1874.] 225 



Mycetcea liirta, must be confessed to differ but little from it structu- 

 rally. In the latter, the club of the autenn;© is gradually thickened, 

 while in Symhioies it is abrupt ; the labium of the one is slightly 

 rounded, in the other it is sti-aight ; the labial palpi in this are longer 

 than wide, with the tip widely truncate ; in that they are sub-globose, 

 with the tip truncate ; and so on, through all the mouth organs, speci- 

 fic rather than generic differences only are to be found. Superficially 

 viewed, a more important point of divergence is, that while in Myce- 

 tcea the thorax is margined (as in Stenotarsus) by a fine line only, in 

 Symhiotes the longitudinal sulci usually found in the JEndomycici 

 appear. 



It is interesting, therefore, to find among Mr. Lewis's insects from 

 Japan a species which, possessing some of the characters of both 

 genera, is not allied closely to any of either, and differs somewhat in 

 its habits from both. Mycetwa is an inhabitant of damp cellars and 

 outhouses, and Symliotes, though said to occur with ants, has usually 

 been found under bark : no doubt both feed on fungoid growth. The 

 Japan insect is found in rubbish heaps, where I have never found our 

 English species. In its very wide form, and deeply punctured striae 

 it presents a strange contrast to them ; and, while its antenna? more 

 resemble those of Mycet(sa, the deep sulci on the thoi'ax and general 

 appearance have inclined me to place it under Symbiotes. AVith regard 

 to the situation of the Mycetceidce as a family, I may notice that Eed- 

 tenbacher in his new edition of the " Fauna Austriaca " has grouped 

 them under the Gryptophagides* ; but we must observe that in the same 

 group he includes Liihophilus (now regarded by most as a Coccinellid), 

 Leiestes, the Erotylians, and Tetratoma, — a system which can hardly 

 be considered digested. Alexia bears considerable resemblance to the 

 tropical Bliymhiis, but has 10-jointed antennae, and lacks thoracic sulci, 

 the presence of which in Symbiotes inclines me strongly to think that 

 Mycefcea and its allies meet their true affinities among the Endomi/cici. 



Genus SYMBIOTES, Eedtenbacher. 

 Symbiotes niponensis, sp. n. 



Si(h-orbicularis,ferrtt,ginei(s, tenuitcr pilosus, elytvis ampJiatis,fur- 

 titcr sfriafo-puiicfafis, striis sidcatis. Long. lin. vix 1. 



Dark rusty-red ; antcnnBC of the length of tho thorax, rather stout, with tlie 

 basal and three terminal joints especially wide, the ninth (or first joint of the elub) 

 is not 90 much wider than the eighth as in the European species of tliis genus ; yet, 

 being triangular, the club is tolerably abrupt. The thorax is quite twice as wide as 



* Seidlitz f Fauna BiiUica) includes Siniibiote.t and Miicettia with Alexia, Leksies, Monotoma, 

 UUhridiiia, Curticaria, Uli/nueco.cenus and Myrmidius in the Culi/diidce .' — E. C. K. 



