580 INSECTA MADERENSIA. 



Genus 200. PHILONTHUS. 

 (Leach) Stepb. 77Z. Brit. Ent. v. 226 (1832). 



Corpus plorumque mediocre, clongato-lineare : capite plus minusve ovato (in maribus stepius latiore) ; 

 uculis jjlerumque oblongis : prothorace basi rotunJato, apice truncate, serie punctorum dorsali (e 

 punctis tribus, quatuor, quinque, sex, vel etiam pluribus composita) utrinque impresso, necnon 

 versus utrumque latus (inter seriem dorsaleni et margineni) paucis notato : alls ssepius amplis : 

 abdomine lineari margiuato (stylis analibus j)lerumque exsertis). Antenna in frontis margine 

 anteriore insertse, rectse, iiliformes aut apicem versus vix incrassatae, articulo primo elongato, 

 secundo tertioque obconicis (illo vLx breviore), ultimo ad apicem truncatulo (aut leviter sub- 

 emarginato) ct inferne plus minusve acuminato; Instrummta ciharia fere ut in Othio, sed 

 maxillarum lobus externus rectior ; ct palporum articulus ultimus fusiformis. Pedes breviusculi ; 

 coxis intermediis modo approximatis modo distantibus : tibiis plerumque spinulosis : tarsis 5-arti- 

 culatis {anticis aut in utroque sexu aut in masculo solo dilatatis, aut in utroque sexu simplicibus) ; 

 posterioribus filifonnibus, articulo primo plus minusve longiuscvdo. 



The PhUontki are even more numerous tlian the Staphylini, — no less than 150 

 species being characterized by Erichson, more than 90 of which are recorded as 

 European. They may be knowii by their highly-polished and nearly glabrous 

 head and prothorax, — the latter of which has a row of pimctiu"cs (composed usually 

 of from three to six, though in some instances of more) on cither side of its disk, 

 and a few irregular ones towards the sides, — by their straightened antennae (the 

 terminal joint of which is obliquely subemarginated at its apex), by their filiform 

 palpi, and by their entire ligtila. They are principally stercoraceous in their 

 hal)its, though found likeAvise beneath the rotting loosely-attached bark of trees, 

 as wcU as amongst damp moss (and even fungi) in moist and shady spots. 



§ I. Prothorax seriebus dorsalibus e punctis quatuor compositis. 



451. Philonthus aeneus. 

 P. niger, capite prothoraceque nigi-o-seneis (illo rotundato-subquadrato, hoc utrinque obsoletissime 

 inipresso necnon ad latera subsinuato), elytris vel nigro- vel subviridescenti-seneis et dense punc- 

 tatis, pedibus vix picescentibus. 

 Mas, abdominis segmento quinto subtus triangulariter emarginato, tarsis anticis fortiter dilatatis. 

 Loug. corj). lin. 4|-5|. 



Staphylinus teneus, Eossi, Fna Etrus. i. 2i9 (1790). 



, Gray. Col. Micropt. 17 (1802). 



, GyU. Ins. Succ. ii. 311 (1810). 



Philonthus (Btieus, Erich. Qen. et Spec. Staph. 437 (1839). 



Habitat Maderam, in stercore bovino, rarior (ab ora Funchalensi maritima tamen usque ad summos 

 monies ascendens). 



P. black. Head and prothorax highly polished, dark aeneous (often with a slightly greenish tinge). 



