148 
Psyche 
[March 
than usual and elytra conjointly rather than separately rounded. To 
these features must be added a uniform brown coloration, unusually 
small size, less than 5 mm, quite dense and deep punctures over the 
whole dorsal surface, and moderately dense, fine pubescence, all un- 
usual for the family but found in some Eleticinae. 
The combination of these features and lack of a separate blade 
on the tarsal claws would make identification of the genus as a meloid 
almost impossible with existing keys to the family, even if one had a 
good representation of other genera for comparison. In fact, I have 
tried repeatedly to find reasons for excluding it from the family, but 
have then been faced with the decision that it is more like meloids 
than it is like any other family known to me. So I am describing it 
as a meloid, possibly assignable to the subfamily Eleticinae, but not 
definitely assignable to this subfamily nor to either of the included 
tribes recognized by Selander (1966). It is my hope that the exis- 
tence of a population in a relatively accessible location will ensure 
that both bionomics and behavior will come under study and that 
these will permit more exact assignment. 
Since it is almost inevitable that comparison will be made with the 
Eleticinae and that Selander’s 1966 paper will provide the basis for 
comparison, I have attempted to follow Selander’s terminology and 
his pattern of description. However, I have not attempted to review 
the whole subfamily, and therefore may have strained too far to see 
structures that are obvious in the subfamily and not necessarily in 
this genus. The bases for measurement also follow Selander’s paper. 
Genus Thambospasta, new genus 
Characteristics. Small, less than 5 mm, slender beetles (Fig. 1) 
of the family Meloidae and doubtfully of the subfamily Eleticinae 
as defined by Selander (1966); monochromatic brown; head, pro- 
notum, and elytra densely, moderately deeply and moderately finely 
punctate; with simple slightly curved decumbent setation, also mono- 
chromatic. Mentum, palpi, coxae, trochanters, and abdominal sterna 
(Fig. 5) with single to double, long erect tactile setae, those on men- 
tum and abdomen sublateral. Head just perceptibly longer than 
broad (Fig. 2) ; vertex not inflated, its base subtruncate. Eyes mod- 
erately large, length 1 1/3 frontal ocular distance in male, 1 1/10 in 
female; anterior margin slightly excavated (Fig. 3); facets coarse 
and separate, ca. 8 across narrowest portion. Antennae slender, fili- 
form; segment X 1/5 as wide as long (Fig. 4) in male; less slender 
