﻿OEDEMERID 
  BEETLES 
  — 
  ^ARNETT 
  89 
  

  

  the 
  third. 
  Both 
  mandibles 
  with 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  each 
  bifid. 
  Apical 
  

   segment 
  of 
  the 
  maxillary 
  palpus 
  large, 
  triangular 
  or 
  cultriform, 
  widest 
  

   at 
  the 
  base 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  center. 
  Thorax 
  slightly 
  longer 
  than 
  broad, 
  

   usually 
  only 
  slightly 
  expanded 
  apically 
  and 
  only 
  slightly 
  constricted 
  

   at 
  the 
  base. 
  Legs 
  slender, 
  claws 
  simple; 
  all 
  tarsi 
  with 
  only 
  the 
  

   penultimate 
  segment 
  of 
  each 
  spongy 
  beneath. 
  Elytra 
  distinctly 
  

   costate, 
  sometimes 
  markedly 
  so. 
  

  

  Male 
  genitalia: 
  Median 
  lobe 
  short, 
  base 
  wider, 
  without 
  proc- 
  

   esses, 
  tapering 
  towards 
  apex, 
  without 
  apical 
  enlargements. 
  Paramere 
  

   a 
  troughlike 
  plate, 
  wide 
  basally, 
  without 
  basal 
  processes, 
  narrowed 
  

   toward 
  apex; 
  apex 
  V-shaped, 
  emarginate; 
  tegminite 
  large, 
  spatulate. 
  

   Ninth 
  abdominal 
  sternite 
  hood-shaped, 
  with 
  two 
  basal 
  tails; 
  apex 
  

   expanded, 
  with 
  basally 
  projecting 
  lateral 
  flanges. 
  Ninth 
  tergite 
  

   two 
  parallel 
  rods, 
  apically 
  expanded 
  and 
  united 
  by 
  membrane. 
  

   Eighth 
  abdominal 
  sternite 
  and 
  tergite 
  each 
  bilobed, 
  the 
  sternite 
  larger. 
  

   Setae 
  present 
  on 
  the 
  apical 
  lobes 
  of 
  the 
  eighth 
  abdominal 
  segment. 
  

  

  Biology. 
  — 
  Unknown. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  — 
  KJno^vn 
  only 
  from 
  Central 
  America 
  and 
  the 
  extreme 
  

   southwestern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  

  

  Key 
  to 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  Vasaces 
  

  

  1. 
  Apical 
  segment 
  of 
  the 
  maxillary 
  palpus 
  cultriform 
  (fig. 
  13, 
  gr), 
  its 
  outer 
  edge 
  

  

  sinuate 
  2 
  

  

  Apical 
  segment 
  of 
  the 
  maxillary 
  palpus 
  triangular 
  (fig. 
  13, 
  /i) 
  4 
  

  

  2. 
  Costae, 
  suture, 
  and 
  margins 
  of 
  elytra 
  fusco-piceous, 
  intervals 
  pale; 
  antennae 
  

  

  uniformly 
  dark 
  except 
  for 
  small 
  pale 
  areas 
  at 
  the 
  joints; 
  legs 
  dark, 
  

  

  slightly 
  paler 
  at 
  joints 
  linearis, 
  new 
  species 
  

  

  Elytra 
  with 
  uniform 
  coloration 
  3 
  

  

  3. 
  Elytra 
  uniformly 
  brassy 
  costatus 
  Champion 
  

  

  Elytra 
  dark 
  knulli, 
  new 
  species 
  

  

  4. 
  Pale 
  testaceous; 
  elytra 
  with 
  costae 
  and 
  suture 
  each 
  with 
  an 
  indistinct, 
  inter- 
  

  

  rupted 
  row 
  of 
  fine, 
  oblong 
  streaks 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  sordidus 
  Champion 
  

  

  Dark 
  species, 
  otherwise 
  marked 
  5 
  

  

  5. 
  Pronotum 
  orange 
  with 
  black 
  maculations, 
  head 
  short__maculatus, 
  new 
  species 
  

   Pronotum 
  dark, 
  head 
  elongate 
  6 
  

  

  6. 
  Pronotum 
  with 
  sides 
  nearly 
  parallel 
  elongatus, 
  new 
  species 
  

  

  Pronotum 
  distinctly 
  sinuate 
  laterally 
  aenipennis, 
  Champion 
  

  

  Vasaces 
  linearis, 
  new 
  species 
  

   FiGUBB 
  13, 
  c, 
  e-g, 
  j~l, 
  m, 
  n 
  

  

  Diagnostic 
  characters. 
  — 
  The 
  light 
  brassy 
  color, 
  with 
  the 
  dark 
  brown, 
  

   prominent 
  elytral 
  costae, 
  readily 
  differentiates 
  this 
  species 
  from 
  the 
  

   others. 
  It 
  is 
  most 
  closely 
  related 
  to 
  V. 
  costatus 
  since 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  

   the 
  apical 
  segment 
  of 
  the 
  maxillary 
  palpus 
  is 
  similar. 
  

  

  