COLEOPTERA OF BAJA CALIFORNIA. 4II 



Spermophagus (zabrotes) semicinctus n. sp. 



Quadrate-oval, robust, black, clothed beneath with cin- 

 ereous pubescence, above black,variegated with cinereous. 

 Antenna? feebly serrate, more than half the length of the 

 body, black. Front feebly carinate. Thorax nearly 

 semicircular with relatively coarse scattered punctures, 

 the interspaces densely punctulate, clothed with black 

 pubescence, at sides narrowly cinereous, in front of scutel- 

 lum a long, narrow, triangular cinereous space branched 

 in front, between the middle and sides three other cine- 

 reous spots, one of which joins the margin. Scutellum 

 white. Elytra striate, stria; finely punctate, intervals flat, 

 densely finely punctulate, clothed with black pubescence 

 an irregular, narrow cinereous band at middle attaining 

 the side but not the suture, a few dashes of cinereous on 

 alternate intervals in front of and behind this band. Py- 

 gidium black with ochreo-cinereous pubescence along its 

 anterior border and a conspicuous white line at middle. 

 Length, .09 inch; 2.25 mm. 



This species differs from all described in our fauna in 

 the thoracic markings, and is evidently near \.o ^ectoralis 

 of Mexico. 



Dr. Sharp (Biol. Cent. Am., vol. v, p. 492) seems 

 hardly willing to admit Zabrotes to full generic rank, but 

 the feebly or not toothed claws, contiguous front cox«, 

 the shorter scutellum, together with the general facies, 

 seem to entitle it to recognition. The question, however, 

 still remains open whether titiviUtius, the tj^pe of the ge- 

 nus Spermophagus, may not be the type of the Zabrotes 

 group. In that case the latter will truly be a synonym 

 and the other larger forms as robinice, etc., will have a 

 new name. 



San Jose del Cabo. 



