TAXONOMIC STUDY OF MORDELLIDAE — BAY 295 



MORDELLISTENA EMARGINATA, new species 



FiGtniE 18, V 



This species is closely allied to dilufa Champion (1891, p. 338) but 

 may easily be separated from the latter member of the genus by the 

 much smaller size, the equality in length between antennal segments 

 3 and 4, the filiform condition of segments 5-10, and the presence of 

 an emargination at the frontal edge of the eye. 



Length: 1.1 mm.; including anal style, 1.4 mm. Elongate, narrow, 

 sides subparallel, narrowing only at apical fourth of elytra, broadest 

 at middle of pronotum. Head (including antennae and mouth parts) 

 and pronotum flavotestaceous, latter with a narrow, dark brown line 

 along base and posterior half of lateral margin; elytra flavobrun- 

 neous, somewhat darker along suture and sides; ventral surface fla- 

 vopiceous, three apical ventral segments flavobrunneous ; anterior and 

 intermediate legs flavotestaceous, posterior pair flavobrunneous; 

 ridges of posterior tibiae and tarsi piceous. Surface densely cov- 

 ered with fine, recumbent pubescence, partaking of ground color 

 except on dark areas of ventral surface, where it is flavous. 



Antennae 0.35 mm. long, almost reaching base of abdomen; seg- 

 ments 3 and 4 small, equal; 5-10 filiform, each almost as long as 3 

 and 4 together, but each slightly broader than 4; 11 distinctly longer 

 than 10, broadest at middle, rounded to apex. Distal segment of 

 maxillary palpi enlarged, fairly robust, elongate-ovate, broadest at 

 middle. Eyes large, coarsely gi^anulated, with a distinct emargina- 

 tion on frontal edge near antennal declivity. Pronotum slightly 

 broader than long (0.35 by 0.28 mm.), apex and sides rounded, basal 

 angles obtuse, base arcuate, midbasal lobe moderately long, rounded. 

 Scutellum small, broadly triangular. Elytra about two and one-half 

 times as long as broad (0.8 by 0.28 mm.), sides parallel to within one- 

 fourth of apex, thence attenuate and broadly rounded to apex, apices 

 individually rounded. Intermediate tibiae and tarsi equal in length ; 

 penultimate segment of anterior and intermediate tarsi simple. Pos- 

 terior tibiae with two oblique ridges extending halfway across outer 

 surface; basitarsi with two, second segment with one oblique ridge, 

 all extending halfway across outer surface. Tarsal claws with three 

 distinct teeth and a premedian, blunt, very small elevation (fig. 18, 

 c). Outer spur of posterior tibiae three times as long as inner one. 

 Anal style three times as long as apical ventral segment (0.3 by 0.1 

 mm.), narrow, attenuate to apex; last ventral segment but slightly 

 longer than penultimate one. 



Type locality — La Ceiba, Honduras. 



Type— A unique male, U.S.N.M. No. 52915, taken on October 18, 

 1916, by F. J. Dyer, 



