524 



REVISION OF THE AMYCTERID^E. 



Part i. Genus Psalidura. 

 By Edstace W. Ferguson, M.B., Ch.M. 



The Australian CurcuUonidce comprising the subfamily Amyc- 

 teridce aonstitute a natural and striking group of weevils, peculiar 

 in their structure and habits. The species are for the most part 

 large, and are all wingless, with extremely short rostra, hard 

 elytra, so hard as frequently to bend the pin in trying to pierce 

 them, and antennae with a six-jointed funicle. 



They have been divided somewhat arbitrarily into the long- 

 and short-scaped forms, both groups being found over the whole 

 Continent, but more numerous respectively on the east and west 

 sides. 



The long-scaped forms again constitute two natural groups,, 

 one comprising the genera Acantholophus and CiibicorrhynchuSy 

 and the other the genera Psalidura^ Talaurinus, and Sclerorrhinus. 

 The genus Amycterus seems in many respects intermediate 

 between the two groups. The Psalidurae are peculiar in the 

 structure of the sexual organs of the male, these insects possessing 

 large, curved, anal forceps, projecting posteriorly; these are also 

 present in Talaurinus, but are hidden and rudimentary in that 

 genus. 



All the Amycteridce are ground-dwellers, being found under 

 logs and stones, while one or two may be obtained from the roots 

 of grass-trees. They are essentially dry-country insects, and seem 

 capable of storing up the vegetable material on which they live, 

 in their abdominal cavities for long periods. In regard to their 

 life-histor}^, we are no further advanced than in Sir Willian> 

 Macleay's day, and nothing is known of the larval or pupal forms- 

 of these insects. 



