276 
Psyche 
[December 
Measurements of Holotype: total length 9.5 mm., head (excluding 
mandibles) 2.32 mm. long X 1.08 mm. wide, pronotum 1.95 mm. 
long X 1.55 mm. wide, elytra 5.53 mm. long X 2.99 mm. wide, 
antenna 8.13 mm. long. 
Discussion 
Speocolpodes was presumably derived from a colpodine stock with 
eyes and wings, possibly from a troglophile ancestor which frequented 
moist, dark microhabitats. Its exact position among the hundreds of 
species of colpodines inhabiting Mexico and Central America is 
difficult if not impossible to determine until the taxonomy and 
phylogeny of the group is better understood. 
Seamay Cave, located on the Finca Seamay near Senahu, is one 
of three caves in which the catopine leiodid beetle Ptomaphagus 
giaquintoi Jeannel (1949) is known to occur (Peck, 1970). P. 
giaquintoi has small though probably functional eyes and apparently 
functional metathoracic wings, and is at most a troglophile, even 
though it shows certain cave adaptations such as long antennae. 
Although Peck visited Seamay Cave and collected P. giaquintoi there 
(in June and August), he did not find Speocolpodes in that cave or 
in nearby Cueva Sepacuite, the largest of three caves on Finca 
Sepacuite. It is conceivable that the carabids appear seasonally in 
the cave, and that concentrated search during January or February 
would yield more specimens. 
Literature Cited 
Barr, Thomas C., Jr. 
1965. A new cavernicolous sphodrine from Veracruz, Mexico (Coleop- 
tera: Carabidae). Coleopterists’ Bulletin, 19: 65-72. 
1966. New species of Mexisphodrus from Mexican caves (Coleoptera: 
Carabidae). Psyche, 73: 112-115. 
Hendrichs S., Jorge, and C. Bolivar Y Pieltain 
1966. Hallazgo de un nuevo Mexisphodrus cavernicola en el Estado de 
Hidalgo (Mexico): M. gertschi nov. sp. Ciencia, 25: 7-10, pi. 1. 
1973. Un nuevo esfodrino ciego del Sotano de San Agustin, Oaxaca, 
Mexico (Coleopt., Carab.). Ciencia, 28: 37-41. 
Jeannel, R. 
1936. Monographic des Catopidae. Mem. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat., n. s., 1: 
1-473. 
Peck, Stewart B. 
1970. A systematic revision and the evolutionary biology of the 
Ptomaphagus (Adelops) Beetles of North America (Coleoptera: 
Leiodidae: Catopinae). Harvard University, unpublished doc- 
toral dissertation. 
