272 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vou 87 



of pubescence are distinct enough to make immediate, superficial 

 separation possible. In all cases a combination of characters, rather 

 than a single one, has been used for specific and generic diagnosis. 



A peculiar characteristic has been observed in the present study. 

 At the ends of the tarsi are the tarsal claws, which are distinct 

 structures bearing one or more teeth on their mesal surfaces. These 

 teeth apparently vary in number, position, and shape according to 

 the species being considered. At present it seems premature to state 

 definitely that these will form a new character of specific value, 

 but there is apparently a diversity of detail that seems to provide 

 much the same diagnostic character as that provided by the geni- 

 talia in certain other groups. 



Closely appressed to the tarsal claws, and scarcely distinguishable 

 without being mounted on a slide, is an additional pair of tarsal 

 "claws," somewhat less heavily chitinized than the other pair. These 

 "claws" are attached to the pretarsus at the same point as the other 

 pair. Their specific value is probably somewhat less than that of 

 the external pair, owing to their lesser chitinization, which permits 

 a bending into various shapes before the integument hardens upon 

 emergence of the adult insect" This character has been observed 

 only in the subfamily Mordellinae, the Anaspinae apparently being 

 without it. In addition, all the Anaspinae that the writer has ob- 

 served have but the single terminal tooth on the tarsal claw. 



One new genus and 29 new species are herein recorded. Thirty 

 others are found to be much more widely distributed than has hith- 

 erto been supposed. Mention of described species is limited to those 

 forms known only from restricted localities. One other species is 

 taken out of synonymy. 



This study has been based primarily on material received from 

 the United States National Museum and the Mexican Department 

 of Agriculture, together with a small series of specimens from the 

 University of Puerto Rico and the Deutsches Entomologisches In- 

 stitut. The types of all new species are deposited in the National 

 Museum.^ Paratypes, when available, remain in the collection of 

 the writer. 



Grateful acknowledgment is made to officials of the National 

 Museum ; Dr. A. Dampf , chief entomologist of the Mexican Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture; Prof. S. A. Danforth, of the University of 

 Puerto Rico; and Dr. Walther Horn, director of the Deutsches 

 Entomologisches Institut. My thanks are due to Miss Kathryn Sum- 

 merman and Julius Bosen, graduate students in the Department of 

 Entomology at the University of Illinois, for their kind assistance 



» The types of Mordella militaris, new species, received from the Deutsches Entomo- 

 logisches Institut, are returned to that institution. 



