Animal Kingdom V.3

Page 254

474 INSECTA. the last of the maxillary pal pi strongly dilated and securiform. The body is generally more oblong. They form the ALLEOULA, Fab.(l) The third tribe, that of the SERROBALPIDEs(2), is remark· able, as intimated by its name, for the maxillary palpi, which are frequently serrated, very large, and inclined. The an. tennre are inserted in an emargination of the eyes, exposed, as in the preceding tribe, and most usually short and filiform. The mandibles are emarginated or bifid at the extremity, and the hooks of the tarsi are simple. The body is almost cylin­drical in some, and oval in others; the head is inclined, and the thorax trapezoidal. The anterior extremity of the head does not project, and the posterior thighs not inflated, charac· ters which distinguish these Insects from various Heteromera of the ensuing tribe. The penultimate joint. of the tarsi, or at least of the four anterior ones, is most commonly bilobate, and in those where it is entire, the posterior legs at least are fitted for leaping; in this case they are long and compressed, the tarsi small, almost setaceous, and their first joint elongated; the anterior ones are frequently short and dilated. The type of this tribe is the genus DIRCJEA, Fab. Some few have their antennre terminated by a club. Such are those which constitute the OnoHESIA, Lat.-Dirc::ea, Fab. Where the maxillary pal pi are terminated by a securiform joint. The legs are fitted for leaping, and the penultimate joint of the four anterior tarsi is bifid( 3 ). The antennre of the others are filiform. Here the legs are fitted for leaping, the body is oval or ovoid, the (1) The Allecula: contracta, geniculata of Germar,-Insect. Spec. Nov, P· 163, 164-have their anterior tarsi strongly dilated. (2) The Securipalpes of my Fam. Nat. du Regne Animal. The term SerropaJ. pides is preferable, inasmuch as it reminds us of the genus Serropalpua which forms part of this tribe. (3) Lat., Gener. Crust. et Insect., II, p. 194; Schrenh., Synon. Insect., I, ii4 p. 51. COLEOPTERA. 475 antennre are always short and almost cylindrical, the maxillary palpi merely somewhat larger at the extremity, but not terminated by a securiform joint, and all those of the tarsi entire. EusTROPHus, Illig.-Mycetophagus, Fab. The body is ovoid and the thorax broad, emarginated before, and with prolonged posterior angles; the antennre are shorter than the thorax, and the four posterior tibire elongated and tet·minated by two long spurs( l ). HALLOMENus, Payk.-Dircrea, Fab. The body more elongated, oval; antennre longer than the thorax, and the posterior tibire long and slender, with two very short ter­minal spurs(2). There the body is usually narrow and elongated, the maxillary palpi are terminated by a securiform joint, and the penultimate joint of the tarsi, or at least of the four anterior ones, is bilobate. Sometimes the antennre are thick and composed of short obconi­cal or turbiniform joints. In some, as in the two following subgenera, the body is oval, and the thorax transversal or almost isometrical, and becomes widened from before posteriorly. DIRo.JEA, Fab.-Xylita, Payk. Or Dircrea properly so called, where the maxillary pal pi are not serrated, and their last joint projects more on the inner side than th~ preceding ones. The thorax is insensibly lowered on the side. The scutellum is very small( 3). MELANDRYA, Fab. Where the maxillary palpi are t!Vidently serrated, the extremity of the second and third joint being prolonged into a point, and on a level with the fourth or the last. The thorax is abruptly depressed laterally, near its posterior angles, and the posterior mat·gin is sinuous. The scutellum is of an ordinary size( 4). (1) Mycetophagus dermestoides, }'ab. Another species has been brought from Brazil by M. de Ia Cordaire. (2) See Gyllenb., Insect. Suec., I, ii, p. 526. (3) Gyll., Insect. Suec., I, p. 516, minus the species which he calls the bija3· eiata, quercina-see HYPU£us, andfuscula-see ScnA.PTU.. (4) Gyll., Insect. Suec., I, ii, p. 533, with the exception of theM. ru.ftcollis­Dirctea rujicollis, Fab.-which it appears to me should be referred to the snbgenus Conopalpus.