Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. 397 



63. A.pavidum^j Germ., Schonh. 



— Ononis, Germ. .'* non Kirb. 



— cinerascens. Germ. * 



— plumbeum, Schonh. 



Black, rather broad, thickly clothed with cinereous hairs. Head 

 short, subquadrate, the vertex, adjoining the thorax, smooth and 

 shining, the frons flat, posteriorly punctulated, anteriorly di- 

 stinctly striated, the central striae extending to the vertex ; ros- 

 trum short, about twice the length of the head, porrect, a little 

 bent, filiform, the apex smooth and shining ; eyes ciliated beneath. 

 Antennae inserted a little behind the middle of the rostrum, the 

 first and second joint and sometimes the third dull rufous, the 

 clava oblong, acuminated, black and pilose. Thorax as broad as 

 long, subglobose, laterally dilated and rounded, convex above, 

 closely and deeply punctured with a distinct dorsal channel more 

 or less abbreviated in front. Elytra obovate, very convex, pro- 

 foundly punctato-sulcate, the interstices rather broad and flat, 

 transversely rugulose, blue, obscure green or greenish black. 

 Legs very long, black. S - (Length 1^ line.) 



Mr. Waterhouse forwarded a British insect to M. Schonherr, 

 which was returned with the name of Ap. pavidum of Germar. I 

 possess a foreign specimen from M. Schonherr which is labelled 

 " Ap. paviduMj G. e Saxon. Schupp,^^ and I have another speci- 

 men of Ap. pavidum from Dr. Germar. Mr. Curtis has likewise 

 a foreign example of Ap. pavidum from M. Sturm. It is very 

 satisfactory to find four eminent entomologists all concurring in 

 one opinion as to the identity of this species ; but it is a curious 

 fact, that the four insects in question are decidedly all males. 

 M. Chevrolat not having a duplicate specimen of Ap. plumbeum 

 of Schonherr, very liberally sent to me the type of that species 

 for my inspection ; this I find is also a male of Ap. pavidum of 

 Germar. Dr. Germar has sent me four insects with the name of 

 Ap. Ononis, which I have carefully examined : the male agrees in 

 every character with the male of Ap. pavidum; the female differs 

 in having the rostrum longer, before the antennae slightly atte- 

 nuated, glabrous and shining, the antennae placed behind the mid- 

 dle of the rostrum ; these are only sexual dissimilarities, and are 

 common to many other species; in other characters the males 

 and females agree. The four insects under consideration have 

 the sculpture very similar, and approximate rather closely in form 

 to Ap. Ononis of Kirby, but they are sufficiently distinct from 

 that species. See notes on Ap. Ononis. 



The only British example of this species that I have seen is in 



* Germ. Mag. iii. App, p. 38. 



