162 INSECTA MADERENSIA. 



131. Lsemophlceus pusillus. 

 I>. curtus pallido-ferrugineus subnitidus valde pubescens, prothorace subquadrato punctato, angulis 

 anticis obtusis, posticis rectis, elytris striatis vix pallidioribuSj interstitiis obscure seriato-punctu- 

 latis, pedibus testaceis. 

 Mas, antennis paulo longioribus. 

 Long. corp. lin. ^. 



Cueujus minutm, Oliv. {nee Kugell. in ScJineid. Mag. 1791-1794) Ent. iv. bia 8, 9 (1795). 



pusillus, Schou. Syn. Ins. iii. 55 (1817). 



LcemopMceus pusillus, Erich. Xat. cler Ins. Deiitsch. iii. 321 (1848). 

 , Sturm, Beutscli. Fna, xxi. 50. tab. 383. fig. E, F (1851). 



Habitat in granariis domibusquc Maderse, priesertim in urbe ipsa Funcbalensi, toto anno vulga- 

 tissimus, — foi'san e.x Europa vel Americse meridionalis insulis introductus. 



1m. very minute, short and comparatively broad, exceedingly depressed, pale ferruginous, slightly 

 shining, and very pubescent. Head and prothorax rather unequally punctured : forehead less 

 produced anteriorly than in the last species, but transversely truncated iu front ; with a raised 

 mai-ginal stria, and sometimes with exceedingly faint indications of an abbreviated central line 

 behind. Prothorax short, broad and subquadrate, scarcely at all narrowed behind, and with the 

 disk much depressed ; the posterior angles right angles, and the anterior ones obtuse. Elytra a 

 httle paler than the head and prothorax, very pubescent ; entire at then- apex ; distinctly striated, 

 and with the interstices longitudinally (though obscurely) punctured. Antenna of equal thick- 

 ness throughout, — short and rather robust in the females, and with the joints subglobose ; a 

 little longer in the males, and with the joints rather less abbreviated. Leys testaceous. 



The smallest of the Madeii-an Lcemophloei, and readily knoTAii, apart from its 

 diminutive hulk, hy its comparatively short and Ijroad outline and very puhes- 

 cent siu'face, and hy the somewhat irregular pvmctm-es of its head and (ahnost 

 quadrate) prothorax. It is unquestionahly an imported insect into Madeu-a, 

 heing extremely common in the granaries and houses of Funehal ; and it may he 

 frequently ohserved crawling up the outer walls, even in the city itself, in great 

 l)rofusion. At tunes indeed it makes its appearance in actual multitudes, espe- 

 cially during the autumnal months, — Avhen it may he seen emerging from the 

 windows and doorways, especially of the shops in various parts of the town, the 

 white-washed exteriors of the huildings, in conjimction with its somewhat sluggish 

 moA^ements, rendering it, even though thus minute, remarkahly conspicuous. 

 It has hecome natiu-alized in most parts of Europe, heing a species liahle to 

 transmission amongst civilized countries Avith different kinds of stores, — though 

 especially with corn and rice. It a])pears howcA'cr to he tridy incUgenous in certain 

 districts of central and subaustral latitudes ; and it is not improbahle therefore 

 that the southern Mediterranean limits may have heen one of its original centres 

 of diflrision. 



