26 



the prosternal line in front of the procoxa or the 



metasternal line behind the mesocoxa. 



In the majority of Ischyrus species the coxal lines 

 are not connected to other lines and extend onto the 

 sclerite (Fig. 9a) . If the coxal line is connected to the 

 anterior or posterior line, it is "continuous around the 

 coxae," because there is no break in the line surrounding 

 the coxae (Fig. 9), and the line does not extend onto the 

 sclerite . 

 Prosternum 



The prosternum is a T-shaped sclerite with the base 

 between the procoxae and the cap anterior to the procoxae. 

 The anteromedial section of the prosternum is often keel- 

 like and elevated above the sides to the level between the 

 procoxae (Fig. 10), straight in profile. This elevation 

 makes the anterior margin project at the middle, appearing 

 as a "pitcher-like lip" (according to Boyle 1956) . When 

 the prosternum is keeled and has this "pitcher-like lip, " I 

 refer to it as being "pinched, " because it appears 

 laterally pinched. The strength of this pinch, also the 

 amount it projects, is variable throughout Ischyrus and can 

 be absent (Fig. 10a, 10b), weak (Fig. 10c, lOd) , or strong 

 (Fig. lOe, lOf) . 



In a few species (for example, I. n. sp. 5, I. n. sp. 

 6, and I. n. sp . 7) the prosternal keel appears anteriorly 

 swollen just behind the margin (Fig. lOg, lOh) . I call 

 this "swollen above the pinch." 



