70 LABIDURID^. 



Genus ECHINOSOMA, Serv. 

 Echinosoma, Serv. (39) p. 34. 



Type, Forfieula afra, Pal.-Beauv. 



Stout and small or medium-sized insects, the whole body covered 

 with shoi't stiff bristles and long yellow hairs. Antennae with about 

 30 segments ; third segment long and cylindrical, nearly as long 

 as the first, the rest very short, fifth and sixth each a trifle 

 longer than fourth, the rest gradually lengthening, the apical 

 segments approaching cylindrical, fourth, fifth and sixth together 

 scarcely longer than third. Head broad, flat and smooth. Pro- 

 notum transverse, as broad as the head, subrectangular, hinder 

 angles broadly rounded. Elytra broad, truncate, bristly. Wings 

 generally prominent, bristly. Scutellum concealed. Prosternum 

 broad, scarcely narrowed posteriorly ; mesosternum broad ; meta- 

 sternum broad, the lobes slightly produced, the hinder margin 

 gently sinuate. Legs short ; femora thick, not keeled. Abdomen 

 short, broad. Last dorsal segment : in the cJ smooth, transverse ; 

 in the $ somewhat narrower. Pygidium : in the (S almost con- 

 cealed ; in the $ forming a short blunt tubercle. Foi'ceps with 

 the branches in both sexes remote at the base, short, cylindrical, 

 unarmed and arcuate, more strongly bowed in S , gently curved 

 in $. 



Range. Asia, Africa, Papua. 



The members of the genus are easy to recognize owing to their 

 short, rather thick-set build, the simple sickle- shaped forceps of 

 the male, and especially the short, thick bristles with which they 

 are densely clothed. 



About 14 species are known, inhabiting all the tropical countries 

 of the Old World. The discrimination of the different forms is 

 difficult, as the specific characters are not very well marked, and 

 the coloration varies within certain limits. Only two species are 

 known from India and these are easy to distinguish. They occur 

 chiefly in rotten wood. 



Table of Sjyecies. 



1. Antennse with first segmeut light yellow ; 

 segments of apical half of antennae 

 slender, subcyliudrical or ovate ; size [p. 70. 



medium (12-14 mm.) sumatranum, Haan, 



3.1. Antennfe with first segment dark yellow 

 or brownish : segments beyond seventh or 

 eighth short, thick, pyriform or snb- 

 conical ; size small (G-8 mm.) parvidum, Dohrn, p. 72. 



29. Echinosoma sumatranum, Haan. (Pig. 17.) 



Forficnla (Echinosoma) sumatranum, Haan, (42) p. 241. 

 Echinosoma sumatranum, Dohrn, (63) p. 65; Scudder, (76) p. 310; 

 Dubr. (79) p. 352 Bonn. (SS^ p. 433, (94) p. 377, (00'-) p 28 ; 



