280 MR. M. JACOBY ON coLEOPTKRA [May 21, 



Sparnus minutus, u. sp. 



Ovate, convex, glabrous; piceous or black; the base of the 

 antennae and the anterior legs pale testaceous ; head and thorax 

 distinctly punctured ; elytra obsoletely punctate-striate, the interstices 

 longitudinally costate. 



Length | line. 



Head not longer than broad, with some irregularly placed punctures, 

 piceous or sometimes dark fulvous ; eyes large ; penultimate joint 

 of tlie palpi but moderately thickened, the apical one acutely pointed ; 

 antennae 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 otiier 

 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 striae 

 rather indistinct except at the base and at the sides, the interstices 

 longitudinally convex, the posterior femora very strongly swollen, their 

 tibiae slightly curved and longitudinally channelled, armed with a 

 single distinct s])ine 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 repfe- 

 tative of a new genus closely allied to Cyrton or Sparnus on account 

 of its glabrous upper surface, the thickened antennae, and transversely 

 shaped thorax, but seems to differ in the more filiform palpi and 

 the exceptionally distantly placed antennae. In spite of these differ- 

 ences I prefer to place the insect in Sparnus until similarly 

 structured forms are found, the number of genera already existing 

 in the group of (Edipodes 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 

 strongly ovate, posteriorly pointed shape, and the glabrous upper 

 surface. 



DiABROTICA SIMONI, U. Sp. 



Pale green, the head, scutellum, breast, and the tibiae and tarsi 

 black ; anteunaj fulvous, the second and third joints short ; elytra 

 subrugose, a sutural narrow short stripe black, the base and two 

 obscure sjjots 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 2| lines. 



Head with a deep fovea, black, shining ; antennae nearly as long 



