34 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xvi. 



Large species ; body very convex, subcompressed above, excavated beneath for the 

 femora; tibiae not dentate ; claws strongly toothed, almost bifid Axion, 



Smaller species ; body as in Axion ; tibiae dentate ; claws strongly toothed. 



Chilocorus. 



Still smaller ; body convex above, not excavated beneath ; tibiae not dentate ; claws 

 variable Exochomus. 



Exochomus may be divided into three subgenera as follows : 



Body more convex, almost subcompressed; front tibite dilated in front into a keel; 



claws strongly toothed subgen. Arawana. 



Body simply convex ; front tibiae simple ; claws strongly toothed except in the species 



fasciatus subgen. Exochomus. 



Body convex ; front tibise simple ; claws at most feebly toothed and absolutely simple 

 in septentrion is subgen. Brumus. 



The type of the subgenus Arawana is the insect described by 

 Casey as Exochomus arizonicus. 



Axion Muls. 



Very convex, subcompressed insects with smooth, almost impunctate 

 elytra, black with red spots in our species. Pronotum feebly punctate 

 near the side margins which are not pubescent, apical angles more or 

 less pale. The males have the fifth segment emarginate, and a minute 

 sixth segment, and the legs are paler than the females. In some species 

 part of the head also is pale. 



Synopsis of Species. 



Abdomen red I 



Abdomen in great part black 2 



1. Elytra each with one large red spot pilatei. 



Elytra each with a basal red spot and a small common sutural spot behind the 



middle ; epipleurae thicker tripustulatum. 



2. Elytra each with one large red spot plagiatum. 



Axion pilatei Muls. 



Broadly oval, very convex, elytra explanate. Black above except for a large 

 red subbasal spot on the elytra. Red beneath except legs and middle of each abdom- 

 inal segment black. First segment of abdomen and epipleurae concave for the 

 reception of the legs. Anterior angles of thorax nubilously pale. Epistoma almost 

 encircling the eyes in front and fringed with hair. Glabrous above. Claws strongly 

 toothed. Punctuation of upper surface so fine as to be almost invisible without 

 microscopic examination ; under the microscope finely confluently punctulate with 

 distant larger shallow punctures, the latter more evident on the pronotum and espe- 

 cially at its sides. Beneath more evidently punctured and pubescent especially on 

 the abdomen and legs. Tarsi beneath densely spongy pubescent. Legs strongly 

 contractile. Ventral plate incomplete, not reaching the margin of the segment. 



In tae male, the usual minute sixth ventral segment is present. The head in 



