ON A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE FAMILY STAPHYLINIDJE. 



BY I). SUAEP, M.B. 



The enormous mass of minute Stapliylinidce, named eollectively 

 AJeocharini, consists of many hundred described (and probably nearly 

 as many thousand undescribed) species, and forms one of the most 

 specialized portions of the Stftphi/linidce ; by this, I mean a portion in 

 which the points of structure distinctive of the family are most de- 

 veloped. The c;roup of the Sfapliyliniilce called Tachjporini has been 

 generally placed next to the AIeocJir/ri7ii ; it is, however, much less 

 developed or specialised than the AJeocharini, and its place is likely 

 still to give rise to much discussion. I am myself disposed to guess 

 that the AJeocharini are likely to prove a group which must be subjected 

 to much decomposition or analysis before it can be properly dealt 

 with, and that some portions of it will be found to be directly con- 

 nected with (or descended from) the OxyteJini, and others from the 

 Tachyporini. The insect I here describe is of considerable importance 

 as throwing some light on this point. 



The most decided characters by which the AJeocharini and Tachy- 

 porini arc distinguished, are the structure of the elytra, and the in- 

 sertion of the antenn33. In the Tachyporini, the elytra are furnished 

 with a well marked and abruptly distinguished pleural portion ; while 

 in the AJeocharini this pleural portion is not to be found. The stages 

 of its disappearance can be, it seems to me, clearly traced, for we have 

 only to examine a selected series of Tachyporini to find this pleura 

 becoming more and more inflexed, till, in Uypocyptics and Vatesiis, wo 

 find it entirely and closely applied to the inner face of the 1)odY of the 

 elytron ; it has, in fact, become completely dctublcd in or folded down. 

 M. Pandelle has already pointed out that this is the metamorphosis by 

 which the difference in the elytron of Ilypocyptus from other Tachy- 

 porini may be understood, and the Vatesus latitans seems to demonstrate 

 tliis completely ; for, while in Ilypocyptus the outer line or boundary 

 of the pleura has entirely diHa])peared, and only the inner one can be 

 detected, in Vatesus, on the other hand, both lines exist. The dis- 

 appearance of the inner line (which is lli(( only one existing in 

 Ilypocyptus) would c()ni[)leteiy ti'ansf<n'ni such an elylron into that of 

 the AJeocharini. 



As regards the second point by wliicli <he AJeocharini and Tachy- 

 porini are distinguished, viz., the ins Ttion of the anteniuc, Vatesus 

 seems to occupy a peculiarly interesting position between the two 



