INSECTA MADERENSIA. 423 



325. Stromatium unicolor. 

 S. subdepressum fulvo-testaceum creberrime rugulosvim et pubesccns, prothorace sequo, elytris punctis 



elevatis (prfescrtim antice) dispersis obsitis, sutura apice acuminata. 

 Long. Corp. lin. 6-11. 



Callidium unicolor, Oliv. Ent. iv. 70. 58. pi. 7. fig. 8-1 (1795). 



strepens, Eab. Ent. Syst. v. Suppl. 150 (1798). 



SoIenopJiorus strepiens, Mills. Long, de France, G5 (1810). 

 Stromatium strepens, Lucas, Col. de VAlt/erie, 490 (1819). 



Habitat in domibus prope Funcbal, ligno antique, ab sestate nova usque ad autumnum non infrequens. 



S. large, linear-elongate, sUgbtly depressed, entirely fulvo-testaceous (or pale cinnamon-colour), very 

 closely rugulose (scarcely punctured), and densely clotbed with a short decumbent paler pubes- 

 cence. Antenna very long, rather thickly hirsute towards their base. Prothorax tolerably 

 large, somewhat ovate, and truncated before and behind ; its upper surface free from inequalities, 

 though with obscure indications of a slightly elevated dorsal line on its hinder disk. Elytra with 

 minute scattered tubercles, or raised points, especially apparent towards the suture and base ; 

 and with two or three very obscurely elevated ridges down each. Antenna and legs concolorous 

 with, or a little paler than, the rest of the surface. 



The large size and pale cinnamon hue of the *S'. unicolo)', apart from the generic 

 characters of its prothorax and femora already referred to, will at once distinguish 

 it from the remainder of the Longicorns with which we are here concerned. 

 Since the north of Africa would appear to be one of its principal areas of diffusion, 

 it is possible that it may be truly indigenous in these islands ; nevertheless, if 

 such be the case, it is certainly remarkable that it should not occur except in the 

 immediate vicinity of Firachal, — to which, so far as I have hitherto observed, it 

 seems to be almost exclusively confined. There, however, it is sufficiently 

 common, being but too well known in the houses from the injury which it is 

 liable to commit amongst different articles of furniture, on the old wood of which 

 the larvae subsist. It is not unusual indeed for the attention to be attracted by 

 the grating noise (whence, I imagine, the very appropriate name of strepens was 

 suggested, but which has unfortunately to give way to the older one applied to it 

 by Olivier) which the perfect insect makes, on its arrival at the imago state, in 

 gnawing its way from out of the cavities formed by the larvaj, — an operation 

 which it often requii'cs a considerable time to effect, resuming its labours at 

 intervals, especially towards the evening. Owing perhaps to its fi'equent trans- 

 mission amongst civilized countries, it is a species of wide geographical range ; 

 nevertheless, its original centre was probably within the Mediterranean limits, — 

 it being abundant in the south of France and Spain, and (as just mentioned) in 

 the north of Africa. The specimens in fact described Ijy Pabricius, in 1798, were 

 from Tangier, — and it is stated by M. Lucas to be not uncommon in logs of 

 CytisKS spinosus and Pistacea lentiscus in the neighboiu'hood of Algiers. It has 

 however been likewise recorded in Russia, Asia Minor, Persia and Mesopotamia. 



