OCR Text |
Show 286 TNSEC1'A. oval in others, and truncated at base; these are furnished with wings. A new species has been discovered in Sicily by M. Lefevre. All the others, both of this and the preceding division, inhabit northern Africa or the East Indies( 1 ). The third subgenus, in its moniliform antennre, the teeth on the exterior side of the two first tibire and in the ordinary proportions of the mentum, evidently approximates to Scarites. CARENUM, Bon. Straight maxillre without a terminal hook; summit of the ligula rounded; ultimate joint of the exterior maxillary pal pi enlarged and double the length of the preceding one. The only species known-Scarites cyaneus, Fab.-inhabits New Holland. None of the other Carabici of this section exhibits labial palpi terminated by a larger and securiform joint: the last is in the form of a revet·sed and elongated cone, or almost cylindrical and smaller at base; the same joint of the exterior maxillary palpi is also nearly cylindrical; all these palpi are about the same thickness throughout or sometimes attenuated at the extremity. A first very natural subdivision, which comprises the Scarites of Fabricius, the cyaneus excepted, consists of bipartite Carabici, whose anterior legs are palma ted, or at least digitated at the end, that is to say, terminated exteriorly by a long point in the form of a spine,op· posite to a very stout internal spur. Their antennre are granose; the second joint as long as the following one, and frequently longer. The mandibles, those of a small number excepted, are stout, pro· jecting, and angular, or dentated on the internal side. The labrum is very short, transversal, and crustaceous. The ligula is most (re· quently entirely corneous, bristled with hairs or cilia, broadlyemar· ginate or widened at the sutnmit, and with projecting lateral angles. Some have very strong, projecting, and usually dentated mandibles; the anterior margin of the crustaceous labrum very dentate, the ligula short, not extending beyond the mentum, entirely horny or crustaceous, bristled with hairs, and widened at the superior mar· gin. Their anterior tibire are always palmate. The species gene· rail y are large. One of these subgenera, (1) The 8iag. atrata, deprusa, (Galerita depressa, Fab.), Fejtts, (Galerita.ftejtu, Fab.) Schupelii, Dej., lb.;-Scarite.. bevigatus, Herbst. Col. CLXXV, 6. COLEOPTERA. 287 PASIMAonus, Bon, Approximates to the last in the jaws, which are straight, and destitute of a terminal hook. The antcnnre are of equal thickness. The body is much flattened and oval, thorax cordiform, broadly truncated behind, almost as wideat its posterior margin as before and as the base of the elytra; this margin almost straight, and merely somewhat concave in the middle. This subgenus is peculiar to America(!). According to Count Dejean-Spec., II, p. 471-after the Pasimachi, should come his genus ScAPTERus, formed with a species (rom the East Indies, sent to him by one of the most zealous of the French entomologists, M. Guerin, to whom it is dedicated. Whether the maxillre resemble those of the preceding subgenus I do not know, but the body is differently proportioned, being elongated and cylindrical. The antennre are shorter in proportion than usual; the second joint is square, somewhat thicker than the others, which are short, almost square, and become gradually stouter. In the following the maxillre are arcuated and hooked at the end. The antennre become sensibly thicker towards the extremity. The thorax is always separated posteriorly from the base of the elytra by a well marked space or angle. Here the exterior palpi are terminated by an almost cylindrical joint, not narrowed into a point at the end. AoANTHOSOELis, Lat. This subgenus is remarkable for the four posterior tibire, which are short, broad, arcuated, plane and slightly concave on their internal face, convex, and covered with granules or little spines on the opposite one, with the superior edge dentated, and the postet·ior teeth large and compressed; the trochanter of the two posterior thighs is very large. The body is short, wide, convex above; the thorax transversal, rounded laterally, and its posterior margin sinuous; spurs of the anterior tibire very long, and the others almost laminiform. (1) Refer to this subgenus the Scarites depressus, and Sc. marginatus, J<'ab. and Oliv. See the Spec. Gen. des Coleop. I, p. 405: the Entomological Observations of Bonelli: nnd the work of Palisot de Beauvais on the Insects co1Jected by him in America and Africa. All the Pasimnchi hitherto discovered are peculiar to North America. But four species are known, the P. deprums, marginatus, sublmvis, and the P. submlcatua, Say . .11m. Ed. |