhat unequally and very sparsely punctate, each with a 

 large oval central red spot, which is nebulously defined ; pubescence very incon- 

 spicuous. Length 1.2 mm.; width 0.7 mm. California (Los Angeles). 



biplagiatus, sp. nov. 

 Body narrowly and evenly elliptical, rounded behind, black or piceous-black, the 

 under surface and legs rufescent, the elytra not maculate ; pronotum slightly 

 pube.scent and paler laterally in the impressed area, two-thirds wider than long, 

 impunctate, alutaceous, the sides rather more arcuate than the contiguous limb of 

 the elytra, the latter nearly one-half longer than wide, rather coarsely, deeply 

 and not very sparsely punctate, the hairs erect and microscopic. Length 0.85 

 mm. ; width 0.55 mm. California ( Sonoma Co. ) niger, sp. nov. 



Both the above species have the elytral suture finely margined, ex- 

 cept toward base. 



Scymnini. 



The numerous small species of this tribe may be distinguished at 

 once by the distinct pubescence, there being but one genus in which 

 the body becomes virtually glabrous throughout the dorsal surface. 

 The antennae are short and the eyes entire or subentire, and the pos- 

 terior legs are always free. The genera may be defined as follows : — 



Antennae free, rapidly descending along the sides of the head before the eyes in repose, 

 the front not dilated ; head and maxillary palpi moderate in size, the metaster- 

 num not foveate ; anterior coxae moderately separated ; antenna apparently 1 1- 

 jointed 2 



Antennae resting in repose upon wide dilatations of the front under the antennal foveae 

 and before the eyes, apparently 9-jointed, with a naiTOw solid 4-jointed club ; 

 head large ; anterior coxa; very widely separated, the prosternum flat and not 

 darinate 6 



2 — Pronotum with a fine oblique line at the apical angles, the body apparently 

 glabrous, each puncture of the upper surface bearing an extremely minute erect 

 hair, only visible under considerable enlargement with oblique illumination ; 

 antennae inserted in very deep narrow emarginations at the sides of the front, 

 strongly bent, the last three joints forming a compressed club ; last joint of the 

 maxillary palpi narrow, the apex narrowly oblique ; clypeus narrow and rather 

 long ; prosternum short, flat, with two abbreviated parallel carina?, the apical 

 margin abruptly deflexed for a short distance, but not enough to afford protection 

 to the mouth ; metacoxal arcs joining the apical margin of the first segment near 

 the sides of the abdomen ; tarsal claws simple ; body oval, convex, the elytra 

 more or less pointed at apex, the eyes small Smilia 



Pronotum without an oblique line near the apical angles ; body always distinctly 

 pubescent ; tarsal claws cleft within 3 



