Coleoptcra of Grenada and St. Vincent (IF. Indies). 515 



Oephnid^. 



^gidium vinccntim, sp. n. 



Parum elongatum, nigro-piceum, capite crebre punctato, clypeo 

 antice leviter acmninato, protliorace grosse punctato, ((J, medio 

 longitudiaaliter excavato, minus dense punctato) lateribus valde 

 arcuatis, grosse crenulatis, setigeris, postice perspicue marginato ; 

 scutello ]a3vi, modice elongato ; elytris vix quam capite et j^rothorace 

 longioribus, lateribus ubique curvatis, hand costatis, dense strigose 

 puiictatis, punctis setigeris. 



Long. 11 mm. 



Hah. St. Vincent, La Souffriere Vulcano, Petit Bordelle 

 Valley, 1000—2500 feet. 



Two specimens, one of each sex, were found under logs. 

 The male is probably almost at the minimum develop- 

 ment. The species is near .^. parvulum, Westw., but 

 rather more elongate, although considerably shorter than 

 jE. colombianmn, Westw. The elytral cost* have almost 

 entirely vanished. The sides of the prothorax are much 

 more distinctly and regularly crenated than in ^E. parvu- 

 lum, and the flattened hind margin is broader. 



It must be noted here that the Central American insects 

 described by Bates as varieties of ^. colombianum are 

 quite distinct specifically from that form. Both sexes 

 are smaller and relatively shorter, much more strongly 

 punctured, especially upon the head and metasternum, 

 and with a less narrow and parallel-sided scutellum. In 

 the male the thorax is almost rugosely punctured, whereas 

 in Westwood's species it is polished and shining. Although 

 in the latter there are large scattered punctures in the 

 dorsal cavity, they are of a different nature, and do not 

 interfere with the smoothness of the surface. 



yE. coloinhianu'in seems to inhabit Western South 

 America as far south as Chili, from which country there 

 are two female specimens in our collection which cannot 

 be distinguished from it. The Central American species 

 ranges from Nicaragua to Bogota. It should be called 

 /E. crihrainm, that name having been given to the typical 

 specimen figured by Bates as a variety of ^. colomhianuni. 



It is curious that a remarkable sexual characteristic of 

 these insects has been overlooked, although Westwood has 

 figured the structure of the genus in such detail. The 

 front tibia of the female has three external teeth and a 

 very strong short spine internally. In the male this spine 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1903. — PART IV. (DEC.) 35 



