300 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM VOL. 87 



MORDELLISTENA DECORA, new species 



FiGUBE 18, h 



This species is closely allied to flUcomis Champion (1891, p. 342), 

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

 the greater length of the fourth antennal segment, the shorter, bicol- 

 ored antennae, and the broader, much shorter distal segment of the 

 maxillary palpi. 



Length : 3.7 mm. ; including anal style, 5 mm. Form narrow, elon- 

 gate, sides subparallel, but slightly narrowing caudad until apical 

 fourth of elytra, broadest near base of pronotum. Head, pronotum, 

 anterior and intermediate legs, four basal segments of antennae and 

 spurs of posterior tibiae, castaneous ; elytra, eyes, and ventral surface 

 piceous, seven distal segments of antennae and posterior legs piceo- 

 castaneous. Body densely covered with fine, recumbent pubescence, 

 partaking of ground color on castaneous parts, yellowish white else- 

 where, short and indistinct on eyes. 



Antennae 1.2 mm. long, almost^, reaching base of lateral pronotal 

 margin ; segment 4 slightly longer and broader than 3 ; 5-10 each one- 

 half longer and distinctly thicker than 4, not serrate, however, broad- 

 est subapically; 11 large, one-half longer than 10, sides and apex 

 rounded, broadest postmedially. Distal segment of maxillary palpi 

 enlarged, form of a broad, scalene triangle, lateral margin straight, 

 corners and other two sides rounded. Pronotum but slightly broader 

 than long (1.1 by 1 mm.), sides rounded, basal angles obtuse, base 

 arcuate, midbasal lobe short, subtruncate. Scutellum small, broadly 

 triangular, sides straight, apical angle rounded. Elytra almost two 

 and one-half times as long as broad (2.7 by 1.1 mm.), sides gently 

 narrowing on basal three-fourths, thence broadly rounded to apex, 

 apices individually rounded. Intermediate tarsi distinctly longer than 

 their tibiae; penultimate segment of anterior and intermediate tarsi 

 short, filiform. Posterior tibiae with two oblique ridges, basal one 

 extending entirely across outer surface, the other halfway; basitarsi 

 with three, second segment with two oblique ridges, each extending 

 halfway across outer surface. Tarsal claws with four teeth, three 

 acute and long, fourth short, blunt, premedian (fig. 18, h). Outer 

 spur of posterior tibiae two and one-half times as long as inner one. 

 Anal style two and six-tenth times length of apical ventral segment 

 (1.3 by 0.5 mm.), narrow, attenuate to apex; last ventral segment 

 slightly more than twice length of penultimate one. 



Type JocaUfy. — Centinela. Colima, Mexico. 



Type.~K unique male, U.S.N.M. No. 52941, collected on Jauuarv 

 28, 1930, on cotton (A. Dampf). 



