336 Mr. G. Lewis 





Lacon, Castelnau. 



A sexual character in the males of certain species of this 

 genus has been noticed by Champion (Biol. Centr.-Amer. 

 vol. iii. pt. 1, p. 263, 1894). In some species the males have 

 an almost smooth space on the fifth ventral segment, varying 

 in size in different species. I find this character in two 

 Japanese species : in L. cordicollis, Cand., the male has a 

 smooth disk equal to nearly one third of the ventral area ; the 

 space leaves a narrow margin only at the apex and anteriorly 

 it does not reach beyond the middle. In L. binodulus, 

 Motsch., the smooth space is further from the apex, is some- 

 what triangular, and extends to the base. I have not found 

 any corresponding character in L. fuliginosus, Cand., nor in 

 L. 4-nodatus, Lew., and I believe my single example of the 

 latter is a male. The golden hair which forms the clothing 

 of L. 4-nodatus is very short and curved, and under the 

 microscope is seen to be cirriform. 



Lacon scuteUaris, Candeze. 



Lacon scuteUaris, Cand. Mean. Acad. Belg., Elat. Nouv. v. (publication 

 pending). 



" Fuscus, confertissime squamulosus, squamulis fulvis, brunneis, 

 albicantibusque marmoratim intermixtis ; prothorace latitudine 

 haud longiore, dorso sequali, angulis posticis obtusis, oblique 

 carinatis ; scutello albo squamuloso ; elytris seriatim puuctatis ; 

 sulcis tarsalibus nullis. 



" L. 15-18 mill., lat. 5-6 mill. 



" Hah. Japon meridional ; Oshima." 



I found this species at Yokohama and other places, but 

 until I saw Candeze's description in a separate copy circulated 

 in advance of publication I did not consider my specimens 

 differed from those of L. fuliginosus, Cand. 



Melanotopsis, Lew. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xiii. p. 192 

 (1894) ,= Sphenicosomus, Schwarz, Wien. ent. Zeit. xi. 

 p. 132 (1892). 



Schwarz' s genus I find is established on the same species 

 as mine and has priority. Schwarz considers Melanotus to 

 be a Palajarctic genus ; but the Palsearctic zone is limited to 

 lat. 40° N., and Melanotus occurs in the tropics. I have 

 taken more than one species between lat. 6° and 7°. 



