StapJii/Unidoi of t]ie Ainazou l^allcj/. 51 



1)118 dcflexis, caput araplecteutibus. Scutcllum transversum, 

 a})ice conspicuo. Elytra protliorace longiora, apice triin- 

 cata. Mesosternum inter coxas intermedias longe pro- 

 ductum, ])arte producta elevata. Abdomen convexiim, 

 conico-cyiindricum, lateribus marginatum, basi fortiter 

 constrictum. 



The curious insect for Avliicli I propose tins generic 

 name is one of the most remarkable of the Staph //li/iidcB 

 found by Mr. Bates. Unibrtunatelj I have seen but a 

 single individual, so that I am able to give its characters 

 in only an incomplete manner. The head is small, de- 

 flexed, and much embraced by the angles of the thorax, so 

 that I have been quite unable to see the parts of the 

 mouth ; and althouah I have made a careful examination 

 with the compound microscope, I do not feel quite sure 

 that the front tarsi may not have a minute basal joint. I 

 cannot pronounce on its exact position a confident opinion, 

 but I believe it will ultimately be found allied to Dinar da, 

 possibly making an ap])roach from that genus to the won- 

 derful Coroioca of Schiodte. 



Key has recently considered the genus Dlnarda as 

 forming of itself one of the eight primary divisions of the 

 AleocJiaridcB ; this isolated position he assigns to it in 

 consequence of the elytra being compressed and carinated 

 at the sides, Avhich is the case so far as he knows with no 

 other Aleocliaridce. The Mijrmigaster singular is shows, 

 however, no trace of this peculiarity ; I myself consider 

 this character to be quite insufficient of itself to justify the 

 prominent isolation given to the two species of Dinarda 

 by the learned Frenchman, who actually makes, of the two 

 species of Dinarda, the first branch (brauche. Dinar- 

 daires) of the Aleocliaridce. 



1. Ml/ rmig aster singularis, n. sp. Eufo-picea, subiii- 

 tida, antennis pedibusque testaceis, obsolete punctulata ; 

 thorace fortiter transverse ; elytris, hoc ter longioribus, 

 apicem versus subattenuatis. Long. H lin. 



Antenna3 formed as in the genus Dinarda, but much 

 more slender, and Avitli their exserted setre longer ; the 

 joints are closely packed, so that the divisions between 

 them are not striking; the 1st joint stouter and longer 

 than the 2nd ; the 2nd and .3rd small, the 2nd being the 

 longer of the two; from the 4th to the !Oth each joint is 

 but slightly stouter than the foregoing one ; the 10th 



E 2 



