INSECTA MADERENSIA. 223 



A. diluted-, or somewhat dirty-testaceous : with the chjpeus (which is tubercled, somewhat rugulose, 

 recurved at the edges, rounded in front, and usually a little infuscated behind), the scutellwn 

 (which is deeply punctured), and the legs, rather more rufescent, or sometimes rufo-picescent. 

 Prothorax (which is rather short, and has the extreme front edge distinctly margined) unequally 

 and rather closely punctulated ; with a large and broad patch on the fore disk, and an obscure 

 and ill-defined cloud on either side, towards the middle of the lateral edges, more or less black or 

 brownish-black. Elytra crenate-striated, with the interstices most minutely and indistinctly 

 punctulated ; and with the suture narrowly darker. Body beneath rather coarsely punctured. 



Male slightly shining ; with the central frontal tubercle exceedingly prominent ; and with the 

 prothorax rather wide, and (together with the interstices of the elytra) less distinctly punctulated 

 than that of the female. 



Female subopake; with the central frontal tubercle much less developed (being scarcely more 

 evident than the lateral ones) ; and with the prothorax narrower, and more deeply and closely 

 punctulated. 



The largest of the Madeiran Apliodii ; and known from the rest by its less 

 shining sui-face and dirty yellowish hue, and by the greater sexual variation in the 

 breadth and sculpture of its (anteriorly margined) prothorax. From the A. niti- 

 dulns, in addition to the above characters, it may be distinguished by its slightly 

 paler legs, smaller (and posteriorly-abbreviated) prothoracic patch, and by the 

 visually somewhat convexer, and even more minutely punctulated, interstices 

 of its elytra. It is rather a common insect, both in Madeu-a and Porto Santo, 

 occurring in the dung of cattle at most seasons of the year, though more especially 

 during the autumnal and winter months. It does not appear to be very generally 

 distributed throughout Europe, being more particularly confined to subaustral 

 and Mediterranean latitudes. Thu.s, in Germany and Switzerland it is scarce ; 

 whilst in the south of Prance, Spain, Italy, Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily it is 

 tolerably abundant ; — as also in the north of Africa (Algeria and Tangier), from 

 whence indeed the specimens described by Pabricius, in 1789, were obtained. 



174. Aphodius nitidulus. 

 A. nitidus testaceus, clypeo et scutello (profunde punctato) picescenti-nigris, prothorace sat crebre 

 insequaliter punctulato, in disco latissime nigro (latera versus sola pallido), elytrorum interstitiis 

 minutissime punctulatis et sutura anguste nigrescenti. 

 Mas, tuberculo frontali medio distincto, prothorace vix latiore paulo subtilius punctulato. 

 Fcem. tuberculo frontali medio minus exstanti (lateralibus vix majore), prothorace vix angustiore 

 fortius et crebrius punctulato. 

 Long. corp. lin. 2i-3. 



Scarabceus nitidulus, Pab. JUnt. 8i/st. i. 30 (1792). 



ictericus, Payk. Fna Suec. i. 17 (1798). 



Aphodius nitidulws, Gryll. Ins. Suec. i. 28 (1808). 



, Steph. III. Brit. Ent. iii. 192 (1830). 



— ■ , Heer, Fna Col. Relv. i. 523 (ISll). 



Habitat Maderam et Portum Sanctum, in stercore bovine, vulgaris. 



