is:5.! 2-i7 



ON THREE NEW SPECIES OF EYDROPRILID^. 



BT D. SUAEP, M.B. 



Dr. Leconte, in the Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, 1874, p. 47, has published 

 the characters o£ an aberrant new genus and species of SydrophiUdce, 

 found in Texas by Belfrage, and has named the insect Sepidalum 

 costatum. "When I was Last in London, Mr. E. W. Janson presented 

 me, in the presence of Dr. Horn, with a peculiar small coleopterous 

 insect he had destined for me, and on looking at the specimen I re- 

 cognized it as allied to a remarkable species in my collection from 

 South America, resembling, at first sight, a small Trox, or a Hete- 

 romerous Coleoptei'on, but which, after examination, I had referred 

 to the Sydrophilidce ; and, on its being handed to Dr. Horn for in- 

 spection, he declared it to be allied to a remarkable insect that had 

 much interested Dr. Leconte and himself, and which the latter was 

 just describing under the name of Sepidulum costatum. Dr. Leconte, 

 knowing the interest I felt in his new genus, has been so kind as to 

 send me a couple of individuals, and, on examining them, I find that 

 both my species are really closely allied to the Texas species, so that 

 I feel justified in describing them under the same generic name, 

 although it must be admitted that some of the slighter characters given 

 by Dr. Leconte as characterising the genus, must in such case be 

 eliminated from the genei'ic formula, and considered as specially 

 characteristic of the Texas species. The genus Sepiduhim appears to 

 me to possess a greater affinity with Spercheus than with any other 

 described genus ; the most important points in which it differs therefrom 

 appearing to be : Ist, the structure of the antennae ; 2nd, the structure 

 of the abdomen ; and 3rd, the fact that Sepidulum is characterized by 

 Leconte as possessing but four joints to the tarsi, while Spercheus has 

 five. The basal joint of the tarsi in Spercheus is, however, very short, 

 and, on making a careful examination, even without dissection, of 

 Sepidulum tror/oides and S. hullatum, I am able to perceive that there 

 is a fifth joint present in the shape of a minute basal joint concealed 

 by the extremity of the tibia. As regards the structure of the abdomen, 

 I may also state that I have no doubt this will prove also not be im- 

 portant ; Spercheus emarginatus has the abdomen formed of five well 

 dcveU)ped, finely pubescent, ventral segments ; while of Sepidulum 

 Leconte says, " the abdomen is deeply witlidrawn in the cavity of the 

 " elytra ; it is flat, and I can see but four ventral segments, the last is 

 " rounded at tip and vaguely impressed each side ; there may however 

 "be five segments, the first being invisible on account of the promi- 

 " nence of the mctasternum and the contraction of the abdomen." 



