292 [November, 



ON A NEW GENUS OF ANTHICID^ FROM TROPICAL SOUTH 



AMERICA. 



BY G. C. CHAMPION, F.Z.S. 



In dealing with the rather numerous Central American repre- 

 sentatives of the genus Tomoderus (Biol. Centr.-Am., Col., iv, pt. 2, 

 p. 215), I briefly noticed an allied form from Colombia, and stated my 

 opinion that it was probably geuerically distinct ; but as this insect 

 did not belong to the fauna then under investigation, I did not examine 

 it very critically. Since these remarks were written I have seen, in 

 the collection of M. Eene Oberthiir, additional examples of the 

 Colombian insect, and also of a second species from Venezuela ; and 1 

 now propose to separate these from Tomoderus under the name 

 Holcopyge. 



HOLCOPTGE, gen. nov. 

 Head, antennse, palpi, prothorax, and legs as in Tomoderus ; the elytra ovate, 

 greatly inflated, very convex, somewhat compressed and obliquely converging at the 

 sides behind, the sutural angles sharp, the humeri completely eifaced ; the meso- 

 eternum very narrowly raised between the intermediate coxse ; the metasternum 

 exceedingly short (the middle and hind coxae being separated by a very narrow 

 space) ; the intercoxal process of the abdomen broader than in Tomoderus ; the Ist 

 ventral segment in the middle nearly as long as segments 2 — 4 united ; the terminal 

 dorsal segment (or pygidium) with a very sharply defined, deep, longitudinal furrow 

 extending down the middle from the base to the apex ; body apterous. 



Owing to the very convex, ovate elytra, Holcopyge bears a great 

 resemblance to certain ScydmcBnidcB, more especially to the eastern 

 genus Clidicus, Cast. The form of the terminal dorsal segment is 

 very peculiar, the groove being evidently for the purpose of effectually 

 closing the elytra at the apex, the inturned sutural margins just fitting 

 into the groove. The terminal dorsal segment or pygidium is long, 

 smooth, and highly corneous, and when the elytra are closed it is with- 

 drawn beneath them. The elytra have a greatly inflated or gibbous 

 appearance, and are raised above the level of the prothorax. 



The two species are closely allied, one being from Yenezuela and 

 the other from Colombia. I am indebted to M. Eene Oberthiir for an 

 example of each of them. 



Holcopyge pallidicoenis, sp. n. 



Moderately elongate, broad, of a bright castaneous or reddish-castaneous colour, 

 very shining, the upper surface somewhat thickly clothed with very long, erect, 

 yellowish hairs. Head broad, a little rounded at the sides behind, subtruncate at 

 the base, with a few minute widely scattered punctures ; the eyes black, moderately 

 large, coarsely granulated, not prominent ; antenna; testaceous, long, rather slender. 



