INSECTA MADERENSIA. 353 



Lixtis riifitarsis, Sclion. Gen. et Spec. Cure. iii. 78 (1836). 



, Dej. Cat. des Col. 296 (1837). 



angustatus, DaU, in lift. 



Habitat in Maderae lierbidis, super folia Carduorum, hinc inde vulgaris : in convalle Ribeiro de 

 Santa Luzia dicta Maio exeunte a.d. 1849, necnon ad Ribeiro Frio sestate media a.d. 1850, 

 copiosissime collegi ; atque etiam in horto Loweano prope Funchal exemplar unicum inveni. 



Ij. opake, and clothed with a very distinct, somewhat ashy pubescence. Head usually without any 

 appearance of an impression between the eyes ; and with the rostrum rather short, but somewhat 

 slender (the antenn?e being inserted into it more medially than is the case with the other species), 

 most densely and rugosely subpunctulated. Prothorax, also, most densely punctured, but with 

 the punctures better defined than those on the rostrum, usually without any ti'aces of a dorsal 

 line, and with the sides slightly rounded. Elytra rather deeply punctate-striated, the interstices 

 being minutely roughened, and rather \vider at the base than the prothorax; each of them 

 slightly rounded at the apex, — the points being, consequently, not qiute in conjunction, though 

 at the same time neither acuminated nor outwardly divergent. Antenrus (especially at their base), 

 and the tarsi, rufo-ferruginous. 



The smallest of tlie Madeiran Lixi, and readily distinguished by its opake 

 pubescent siu-face, by its densely punctured prothorax and rostrum (the former of 

 wliich is somewhat rounded at the sides and slightly narrower behind than the 

 elytra, whilst the latter is rather slender and has the antennae inserted into it 

 about midway between its base and apex), by its roughened interstices, and by its 

 more or less ferruginous antennse and feet. It is a very gregarious insect (being 

 usually exceedingly numerous, where it occiu's at all), and is found principally 

 upon thistles. It ranges in Madeii'a fi'om about 300 to 3000 feet above the sea, 

 though it is more abundant perhaps at about 2000 than at any other elevation. I 

 took it in great profusion, in May 1849, at the extreme head of the Ribeiro de 

 Santa Luzia; as also, later in the summer, diu'ing 1850, at the edges of the 

 Levada of the Hibeu'o Frio ; and a single specimen occvu'red to me on one occasion 

 even (in the Rev. R. T. Lowe's garden) near Punchal. It is not uncommon in 

 Mediterranean latitudes, and is recorded by Schonherr from the south of France, 

 SicUy, and Portugal. 



(Div. 2. BRACHYRHYNCHI.) 

 (Subf. 6. CYCLOMIDES.) 



Of all the insects with which we are here concerned, there are none perhaps 

 more difficult to investigate, though at the same time more interesting geographi- 

 cally, than the small cluster of allied genera which commence the BrachyrhyncM, 

 — ^the second great division of the Gonatocerous CurcuUonidcB. Our total reliance 

 on external details throughout the sections and groups of the whole of this enor- 

 mous family renders it even more perplexing to arrive at the correct affinities of 



2z 



