137 



DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIES OF CEUTHOEHYNCHIDBUS NEW 



TO SCIENCE. 



BY E. C. RYE. 



Ceuthobhtnchideus Poweei. 



G. breviter ovafus, convexiusculiis, piceus, suhtus cinereo-squa- 

 mosus, thoracis margine antico elytrisque saturate rufo-hrimneis, 



pedibus rufo-testaceis ; thorace canaliculato, elytrorum interstitiis 

 vix elevatis,pilis brevioribus tenuioribus adspersis, humeris vix 



prominulis. Long, corp. 1 lin. 



Three examples of this insect were taken at Weybridge last June 

 by Dr. J. A. Power, to whom I have dedicated the species. I need 

 scarcely inform those who are acquainted with Dr. Power's rapidity of 

 perception, that he at once detected it to be at least new to Britain. 



It is nearly allied to G. Jloralis and G. pyrrhorhynchus (most re- 

 sembling the rufous varieties of the latter species), but differs from 

 both as follows : — 



It is rather smaller, shorter, more convex, with the shoulders more 

 rounded, the legs shorter and not so stout, and the rostrum aud 

 antennse entirely pitchy ; the thorax is rather shorter, with the con- 

 striction towards the front of its sides beginning nearer the base, and 

 the dorsal channel having some asby scales near the scutellum ; the 

 swture of the elytra is not clothed with ashy scales, and tlie strite are 

 not deeply cut, so that the interstices are only moderately elevated. 

 The especial difference, however, is in the clothing of the interstices, 

 which in G. Poweri is composed of short, thin, depressed, rather scat- 

 tered, yellowish-grey hairs (or, at least, scales so slender as to assume 

 the form of hairs), instead of the usual broad, closely planted scales. 



In form G. Poweri approaches Amalus scortilliom more than any 

 other species of its genus ; but the latter can be known at once by its 

 deep black colour, and bright red legs, which are also much stouter 

 than in the insect now described. 



The fact of the funiculus (or space between the basal joint and 

 club) of its antennse being comprised of six joints (instead of seven) 

 vrill of coiu-se distingmsh G. Poweri from any of the smaller Geutlior- 

 hynclii. This difference has caused certain continental entomologists 

 to remove GeuthorJiynchideus from the Gryptorhyncliidce, and consider it as 

 a mere sub-genus o^ Amalus, although in other points of structure, and in 

 general facies, its members are very closely allied to Geutliorhynchus. 



It is not improbable that the G. minimus of Walton's Catalogue of 

 British Curculiouidae may be identical with the species now under 

 consideration ; but as no description of Walton's insect has been 

 published, and no specimens of it are extant, it is of course impossible 

 to speak with any certainty on this point. 



