OCR Text |
Show 1881.J COLEOPTERA O F SOCOTRA. 477 towards the apex. Inner lobe of the maxilla terminating in a "horny hook; the palpi moderately large, the apical joint strongly securiform. The mandibles emarginate at their apex. Labrum transverse, projecting and exposed, entire. Head imbedded in the thorax as far as the eyes: the epistoma separated from the forehead on each side by a fine line, the front margin emarginate. Eyes moderately transverse, the canthus half dividing them; the upper and lower parts nearly equal. Antennse rather short; the second joint a little longer than broad; the third twice as long as the second; the fourth a little longer than the second; the fifth and sixth shorter; the seventh as long as broad, very narrow at its base, very broad at the apex; the eighth nearly an equilateral triangle; the ninth and tenth very transversely cup-shaped ; the eleventh nearly as broad as the tenth joint, flat, somewhat circular in outline. Thorax as in AlphitoBius, but more convex and with the lateral margins slightly impressed. Elytra very convex, very little broader than the thorax, very little longer than broad, descending at the apex, strongly striated, the epipleural fold rather broad at the base, gradually narrowed posteriorly, terminating suddenly a little way from the apex. Legs slightly rough and finely pubescent; the tarsi clothed beneath with close fine hair; the anterior tibise more linear than in AlphitoBius. Anterior coxae slightly transverse. Prosternum arched between the coxae, very slightly produced posteriorly. Mesosternum sloping and gently concave. Metasternum short. Body above not pubescent. Wings none. I have great difficulty in placing this genus; but, on the whole, it seems best arranged near AlphitoBius, although its broader and convex form give it a different appearance; the tibise are more linear than in that genus, and the whole legs more punctured aud pubescent. The under flanks of the thorax are concave as in Crypticus quisquilius, but it has not the long slender legs as in that insect. It is apterous; a character which is hitherto foreign to the Ulomina?, but which I do not consider a fatal bar to its being placed in that subfamily. 11. APITHESIS OBESA, n. sp. (Plate XLIII. fig. 4.) Breviter oBlongo-ovata, convexa, nigro-picea, sat opaca; thorace crebre punctulato, Basi marginato, utrinque linea Brevijuxta Basin et ad eamparallela, elytris thorace paulo latioribus sicut inflatis, fortiter striatis, interstitiis crebre subtiliter punctulatis. Long. 3^ lin. Head closely and rather strongly punctured; clypeus very closely and more finely punctured, oblique at the sides, emarginate in front, the margin pitchy. Thorax convex, twice as broad as its length in the middle, gradually arcuately narrowed from the base to the front: moderately thickly, evenly, finely, but distinctly punctured; the sides narrowly impressed above, very delicately margined; the posterior angles slightly acute; the base rather strongly sinuate on each side, finely margined; on each side, almost on the margin, is an abbreviated impressed line, particularly visible when viewed from behind. Elytra at the base as broad as the thorax, a little wider |