Two species are described from the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico. Metophthalmus aalbui, new species, is described from Isla Danzante, Isla Mestiza and Isla Carmen in the Gulf of California, and Metophthalmus clarki, new species, is described from the northwest coastal area. They are compared to closely related species from the continental United States and the Baja California Peninsula. Metophthalmus rudis Fall, M. trux Fall and M. haigi Andrews are recorded from the Baja California Peninsula for the first time, and illustrations and distributional information for the three species are provided.

The discovery of a new species of Spilodiscus Lewis in Florida prompted a reanalysis of phylogenetic relationships among the known species. Spilodiscus skelleyi new species is unusual among species of Spilodiscus in its black elytra, small size, and dentate mandibles. While S. skelleyi shares the last two of these features with the Gulf coastal S. flohri Lewis, differences in aedeagal structure and external setation argue against a close relationship between these two species. Many characters that have been considered phylogenetically informative in this group possibly are quite plastic in the course of evolution.

Description of structures of the mature larva of Glareadessus stocki Wewalka and Biström is presented including detailed chaetotaxal and porotaxal analyses. This stygobiontic bidessine species is characterized by slightly reduced size of stemmata, reduced pigmentation, and frontoclypeal denticles. Morphological comparisons are made with other known Bidessini larvae.

The alternative defensive strategies of two neotropical tiger beetles, Odontocheila nicaraguensis Bates and Pseudoxycheila tarsalis Bates, are described and compared. The defensive functions of their respective colorations were analyzed in the context of local ambient light and visual backgrounds using spectroradiometry. Odontocheila nicaraguensis exhibited a cryptic elytral coloration that closely matched the substrate of the forest understory. When disturbed, the beetles quickly flew and exposed an iridescent green abdomen that was highly conspicuous in the ambient light of forest gaps. Pseudoxycheila tarsalis exhibited a color pattern that was highly conspicuous against the exposed soil within large gaps of cloud forest, and matched the color pattern of mutillid wasps. When disturbed, P. tarsalis did not fly, but released a distasteful secretion; suggesting that the beetle was both aposematic and a Müllerian mimic of the mutillids. The behavioral observations and spectroradiometric analyses of color patterns presented here support alternative defensive roles for the elytral colorations of O. nicaraguensis (crypsis) and P. tarsalis (aposematism, mimicry) and demonstrate the plausibility of other secondary defenses involving color.

When handled, adult Pseudoxycheila tarsalis Bates were observed to release a secretion from their pygidium that was distasteful to human subjects. Chemical analysis indicated that the secretion contained substituted benzene compounds that are known chemical defenses in tiger beetles. These findings support the hypothesis that P. tarsalis is aposematic and a potential Müllerian mimic of stinging mutillid wasps.

Falliellus richardi, new genus and species, is described and illustrated from Perinet, eastern Madagascar. This new genus is distinct from all other known Madagascan Coraebini, which currently includes 103 species placed in 27 genera, and is placed in the new subtribe Toxoscelini Majer. At least 500 undescribed coraebine species are estimated to exist from Madagascar based on examination of museum specimens.

Full page charges borne by the author.

Three endogean carabids from Portugal, Typhlocharis sarrius, new species, Geocharis boieiroi, new species and Geocharis moscatelus, new species are described. The work provides diagnostic characters and descriptions of these new species. A key for the identification of the species of the genera Typhlocharis and Geocharis occurring in Portugal is given also.

A new species of Shigizo Morimoto discovered in the collection of Dr. Charles W. O'Brien, collected on the Island of Borneo, Sarawak, Malaysia, in a Malaise trap, is described as Shigizo obrieni new species.

Specimens of Anillina from Argentina are described for the first time. They belong to a new genus, Paranillopsis, and include two new species, P. piguensis (type species) and P. pampensis. External structural features of Paranillopsis show close relationship with the genus Paranillus Jeannel from Magadascar. Their vicariant distribution pattern, as for other taxa with similar patterns, is postulated to have resulted from the breakup of the Gondwanan supercontinent.

Ripidius pectinicornis Thunberg, a parasitoid of the german cockroach Blattella germanica L., has a sporadic, anthropogenically cosmopolitan distribution. Consequently, there have been numerous conflicting opinions regarding its occurrence in the United States. I argue that although R. pectinicornis has been collected in the continental U.S. it is not established here and that, while relatively frequently collected on Oahu, Hawaii, its status there remains uncertain.

A new tribe of Hybosorinae, the Cryptogeniini, is proposed for the genera Cryptogenius Westwood and Callosides Howden. A new species, Callosides genieri, is described from Ecuador and a key to the species in Callosides is included.

The larvae of two cetoniine scarab beetles, Hoplopyga singularis (Gory and Percheron) from Brazil and Hologymnetis cinerea (Gory and Percheron) from Mexico, are described. The latter is the first description of a larva in this genus. Both of these species are included in a revised key to the larvae of New World Gymnetini (Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), which now includes ten species in eight genera.

Four new species of Desmopachria Babington are described from Bolivia: D. amyae Miller, new species, D. challeti Miller, new species, D. signatoides Miller, new species, and D. volatidisca Miller, new species. The female genitalia of members of the genus are described and illustrated in detail for the first time. A discussion of the taxonomy and characters historically used for the classification of subgenera and species groups is presented. It is concluded that recognition of subgenera in the genus, despite the large size of the group and existence of good characters for grouping some species, is not desirable since some groups are weakly supported by character evidence and/or are probably paraphyletic. Use of all previous subgenus names is rejected. The species are organized into informal groups, most of which correspond with historically used subgenera. Several species are left ungrouped.