posterior much .smaller than the foregoing, with the trochanters very large, 



fusiform ; femora simple ; tibia; setose, with their inner margin dentate and 



armed at the ai)ex with short spurs. 

 Coxa: iinhriur long, narrow, and jirominent, separated by the carina 

 iittfrmedltitc small, oval, and widely distant. 

 posterior very large and very long, jiromineut, extending to the fourth ventral 



segment, contingent, reaching to the sides of the body, and slightly laminated 



on their outer margin. 



The species at present known may be distinguished from each other by the 

 following characters, riz. : — 



Corpus suborbiculatum. 



Statura majori, scutollo penuagno scutellaris. 



,, minori, scutello modico. 



Antennarum capitulo ovate, snbsolido Acaroides. 



,, „ articuUs singulis abrupte diminutis . Texanus. 



Corpus ovale aut ovatum. 



Statura majori, elytrorum apicibus leviter puuctalis .... politus. 



,, minutii, superficie iii)pniictat:i. 

 Anteuninuni capitulo suborbiculan ....... tropicus. 



,, ,, ovato Hispanicus. 



Sphserius scutellaris. 



{Orthoperus) scutellaris, Le Conte, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc. xvii. p. 599, 1878. 



L. c. /'u lin. 0'75 mm. — Eotunde ovatus, validissime convexus, glaberrimus, 

 nitidissimus, aterrimus, fere imjiunctatus ; aipitr magno, lato ; oculis magnis, sat 

 prominentibus ; pronoto modico, ad basim latissimo, margine basali recta, augulis 

 sat acutis ; dijtris magnis, capite atque pronoto longioribus atque latiorilnis, prope 

 media latissimis, impunctatis, lateribus marginatis, apice acuto ; pedibus robustis, 

 piceis ; antennis gracilibus, flavesceutibus, clava elongato-ovali. 



Bodif ovally rounded, exceedingly convex, very smooth and verj- shining, almost 



impunctate, deep black. 

 Head large and broad ; eyes large and rather prominent ; antenna? slender, 



flavescent, club elongate-oval. 

 Thorax moderate, widest at the base, basal margin straight, with the angles rather 



acute. 

 Scutelluiii very large, triangular, acuminate. 

 Elytra large, longer and broader than the head and thorax, widest near the middle, 



imi)unctate, sides margined, apex acute. 

 Legs robust, piceoiis. 

 Under parts pitchy testaceous. 



Differs from all the other species in its comparativel}' large size. 

 Ilnhitat, North America. Found in the United States. 



Sphserius Acaroides. 



S. acaroides, Waltl., Isis, 1838, iv. p. 272. 



Microsporus ohsidianus, Kolenati, Melet. Ent. v. p. G4, 184t>. 



L. c. /;; lin. =0*75 mm. — Eotunde ovatus, fere hemisphericus, nitidissimus; 

 per totum indistinctissime alutaceus, aterrimus; capite i)ermagno, antice producto ; 

 oculis magnis, baud prominentiljus ; proiolo parvo, capite latiori, hand longiori, ad 



