TAXONOMIC STUDY OF MORDELLIDAE — RAY 301 



MORDELLISTENA FLAVICORNIS Champion 



Mordellistena flavicornis Champion, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Coleoptera, 

 vol. 4, pt. 2, p. 342, pi. 15, fig. 15, 1891. 



One specimen: Juan Mina Plantation, Canal Zone, Panama, July 

 13, 1928, swej)t from grass and cowpeas (H. J. Dietz and J. Zetek). 



MORDELLISTENA MUTABILIS Champion 



Mordellistena mutabilis Champion, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Coleoptera, vol. 

 4, pt. 2, p. 339, pi. 15, figs. 9-11, 1891. 



Eight specimens: Six from Cordoba, Veracruz, Mexico, (3) April 

 30, (1) May 5, and (2) May 17, 1908 (A. Fenyes) ; two from Cacao, 

 Trece Aguas, Alta Vera Paz, Guatemala, March 30 and April 29 

 (Schwarz and Barber). 



MORDELLISTENA ORNATIPENNIS, new species 



Figure 18, i 



This species is most closely allied to hasimacula Champion ( 1891, p. 

 341) and may be separated from the latter member of the genus by 

 the shorter, broader, terminal segment of the maxillary palpi and the 

 tiDO long ridges of the posterior tibiae. 



Length: (male) 2.25 mm., (female) 2.75 mm.; including anal style, 

 (male) 3.25, (female) 3.75 mm. Elongate, narrow, sides subparallel; 

 head fuscocastaneous ; pronotum fuscocastaneous with a large, 

 rounded, castaneous spot on each side at middle ; elytra f uscopiceous, 

 with an oblique, narrow^, castaneous, humeral spot extending obliquely 

 toward suture and separated from latter by less than its own width; 

 front and middle legs and anal style castaneous, ventral surface and 

 posterior legs fuscopiceous. Surface densely covered with fine, 

 recumbent, flavous pubescence. 



Antennae 0.7 mm. long, reaching posterior coxae ; segments 3 and 4 

 equal; 5 to 10 each almost as long as 3 and 4 together; 11 rounded, 

 one-third longer than 10. Distal segment of maxillary palpi en- 

 larged, subtriangular, outer margin straight, corners rounded, apical 

 and inner margins curved. Pronotum as long as broad, apex and 

 sides rounded, basal angles obtuse, base arcuate, midbasal lobe short, 

 rounded. Scutellum small, triangular, apical angle rounded. Elytra 

 three times as long as broad (1.75 by 0.58 mm.), sides parallel to 

 within one-fourth of apex, apices individually rounded. Penultimate 

 segment of anterior and intermediate tarsi dilated. Posterior tibiae 

 with a short subapical ridge and two long, oblique ridges, each ex- 

 tending entirely across outer surface; basitarsi with three oblique 

 ridges, each extending two-thirds across outer surface; second seg- 

 ment with two ridges, each almost completely spanning articulation. 

 Tarsal claws with four rather thick, blunt teeth, distal one longest, 



