TALANUS. 321 
Group TALANIDES. 
This group, the “Dignamptini” of Leconte and Horn [cf. Class. Col. N. Am. p. 385 
(1883)], contains a single isolated genus, Talanus, Jacq.-Duval (= Dignamptus, Lec.), 
and is peculiar to the New World. 
TALANUS. 
Talanus, De}. Cat. 3rd edit. p. 232 (1837); Jacquelin-Duval, in Sagra’s Hist. fisica polit. y nat. de 
Cuba, vil., Ins. p. 66 (1856); French edit. p. 156 (1857) ; Gemminger and Harold, Cat. vu. 
p. 2041 (1870); Maklin, Gifv. Finsk. Vetensk.-Soc. Férh. xx. p. 96 (1878). 
Dignamptus, Leconte, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc. xvii. p. 421 (1877). 
A genus containing many closely-allied species and characteristic of the forest-region 
of Tropical America, but extending northwards to the south-eastern United States. 
Eight species have been described—two from the Antilles, two from Florida, and four 
from Tropical South America. Zalanus is remarkable on account of the peculiar form 
of the ligula, a character which appears to have escaped the observation of previous 
authors. 
In the five species I have examined (TZ. neotropicalis, T. lecontei, T. laticeps, 
T. subexaratus, and T. apterus) the thin and almost membranous ligula is very 
greatly extended on each side laterally, and abruptly incurved, raised, and acuminate 
at the outer ends, the latter being armed with two or three coarse long projecting sete, 
the front margin with finer and shorter hairs; the abrupt incurving of the outer ends 
and the concave shape allowing the two basal joints of the labial palpi to be received 
within in repose (Tab. XIV. fig. 4): this structure is very different from that of any 
species of “ Helopides,” or indeed of any other member of the Tenebrionide, known 
to me. 
The outer lobe of the maxilla is very large and broad, and furnished with a dense 
fringe of very long and coarse hairs in front, the inner lobe being quite small 
(Tab. XIV. fig. 44). The mandibles are slightly bifid (very distinctly so in 7. apterus) 
at the apex, and have on their outer side a membranous extension. 
The female is furnished with an ovipositor enclosed between two long vertical sheaths 
(often extruded at time of death) placed close together, much as in Acropteron, Saziches, 
&c.); the eggs are doubtless laid in the crevices of the bark of decaying trees. 
The different species, as noted by Leconte, bear a certain resemblance to the smaller 
forms of Languriide, and several appear to be very variable in size; they are found by 
beating the decaying leaves and branches of fallen trees. 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Coleopt., Vol. IV. Pt. 1, October 1887. QTT 
