209 — 



Leontochteta, Macrophylla, Tajiyproctus and allies ; un the other all parts 

 except palpi aborted as in the Pachypodiikc. Such al)orted mouth parts 

 which agree in all essentials with those of the Fachypodidce, exist, as 1 have 

 satisfied myself by examination, in Pleoconia. They agree indeed with 

 those o'i Elciphocera and Paihypus so closely that one might feel inclined 

 to refer the figures of the mouth parts of those two genera given by Erich- 

 son (Entomographieen, Taf. I, Fig. a-c und g-i) to those o{ Pkocoma. 

 Especially is it the small, stumpy, triangular mandibles, and the entirely 

 rudimentary lobes of the maxillae which Pleocoma has in common with 

 Pachypus and Elaphocera, while nowhere else, in the entire family of the 

 Lamellicornes, rich as it is in forms do we find its equal. But also by . 

 an entire series of other agreements or at least similarities do we find the 

 close relationship o'i. Pleocoma with Pachvpus and Elaphocera entirely con- 

 firmed. With Pachypus, Pleocoma has in common the concave depression 

 of the anterior part of prothorax, and the untoothed, simple, pointed 

 claws of tarsi ; with Elaphocera the relative size, the great convexity and 

 polish of the eyes, and the close fringing of side margin and felt like 

 fringing of hind margin of pronotum. Despite the simple tarsal claws, 

 and the indented prothorax, Plcotoma is much nearer to Elaphocera ; for 

 it has in common the short, transversely developed, equally outlined pro- 

 notum, the not dilated tibia, not shortened and broadened femora, the 

 elytra not narrowing posteriorly, and the bjilliant polish of the upper 

 side — all this in the male. But particularly in the female, which offer 

 precisely the same dissimilarities from the males — the greater convexity, 

 complete elytra, but lacking wings, thicker legs with shortened tarsi, 

 shortened antennal club, yet having the same number of joints &c. , are 

 Pleocoma and Elaphocera closely allied. 



The acquaintance with the female in itself, ought, in my view, to 

 have demonstrated to Leconte the INIelolonthid nature of the genus. 



That, with all its agreements with the two above mentioned Pachy- 

 • podid genera, Pleocoma yet has several peculiarities foreign to the others 

 in their entirety, cannot be denied. Yet even in this, it is not singular 

 in the PachypodidLC but simply enlarges the circle of aberrant unique 

 forms : as indeed Pachypus and Elaphocera themselves are, in both sexes, 

 as different as can be in habitus. As particular generic peculiarities of 

 Pleocoma, beside the eleven-jointed antennas with the club varying in 

 number of joints in the specie?, might be viewed, on the one hand the 

 well developed horn of the head, especially in the male; on the other 

 hand the strikingly dense and long woolly clothing of the breast, which 

 reminds one of PeotilothtP/a, Lachnndera, Anoxia et al ; and lastly also 

 various peculiarities in the torm and clothing of legs. Primarily in the 

 tarsi, there is, while equally slender, an essential dift'erence from Pachypus 



