DIPLOTAXIS. 159 



5. Diplotaxis trapezifera. (Tab. IX. fig. 24, e .) 



D. cribraticolli quam maxime affinis ; differt c? clypeo longiore et magis angustato, anguste trapeziformi, late- 

 ribus subrectis, apice sat angusto, sinuato. Toto rufo-testacea, supra nuda ; clypeo concavo, grossissime 

 punctato, fronte subtiHus punctata ; thorace angulis posticis rotundatis, antice angustato ; elytris discrete 

 punctatis, geminate-pun ctato-striatis, costis haud elevatis, subtiliter et sparsim seriato-punctatis ; pygidio 

 propygidioque grosse et profunde discrete, ventre sternoque medio subtilius disperse, punctatis. 



Tarsi cJ subtus fimbriato-pilosi ; <j> vix pilosi clypeoque angulis obfcusis. Ventris segmentum 6 m breve, 

 interdum (retractum) margine tantum perspicuo. 



Long. 7-8| millim. 



Eab. Mexico, Ventanas, Presidio, Tres Marias Islands (Forrer), Cordova, Tepanistla- 

 huaca, Juquila, Puebla, Yucatan (Salle), Villa Lerdo, Tejeria, Guanajuato, Amecameca, 

 Cuernavaca, Jalapa, Chilpancingo in Guerrero (Edge) ; British Honduras, E. Sarstoon 

 (Blancaneaux) ; Guatemala (Salle), near the city (Champion) ; Costa Eica, Volcan de 

 Irazu (Rogers). 



In all the numerous examples of the male the sides of the head form a straight, 

 sometimes slightly incurved, line from the ocular canthus to the apical angle of the 

 rather narrow trapeziform clypeus. Gradations occur between this simple outline and 

 a form in which the sides are angularly flexuous ; of these the following two varieties 

 are distinguishable : — 



Var. 1. D. consentanea (Chevr. in coll. Salle). — c? • Gracilior ; clypei lateribus juxta apicem sinuatis, dentis 

 apicalibus acutioribus ; fronte medio antice plerumque concava. 



Hab. Mexico, Orizaba, Guanajuato, Puebla, Etla (Salle), Mexico city (Flohr), Chi- 

 huahua city, Durango city, Jalapa (Edge) ; Nicaragua, Chontales (Janson). 



Var. 2. D. dentic&ps. — S ■ Clypei lateribus juxta apicem sinuatis et postea in dentem latum obtusum 

 dilatatis. 



Rah. Mexico, Salazar, Toluca, Durango city (Edge), Mexico city (Flohr, Edge). 



This variety resembles much Liogenys quadridens (Fabr.) ; the clypeus, however, is 

 much longer and the lateral dentiform dilatation does not form a long sharp 

 tooth. 



A further variety, differing in colour only from the typical T). trapezifera, but 

 sometimes showing a slight lateral sinuation near the apical angle of the clypeus, 



is: — 



Var. 3. D. bicolor. Supra castaneo-fusca (thorace, scutello elytrorumque limbo interdum rufis), subtus rufo- 

 testacea. 



Eab. Mexico, Yolos, Peras, Oaxaca (Salle). 



The species varies also in a rather important structural character, viz. the form of 

 the lower apical tooth of the claws : in the vast majority of specimens this is, as in 

 most other species, broader (especially at the apex) and more curved than the upper, 

 but in others it is gradually tapering, like the upper tooth. Examples of this variation 



