Amazonian Prionides. 49 



Cohort 3. Poecilosomi. 



Genus Mallaspis. 

 Serville, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1832, p. 188. 



The characters of this genus, in Lacordaire^s " Genera,'* 

 derived from the antennee, especially those of the $ , 

 are no longer applicable, since species have lately been 

 discovered * which differ frora the types in this respect. 

 In fact, there is now no character to distinguish the genua 

 from Pyrodes, except the pilose scutellum. 



* These are as follows. 



Mallaspis Beltii, u. sp. 



Species distinctissima, antennis in utroque sexu articulis linearibus, 

 colore ? a (J valde diverso ; mesosterno et metasteruo sutura dis- 

 tincte divisis. 



^ Long. 18-20 lin. 



Oblonga, convexa, postice attenuata, asneo-castanea, capite thoraceque 

 seneo-fuscis, antennis tibiis et tarsis rufo-castaneis. Caput magnum, 

 elongatissimum, subremote modice punctatum, lateribus parallelis, 

 fronte, late sulcata. Thorax pone medium valde dentatus, antice iri 

 linea subrectus, angustatus, minute irregulariter denticulatus, pone 

 dentem sinuatus, angulis posticis nullis, supra aBqualis, modice crebre 

 punctatus, subnitidus, lateribus rugulosis. Elytra parte basali con- 

 vexa, iDostice declivia, apice oblique truncata, angulo sutm-ali pro- 

 minenti acuto, humeris antice protrusis, supra prope basin vermicu- 

 lato-punctata, postice subtiliter punctato-coriacea. Corpus subtus 

 ffineum, griseo-tomentosum ; pedes rufo-castanei, femoribus obscu- 

 rioribus. Antennae corjjore paulo longiores, rufae, articiilis a 3° 

 omnibus linearibus, 3° pauUo latiori sed lineari, ultimis duobus basi 

 intus spinosis. Scutellum aureo-tomentosum. 



$ 15 lin. Forma (J similis ; postice minus angustatus, capite breviori ; 

 thorace et elytris basi fortiter rugoso-puuctatis, colore omnino satu- 

 rate-feneo vel obscure-cyaneo, antennis pedibusque cyaneis ; corpore 

 subtus glabro. Antenna corporis dimidio longitudine Eequales, arti- 

 culis linearibus, c}'aneis. Processus prosterni canaliculatus. 



Hah. — Chontales, Nicaragua. Dom. Belt invenit. 



Mallaspis Salvini, n. sp. 



M. Beltii proxime affinis ; eadem differentia sexuum formaqiie protho- 



racis et antennarum. 

 {? Long. 15-16 lin. Oblonga, depressa, postice attenuata, supra tota 



Isete anea, subtus aureo-refulgens. Caput thorax et elytra ut in M. 



Beltii, sed illud grossius pmictatimi nitidum, hsec prope apices minus 



attenuata, obtusius rotundata. Antennas corpore longiores, articulis 



duobus ultimis basi tuberculatis, rufae. Pedes rufi, femoribus sneo- 



tinctis. 

 ? 15 lin. Jlf. Beltii ? forma et colore simillima ; caput multo grossius 



rugoso-pimctatum ; antennae omnino violacese ; processus prosterni 



haud canaliculatus. 

 Hah. — Costa Rica. A Dom. Salvin receptus. 



TKANS. ENT. SOC. 1869. PART I. (apRIL) . E 



