:s79.] ^ 123 



DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIES BELONGING- TO THE COLEOPTEROUS 

 GENUS EUPLECTUS. 



BY CHAS. O. WATERIIOUSE. 



EuPLECTus KiRBYr, Deiiiiy. 



Hiifo-j^iceus, nit id us ; capife imjiyessioiiihus duabus profundis atitice con- 

 vergentihus, et in iiertice puncto distincto ; thorace sat lato, ad hasinfoveolis 

 tribus sulco transvcrso conjunctis, et in disco ivip)ressio7ie profiindd elongata ; 

 elytris fere nigris, bistriatis, stria secvnda parxnn abbrevijtd ; pedibtis piceo- 

 testaceis. Long. \\ mm. 



This species is extremely close to E. nanus (Waterh., Cat. Brit. 

 Col.), but differs in having the elytra darker, and the abdomen more red. 

 It is at once distinguished from nanus by the impressions on the head, 

 which in nanus nearly form a U, and in the present species form a V ; the 

 inner line of the lateral impressions is oblique in both species, but the 

 difference is caused by the lateral impressions being widened in front in 

 nanus, united anteriorly by a wide transverse impression ; whilst in 

 aUernans the lateral impressions unite in front, without the aid of any 

 transverse impression. The head behind the eyes is decidedly more 

 obliquely rounded off than in nanus, and the second stria of the elytra 

 is longer, being at least two-thirds the length of the elytron. In other 

 respects, these species agree. 



I have not seen any description of any EiqyJectus which gives the 

 coloration found in this species. I believe it to be E. Kirhyi of Denny, 

 but the type specimen of that species differs in being almost entirely 

 of a pale pitchy-yellow, and has the thorax a trifle narrower. 



My attention was first drawn to this species by having a specimen 

 brought to me by my colleague, Mr. M. R. Oldfield Thomas, who cap- 

 tured it in a garden at Ilillingdon, near Uxbridge. I find that my 

 brother, Mr. Edward A. Waterhouse, has had a specimen in his col- 

 lection for a long time, which agrees perfectly with that found 

 by Mr. Thomas, except that the abdomen is more distinctly red. 

 There are two specimens in the Stephensian cabinet in the British 

 Museum under the name of HeicheniacJii.* Mr. Thomas has also 

 brought a second specimen, found in the same locality as the first. 



Zoological Department, British Museum : 

 October, 1879. 



* Tlie specimen of Reichenhachi in Leach's collection is nanus. — C. O W. 



