INSECTA MADERENSIA. 121 



§ II. Labrum semicirculare, antice anguste fisso-emarginatum : palpi articulo ultimo in maxillarihus suh- 

 ovato, in lahialihus crassiore subrotundato-triincato : mentum antice leviter einarginatmn. (Epurasa, 

 Srich.) Habitant pleniinque sub cortice arborum vel etiam in floribus. 



99. Nitidula obsoleta, 

 N. oblonga depressa diluto-testacea, in discum plus minusve subinfuscata, prothorace antice profunde 

 emarginato, elytro singulo maculis duabus obsoletissimis vix observandis pallidioribus ornato^ 

 antennarum basi pedibusque testaceis. 



Variat colore omnino pallido-testaceo. 

 Long. Corp. lin. 1^-li. 



Nitidula obsoleta, Eab. Ent. Sgst. i. 256 (1792). 



, Gyll. Lis. Suec. i. 223 (1808). 



, Hear, Fna Col. Helv. 398 (1841). 



Epurcea , Erich. Nat. der Ins. Detitsch. iii. 148 (1848). 



Habitat Maderam sylvaticam, sub cortice arborum truncisque recenter sectis, tempore vernali et 

 sestivo, rarissima : ad Ribeiro Frio necnon in Madera boreali, in castanetis Sanctse Annse, bine 

 inde observavi. 



N. oblong, depressed, testaceous, minutely punctidated and pubescent. Prothorax very deeply 

 eniargined in front (being ratber more so than even that of the last species), rather straightened 

 at the sides, and broadest a little behind the middle ; the disk generally slightly infuscated. 

 Elytra, likewise, a bttle darker on the disk ; and each with an exceedingly obscure (sometimes 

 scarcely perceptible) patch behind the centre of its disk, and another (still obscurer) about the 

 region of the shoulder, paler. Antenna and legs usually of a rather paler testaceous shade than 

 the rest of the surface ; the former with their club inf uscate. 



Likewise a common European insect, but exceedingly rare in Madeii^a, being 

 found sparingly tliroughout the sylvan districts beneath the bark and chippings 

 of trees, or adhering to the under sides of recently felled trunks. I have taken it, 

 during the summer months, at the Ribeiro Frio and in the Chestnut-woods of 

 Santa Anna ; as also at the head of the Ribeiro de Santa Luzia, during my 

 encampment there with the Rev. R. T. Lowe, in May 1819. 



Genus 45. PRIA. 



(Kirby) Steph. III. Brit. Ent. iii. 49 (1830). 



Corpus minusculum, subconvexum : prothorace leviter marginato : ehjti'is apice truncatis, pygidium 

 totum vix tegentibus : alis amplis. Antenna, prsecipue in maribus, longiusculoe, clava mascula 

 4-articulata laxa subserrata (articulis octavo, nono et decimo intus productis), clava fceminea 

 3-articulata solidiore. Labrum prominulum, antice ciliatum et profunde bilobum. Mandibulte 

 validpe, apice denticulatse, basi latissimse. Maxilla lobo singulo brevi pubescenti instructse. 

 Palpi filiformes, articulo ultimo subacumiuato-truncato. Mentum subquadi'atum antice angus- 

 tatum, summo apice emarginato. Ligula apice biloba, lobis angustis divergentibus pubescentibus. 



E. 



