SCARAB BEETLE GENUS PSAMMODIUS — CARTWRIGHT 453 



more coarsely so anteriorly, the tubercles tending to unite transversely, 

 posteriorly becoming only weakly wrinkled and merging almost im- 

 perceptibly with the sm.ooth, minutely punctate occiput. Clypeus 

 with a small, triangular tooth each side of the wide, very shallow 

 emargination, sides slightly arcuate, the nearly right-angled genae not 

 fimbriate. Pronotum convex, width 1.2 mm., length 0.85 mm., 

 anterior angles oljtuse, posterior angles broadly rounded, complete, 

 fine marginal line, sides posteriorly and base fimbriate with very short, 

 inconspicuous setae, the setae about as long as the diam.eter of the 

 coarse punctures of the pronotum, surface without depressions or 

 furrows except for the very small lateral foveac and a slight depression 

 in the anterior angle, closely, evenly punctate throughout, the punc- 

 tures moderate over basal two-thirds, gradually m.uch finer anteriorly, 

 narrowly along the base, and beyond the lateral foveae. Elytra con- 

 vex, shining, width 1.2 mm., length 1.85 mm., sides almost parallel, 

 base margined, humerus not noticeably dentate, margins not fim- 

 briate; striae moderately deep, crenate-punctate, the punctures fine 

 and deep; all intervals convex, practically impunctate, shoulders 

 distinctly, closely, finely punctate. Metasternum shining, smooth 

 but with sparse, scattered, minute punctures, depressed at middle, 

 the median line long, deep, abruptly terminated at each end, anterior 

 postcoxal line absent. Abdominal segments shining, sparsely, rather 

 finely, shallowly punctate throughout, the punctures separated by two 

 or three times their diameters, finely crenate along anterior margin, 

 the terminal segment m.uch more widely and deeply so at middle. 

 Pygidium closely finely punctate, alutaceous basally along the trans- 

 verse carina. Anterior femur with fine anterior marginal groove, 

 posterior face shining, a few moderate punctures and alutaceous lines 

 at opposite edge. Posterior femur only one-tenth wider than m.iddle 

 femur. ^^liddle and posterior femurs smooth and shining, posterior 

 marginal line very short or absent. Posterior tibia not quite three 

 times as long as wide at apex, anteapical transverse ridge partly de- 

 veloped, spurs slender, the longer not quite as long as fii'st two tarsal 

 joints combined. Length 3 mm., width 1.2 mm. 



Type: In Biologia collection, British Museum. (Natural History). 



Type locality: Veracruz, Mexico. 



Specimens examined: 2 cotypes. 



Remarks: This small species is perhaps nearest P. bidens Horn, 

 but it is not closely allied to any of the other species of Psammodius. 

 It has both the appearance and many of the characters of an Ataenius, 



Psammodius formosus, new species 



Holotype oblong, convex, shining, rufopiceous. Antennae testa- 

 ceous. Head moderately convex, verrucose, basally at middle with 

 close fine tubercles which rapidly become finer and disappear toward 



