478 Mr. F. P. Pascoe on Sphserion and Mallocera. 



In the genus Mallocera, whieli Serville places between Eury- 

 merus and Purpuricenus, we may include M. opulenta, Newm., 

 althougli the apices of the elytra are not in accordance with 

 Serville's description ; but the three Peruvian species described 

 by Erichson (Wiegmann's Arch. 1847, pp.140-141) must remain 

 doubtful for the present. M. undulans and lateralis of White have 

 been separated by M. Thomson to form his genus Appula : but 

 this seems to me to be synonymous with Stizocera, Serv. ; indeed 

 M. lateralis stands under the name of "Stizocera armata, Serv." 

 in some collections, but the species scarcely agrees with that 

 author's description. Appula, or rather Stizocera, only differs 

 from Mallocera in the four posterior femora terminating in 

 spines — a character of possibly only specific importance. Mal- 

 locera ehurioides, Wh., is better placed among the allies oiEburia, 

 as the fourth joint of the antennae is as long as the succeeding 

 one, which is not the case in the Spharion set ; and it has the 

 habit of Ehuria, including the raised ivory-like spots of that 

 genus. A species well known as Mallocera ohliqua (Dej.), but 

 described by Serville as a Trichophorus, is now the genus Eury- 

 sthea, Thomson. Another well-known species, Mallocera virgata 

 (Chev. MS.) I have here separated under the generic name of 

 Limozota. M. simplex, Wh., can only be regarded as a very 

 aberrant member, if one at all, of the genus in which Mr. White 

 has placed it. 



Before describing the new genera, the following short dia- 

 gnostic formula will serve to distinguish Sphcerion as it is here 

 limited : — 



SPHiERION. 



AntenneB elongatse (in fcEm. corpore sequales) ; art. stio-g""" vel 7™* 



spinosis. 

 Prothorax subdepressus. 

 TibicE posticae subcompressae vel vix subcompressae, calcaratse. 



It should be observed that the prothorax, except in being 

 cylindrical, as opposed to depressed, affords no characters of 

 generic value, for it is found to vary considerably in closely 

 allied species : the basal antennal joints are often longitudinally 

 grooved; but this character also is not to be relied on. Nearly 

 all the species referred to Sphcerion and Mallocera are natives of 

 the tropical parts of North and South America"^. 



The first of the two species here described is, I believe, S, 

 suturale of Dejean's Catalogue. 



* S. orientate, Wh., represented by a single specimen in the British 

 Museum, is said to be from India. 



