APION. 47 
Subfam. APIONINAEL. 
APION. 
Apion, Herbst, Natursyst. Kaf. vii. p. 100 (1797). 
This familiar genus is one of the most extensive in the order; fully 500 species 
have been described, notwithstanding the fact that owing to their minute size they 
are usually neglected both by the collector and describer. Although the majority of 
the species that have been catalogued belong to the European region, yet it is ascertained 
that the genus is of very wide distribution, and it is probable that it is really as rich in 
species in tropical regions as it is in Europe. Only three species have been described 
previously from Mexico or Central America, and I now add upwards of eighty others 
to this number, though I have left undescribed a large number of specimens that 
appear to represent different species, only one or two examples of each being present ; 
so that it may be said that evidence has already been obtained of the existence of about 
200 species of Apion in our region. 
The difficulties in the way of a satisfactory treatment of the genus have been fre- 
quently alluded to, but have never been overcome, and no satisfactory way of grouping 
the species or of sectionizing the genus has been discovered. In order to facilitate the 
determination of the species here described, I have placed together all those with 
black legs in one group, and those in which the legs are not entirely black in another ; 
and I have commenced each of these two divisions with the species that have the 
antenne inserted quite at the base of the rostrum, placing at the end of each division 
those that have the antenne most distant from the base. Although this arrangement 
is very far from satisfactory, I think it less likely to mislead than any other I can at 
present devise. | 
As a rule, the colour of the legs is very. constant in each species, but still there are 
one or two in which it is variable, and also one or two in which it is doubtful whether 
the legs are entirely black or not; and there are even a small number of cases in which 
allied species are by this character referred to different divisions. 
Division A. 
Legs entirely black (in one or two species the tibie are dark piceous). 
Species 1-36. 
The species placed at the commencement have the antenne inserted at the base of 
the rostrum very near to the eyes, those at the end of the division have the antenne 
inserted near the middle of the rostrum. 
