280 MR. M. JACOBY ON COLEOPTERA [May 21, 
SPARNUS MINUTUS, 0. sp. 
Ovate, convex, glabrous; piceous or black; the base of the 
antennze and the anterior legs pale testaceous; head and thorax 
distinctly punctured ; elytra obsoletely punctate-striate, theinterstices 
longitudinally costate. 
Length ? line. 
Head not longer than broad, with some irregularly placed punctures, 
piceous or sometimes dark fulvous; eyes large; penultimate joint 
of the palpi but moderately thickened, the apical one acutely pointed ; 
antennze rather widely separated, extending to the base of the elytra, 
the second joint strongly thickened and very short, the third scarcely 
longer and much thinner, the following joints transverse, moniliform, 
gradually and strongly thickened ; the colour variable, the three or 
four basal and sometimes the apical joint pale testaceous, at other 
times nearly black; thorax strongly transverse, nearly three times 
broader than long, the sides nearly straight, the posterior margin 
rounded, the anterior angles obliquely rounded, the sides distinctly 
narrower than the middle, the surface with a few fine and irregularly 
placed punctures ; elytra strongly ovate and convex, acutely pointed 
at the apex, glabrous and shining, nearly black, the punctured strize 
rather indistinct except at the base and at the sides, the interstices 
longitudinally convex, the posterior femora very strongly swollen, their 
tibiz slightly curved and longitudinally channelled, armed with a 
single distinct spine at the apex, the first joint of the posterior tarsi 
as long as the following three joints together; the swollen claw-joint 
appendiculate. 
From San Esteban and Caracas. 
This very small but interesting species probably forms the repre- 
tative of a new genus closely allied to Cyrton or Sparnus on account 
of its glabrous upper surface, the thickened antennee, and transversely 
shaped thorax, but seems to differ in the more filiform palpi and 
the exceptionally distantly placed antennz. In spite of these differ- 
ences I prefer to place the insect in Sparaus until similarly 
structured forms are found, the number of genera already existing 
in the group of @dipodes not making it desirable to increase them 
without sufficient and substantial structural characters being present. 
It will not be difficult to recognize S. minutus on account of the very 
ee ovate, posteriorly pomted shape, and the glabrous upper 
surface. 
DIABROTICA SIMONI, 0. Sp. 
Pale green, the head, scutellum, breast, and the tibiee and tarsi 
black ; antennze fulvous, the second and third joints short ; elytra 
subrugose, a sutural narrow short stripe black, the base and two 
obscure spots at and below the middle flavous. 
Fem. Thorax with four piceous elongate spots; humeral callus 
fulvous. 
Var. Elytra without flavous marks, bright green, shining. 
Length 23 lines. 
Head with a deep fovea, black, shining ; antennz nearly as long 
