254 Mr. D. SliaTp's Contributions to (lie 



LiTHOCIIARIS. 



The species of tins Avidely-dlstributed genus arc no- 

 Avhere more numerous than in South America; thirteen 

 species have ah-eaily been described by Erichson from 

 Cohnnbia, so tluit it is not surprising that I should here 

 describe twenty-two species from the Amazons. Among 

 these twenty-two sjiecies there is sufficient variety in 

 structural points to render it probable that some of them 

 will ultimately be referred to new genera. The L. munda 

 bears considerable resemblance in general a])pearance to a 

 jScopauis, and it is ]n*obable that this resemblance is indi- 

 cative of a real afhuity. The five s])ecies (X. ocnlata^ 

 quadrata, egenn, hannlis and nrduti) with setose antennte, 

 the two basal joints of which are stout, the others slender, 

 may also perhaps form a distinct genus ; indeed, Kraatz 

 has already founded a genus ( Tldnocharis) for some 

 Ceylon species ])ossessing this structure of the antennae ; 

 but, as it is doubtful whether the South American species 

 I am alluding to are really congeneric with the Eastern 

 Tldnocharis, and as Erichson has already described as 

 members of the genus Lithocliaris several Columbian 

 species with similarly-formed antenna?, I have preferred 

 associatinfj the new forms here described Avith the coo:nate 

 forms from a neighbouring locality. 



L. discedens and L. connexa are distinguished by a 

 peculiarity of structure of the 4th joint of the hind 

 and middle tarsi, and are probably closely related to the 

 Columbian L. biseriata, Er. 



The most peculiar of the new species I here describe 

 are the four I have placed at the end of the genus, viz., 

 />. -polita, (fermana, jpagana and picta. These four 

 species I anticipate will be found to be closely allied to 

 X. mncidnris and L. anfjularis, Er., from Venezuela and 

 Columbia. jNIr. Solsky, Avho has in the Hor. Soc. Ent. 

 Ross. (v. p. 142, pi. iv.) described and figured the 

 trophi of Dacnochilus Icctus, Leconte, has suggested that 

 Erichson's L. angnlaris should be placed in that genus ; 

 and in the INIunich Catalogue this has been done. On 

 comparing the parts of the mouth of the species here 

 desci'ibed with Solsky's figures, I find them to be far from 

 agreeing therewith ; the labrum in the four species I 

 describe possesses an acute stout tooth on either side of 

 the central notch, while in Solsky's figure the lobes are 

 quite destitute of this ; the 3rd joint of the maxillary 



