252 INSECTA MADERENSIA. 



whicli is attached along the inner curvature of each of their claws, should be 

 especially noticed. Their bodies are usually more or less elongate, narrow, and 

 pilose ; and there is nearly always some slight tendency to metallic ii'idescence, 

 even on the darker members of the group. 



193. Dasytes iUustris. 



D. angusto-siiblinearis pubescens viridi- vel subKnesccuti-viridi-si)lendcns, capite prothoraccque pro- 

 funde punctatis, hoc brevi traasverso-subquadrato, elytris punctato-rugulosis, auteiinis (versus 

 apicem) tarsisque nigrescentibus. 



Long. Corp. lin. 2—2'. 



Doii/tes iUustfis, ilotschulsky, in litt. 



Habitat in floribiis onniium insularum Maderensium tempore vernali et sestivo, vulgatissimus ; ab or^ 

 maritima usque ad 400U' s. lu. ascendens. 



D. narrow aud sublinear, thickly pubescent, shining, and of a brilliant bluish-, or brassy-green hue. 

 Head and prothorax very thickly and coarsely punctured (the punctures being exceedingly large) : 

 the former roundish, rather convex behind, aud with the eyes prominent : the latter short and 

 subquadrate, though rather widest a little before the middle. Elytra very slightly expanded 

 behind (sometimes almost entirely parallel), punctured and coarsely I'ugulose. Antenrue towards 

 their apex, and the tarsi blackish. 



The Madeiran representative of the common European D. nobilis, — of which it 

 is possible indeed that it may be an extreme geograpliical variety. Eor some time 

 in fact I had regarded it as such ; but, since it tmquestionably dilfers in many 

 minute; jjarticulars from that insect, and since moreover it has been carefully 

 compared with t\-|iical specimens at Berlin, by my friend Dr. H. Schaum, who 

 considers it as distinct, I have retained it under the name which was proposed for 

 it ])y M. Motschulsky diu'iug his late visit to England. It differs from the D. nobilk 

 in being smaUer, of a greener, or more golden hue, in its prothorax being shorter 

 and rather more quadrate, and in the punctiu*es of its (more rugulose^i elytra not 

 ])eing so clearly defined. I possess a species from Corfu, which in some respects 

 approaches the Madeiran one; but it is even smaller still, has its prothorax 

 distinctly longer, aud more narrowed behind (as in the D. nobilis), and its punc- 

 tures altogether less developed. It is an abimdant insect throughout most of the 

 islands of the Madeiran group, occurring in flowers dm'iug the spring and early 

 summer months, and at nearly all elevations. In low grassy s.])ois towards the 

 coast it may l)c observed at times in great jirofusion, esjiccially in the vicinity of 

 Funchal, — making its appearance in sucli situations in the spring, but in higher 

 altitudes somewhat later. Thus, at the Ribeiro Frio and the Eeijaa de C6rte, I have 

 captiu'ed it in August. In Porto Santo it existed by thousands dui-ing April of 

 1819 ; and in May 1850 it was equally common on the Dezerta Grande. 



