488 • INSECTA MADERENSIA. 



Genus 163, PHALERIA. 

 Latreille, Hist. Nat. des Cruet, et Ins. iii. 162 (1802). 



Corpus parvxim, elliptico-ovatum, supra glabrum, vel subconvexum vel siibdepressum : prothorace 

 postice elyti'orum vix latitudine, modo (ut in specie Maderensi) antice acuminato, modo ad latera 

 stibparallelo : metasterno postice late et minus profunde bifido : alis obsoletis. Antenna capite 

 prothoraceque paulo breviores, fere ut in genere prsecedente ; apicem versus raonilifonnes letter 

 incrassatse, articulo primo robusto longiusculo flexuosOj secundo breviusculo, tertio paulo longiore, 

 ultimo ovato basi truncato. Lahrum transversum, antice vis integrum et dense ciliatum. Man- 

 dibulce vaUda; cornese, apice bifidse, una in medio fisso-sLnuata et membrana aucta, altera angus- 

 tiore intus curvata. Maxilla et palpi fere ut in Ellipsodes, sed horum articidus ultimus in 

 maxillaribus (brevioribus) minus robustus, in labialibus ovatior ad apicem oblique truncatus et 

 minus acuminatus. Mentum subquadrato-transversum, basi leviter angustatum, apice integrum. 

 Ligula submembranacea, antice leviter biloba ciliata. Pedes robusti : tibiis valdc spinulosis, 

 anficis compressis apicem versus late dilatatis : tarsis heteromeris ; posterioribus elongatis, arti- 

 culis usque ad penultimum longitudine decrescentibus (prime longiuscido). 



The PhalericB may be readily known by theii" pallid hue and sj)inulose tibiae 

 (tlie anterior pair of which arc greatly dilated towards their apex), and by their 

 apterous and more or less ovate bodies. They are insects which are eminently 

 constituted for Intrrowing in the sand, and are usually to be found beneath marine 

 rejectamenta, or decaying animal substances, on the sea-shore. In such situations 

 they are often, like many of the Necrophaga, exceedingly gregarious ; for I have 

 frequently remarked that, by digging just below the surface, abvmdance of speci- 

 mens may be brought to light in spots where only single ones were externally to 

 be seen. The species are not very numerous, but are widely distributed over the 

 \\orld. Two or thi-ee only are stated to be European ; but others are reported from 

 the Cape of Good Hope, North and South America, and Kamtschatka. 



372. Phaleria ciUata, Woll. 



P. elliptico-ovata testacea subconvexa vix nitida et subtilissime punctulata, prothorace glabro antice 

 subangustato, postice foveola longitudinali abbreviata utrinque impresso, elytris leviter striatis, 

 vel omnino pallidis vel macula obsojetissima central! in singido ])osita ornatis, ad latera ciliatis. 



Long. corp. lin. 2^-2,}. 



Habitat per oram Portus Sancti maritimam, a meipso AprUi exeunte a.d. 1848 copiosissime lecta. 



P. elliptical-ovate, testaceous, rather convex, very slightly shining, and most minutely punctulated all 

 over. Prothorax glabrous, acuminated in fi-ont, and slightly narrower at the base than the 

 cok'optera; with a small abbreviated longitudinal impression on either side behind. Elytra 

 rather paler and more opakc than the prothorax, and with the sides rounded (tlie broadest part 

 being a little behind the base) ; finely striated, and with the lateral edges ciliated with strong 

 hairs; sometimes with a very obscure cloud on the disk of each, — but usually altogether pale. 

 Antenna and legs concolorous with the rest of the surface. 



