INSECTA MADERENSIA. 41 



striae impunctate, and the interstices convex ; mtli two exceedingly minute impressed points on 

 the disk of each, the anterior one being near the third stria, and the posterior one near the 

 second, from the suture. Antenna, palpi and leys rufo-piceous ; the last strong and robust. 



Male, shining, and with the elji:ra parallel; the intermediate tibia slightly curved, greatly ddated 

 at, and suddenly distorted internally a little before, the apex ; and with the hinder ones nearly 

 straight, likewise (though less powerfully) dilated at theii- apex, but not distorted internally. 



Female, rather opake, and with the elytra ovatCj being somewhat expanded posteriorly ; and witli 

 the/oM?' hinder tibia simple. 



This large Argutor may be at once known from the remainder of tlie genus here 

 described by its robnster form and more quadrate prothorax (which has moreover 

 the basal fovese perceptibly, although not deeply, ptmctured), and by its four 

 hinder m.ale tibiae being, all of them, especially the intermediate ones (which are, 

 likeA\ise, curved and inwardly distorted), suddenly and distinctly dilated at their 

 apex. The degree of tlilatation and curvatiu'e indeed of their fotu- hinder tiljise, 

 added to the relative amount, and the peculiarity, of the distortion of the imier 

 edge of the intermediate pau", is at once sufficient whereljy to distinguish the males 

 of all the Madeiran species from each other ; but the females, in which these tibial 

 modifications do not hold good, are, inter se, proportionably less easy of identifica- 

 tion. The females of the present insect, however, may be easily recognised by 

 theu" large size, those of the A. gixtcilipes alone even approaching them in statui-e, 

 with which however they cannot possilily be confounded, theii" thick and less 

 parallel bodies, added to their more powerful legs, at once preventing such a con- 

 tingency. The A. robustus is by no means an uncommon species thi'oughout 

 Madeu-a, occurring beneath stones and dead leaves in most parts of the island, 

 especially Tvithin the sylvan districts and between the altitudes of al)out 2000 and 

 5000 feet above the sea. 



29. Argutor gracilipes, WoU. 



A. parallelo-oblongus angustus gracilis nigro-piceus depressus, prothorace subquach-ato, elytris striatis 

 singulo punctis duobus minutissimis impresso, antennis pedibusque rufo-piceis, tibiis poste- 

 rioribus in utroque sexu simplicibus. 



Long. Corp. lin. 5-5|-. 



Habitat in iisdem locis ac prsecedens sed illo paulo rarior : in Madera boreah usque ad maris litus 

 descendit, qua per oram maritimam prope Sao Vincente tempore hiberno sub lapidibus observavi. 



A. parallel-oblong, slenderer and nan'ower than the last species, dark piceous, depressed ; the males 

 shining, the females somewhat less so. Prothorax rather short, subquadrate, slightly narrowed, and 

 with the angles a little produced, in front ; with a dorsal channel, and with a distinct impunctate 

 fovea on either side at the base. Elytra elongate, parallel, or sometimes just perceptibly 

 attenuated behind, deeply striated, although not quite so coarsely so as the last species, the stria; 

 impunctate, and the interstices a little convex ; with two exceedingly miaute impressed points in 

 the same positions as those on the A. robustus. Antenna, palpi and legs rufo-piceous ; the last 

 long and slender, and with the four hinder tibire simple in both sexes. 



G 



