284 ^Ir, D, Sharp's Contributions to the 



Tapajos; four specimens of tills interesting species were 

 brought back l)y Mr. Bates, one of which, liowever, I have 

 destroyed by an unfortunate accident during examination. 



P.t:deiius. 



The species of this very widely-distributed genus brought 

 from the Amazons are seven in number; they show 

 nothing remarkable, their colour and appearance being 

 very similar to our European species ; they all have the 

 mandil)les with a sim])le bidentate tooth in the middle. 

 Although scarcely a score of species of Pccderus have 

 been as yet described from South America and ]\Iexico, 

 the species are really numerous there ; the more remark- 

 able of the South American forms of the genus, such as 

 P. riitiliconiis and P. ferus, appear to be unrepresented 

 in the Amazons. 



The sjiecies of the genus require careful study, and 

 some of them have already given rise to much discussion ; 

 the structure of the imleafjus has been hitherto neglected : 

 but when it is considered, it will, I have no doubt, be 

 found to greatly facilitate the recognition and discrimina- 

 tion of the species. 



1. Paderus solidus, n. sp. Robustus, alatus, niger, 

 elytris thorace paulo longioribus, cyaneis ; abdomine sog- 

 mentis ([uatuor primis, thorace, mesosternoque ruHs, 

 ])edum basi antennarumque basi et apice testaceis, his 

 medio infuscatis. l^ong. corp. 5 — 5.| lin. 



Anteima; 1^ Hn. in length, 3 basal joints yellow, the 

 next G strongly infuscate, the lOtli infuscate-yellow, the 

 last joint yellow. Palpi yellow, terminal joint infuscate 

 at the apex ; mandibles red. Head black, Avith the neck 

 red, broad, a little broader than the thorax, rather sjiaringly 

 and finely ))iuictured; the punctures wanting towards the 

 middle. Thorax bright red, longer than ])road, about 

 I lln. long and scarcely | lin. broad, sparingly and finely 

 j)uiictnre(l, with a broad impunctate space along the 

 middle, the punctures bearing fine black hairs. Scutelium 

 red, elytra blue, parallel, rather longer than thorax, fi-oin 

 apex of scutelium to extremity of suture being quite 7 lln. ; 

 tlieir eonnnon width also al)()ut I lin,, rather finely and 

 moderately (closely ])unctured. Legs rather long ; the cox;e 

 and base of femora yellow, apical third of femora and the 



