1909.] 245 



SOME CRITICAL REMARKS ON THE QENUS MABOCERUS,M.uhSXNT: 

 WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES. 



BY DATID SHARP, M.A., P.E.S. 



In 1859 Mulsant proposed the genus Babocerus for Salpinr/us 

 Jbveolafus, Ljunf^h. The characters he assigns to it are not very 

 decisive, and the genus has not been accepted, being merged in 

 Salpingus in both the Munich Catalogue and the recent Palaearctic 

 Catalogue. There are, however, two well-marked forms at present 

 mixed under Salpingus, one in which the head is evidently prolonged 

 in front of the insertion of the antennas, and is there sinuate at the 

 sides so as to cause an alteration in the mode of moving the antennse, 

 and in these insects the labrum and the mandibles are much longer 

 than in the other form. The genus as I propose to reform it will not, 

 however, correspond with Mulsant's Rnhocenis, as I for the present also 

 include in it Colposis of the same author — treated by him as a sub- 

 genus of Salpingus. Babocerus, as thus constituted, consists of two 

 forms, both readily distinguishable from Salpingus, viz. : — 



1. Mandibles very elongate, beaiilifully serrate along their inner margin, the teeth 



being 12—13 in number Babocerus proper. 



2. Mandibles shorter, obscurely denticulate on the inner margin... 



Subgen. Colposis, Muls. 



The two species I desciibe below belong to Colposis. Bhinosimus 

 viridipennis, Steph., has but little to distinguish it from Colposis, and 

 would be more naturally associated therewith than with our other 

 two members of the genus Bhinosimus. Pic's subgenus Pseudora- 

 bocerus (Echauge, 1903, p. 140) is possibly based upon an insect 

 allied to B. viridipennis. 



Rabocerus bisuopi, sp. n. 



^neo-niger, nitidus, antennarujn basl rufa, tibtis tarsisqiie fusiis, illis 

 basin versus Jlavescentihus ; prothoraie quadri-impresno, fortiter punctata ; 

 clytris post scutellum profunde iinpressis, seriatim punctatis. 



Long. 2j — 3j mm. 



Closely allied to R. niutilatus. Beck, but differently coloured, with slightly 

 more slender rostrum, more elongate and slender tarsi, and rather slighter antennce. 

 Antennse with the basal 2, 3, or 4, joints red, the rest black ; club o-jointed, the 

 sixth joint a little broader than the fifth, the penultimate joints each about as long 

 as broad. Palpi infuscate. Head and rostrum rather closely punctate, the 

 sculpture on the front of the rostrum not at all rugose. Tlioras closely and rather 

 coarsely punctured, shaped as in R. miitilattis, the four depressions usually deep. 

 Elytra with the basal depressions always deep, comparately rather shorter and more 



