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XYIII. Description of a New Species of the ano)iudous 

 genus Polyctenes. 



By Chas. 0. Waterhouse. 



[Read December 1st, 1880.] 



(Plate IX.) 



I have very much pleasure in bringing before the 

 Society's notice a new species of the curious genus 

 Polyctenes. 



The species of this genus may be divided into two 

 sections as follows : — 



I. Posterior legs very long, as long as the whole 



insect, the claws to their tarsi nearly equal, 

 with a small tooth at the base. American. 

 Tj^pe. P. fumarius. 



II. Posterior legs comparatively short and thick, 



about half the length of the entire insect, 

 having their claws unequal, one being nearly 

 simple, the other large, bent, and as if divided 

 into two by a deep incision. Old World. 

 Type. P. molossiis. 



To this second section belong my species, P. Ujne and 

 P. spasmce. (T. Ent. Soc. 1879, pp. H and 12). 



The species which I am now about to describe belongs 

 to the first section, and is from Guatemala. I propose 

 to call it — 



Pohjctenes longiceps. 



Very close to P.fumarins, Giglioli and Westw. {see 

 Westwood, 'Thesaurus,' pi. 38), but of a more elongate 

 and narrow form, and rather more pitchy yellow colour. 

 The character by which it may be most easily dis- 

 tinguished is the form of the head, which is distinctly 

 longer than its greatest width, whereas in P. fumarius 

 the head is broader than long. The ridges on the head 

 are similar to those in P. fumarius, but the punctuation 

 is stronger. The thorax and elytra agree with those of 

 fumarius in general form, but are less short, and the 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. 1880. PART IV. (dEC.) 



