| OCR Text |
Show 1889.] COLLECTED IN VENEZUELA. 279 sides, the middle of the disk darker, sometimes in shape of two longitudinal bands ; elytra distinctly broader than the thorax, the basal portion raised, the punctured striae fine, obscured by short pubescence which forms longitudinal short stripes interrupted by darker spaces below the base, before and below the middle, the interstices slightly convex; underside dark, legs lighter fulvous; posterior claws piceous. Caracas, Colonia Tovar, and San Esteban. The present species of Physimerus shows very little difference to distinguish it from several other closely allied forms, yet seems to me to be distinct from the hitherto described species, the nearest allied one of which seems to be P. variegatus, Harold, from Colombia; in this species, however, the eighth interspace of the elytra is described as more strongly raised and as specially characteristic of that insect. In P. simoni there is no trace of any stronger convex interspace, and the punctures are not deeply but finely impressed ; the pubescence varies from golden yellow to grey, and is intermixed with single longer stiff hairs, as is frequently the case in other species of the genus; the darker places or spots of the elytra are to be found below the basal raised portion, at the middle and below the latter, where a kind of zigzag obsolete transverse band is formed ; all these spots are in some specimens scarcely visible. EUPHENGES(?) SUBCOSTATUS, 11. Sp. Fulvous, glabrous above ; thorax very finely punctured; elytra black, finely punctate-striate, the punctuation obsolete below the middle, the sides with an acute short ridge from the shoulder to the middle. Var. The lateral margin of the elytra more or less narrowly fulvous. Length 1 <2~2 lines. Head rather deeply punctured near the eyes ; palpi scarcely widened ; antennae fulvous, the terminal joints strongly incrassate ; the third joint slightly longer than the following ones ; thorax about one half broader than long, glabrous, the sides subangulate before the middle, the surface with a few scarcely visible and irregularly placed punctures, fulvous ; scutellum fulvous ; elytra with a shallow depression below the base, impubescent, the punctures rather deep at the anterior half, gradually finer and nearly disappearing towards the apex; underside and legs pale fulvous ; tibia? armed with a single spur at the apex ; claws appendiculate. San Esteban. The incrassate antennae, glabrous upper surface, and the subangulate thorax seem to place this species in Euphenges, the filiform palpi preventing the incorporation in Allochroma, which otherwise seems closely allied. Euphenges seems, moreover, a very doubtful genus and contains two species with filiform and incrassate antennae respectively. In the present insect a distinct acute ridge runs from the shoulders to the middle of the elytra ; these have in some specimens the sutural and lateral margins narrowly fulvous. 19* |
