fiOf! INSECTA MADERENSIA. 



§ 1. Prothorax ad latera integerrimus. 



473. Oxytelus picens. 



O. niger subnitidus, capite prothoraceque sat profunde inaequaliter punctatis (hujus angulis posticis 



obtusis), elytris longitudinaliter leviter strigulosis testaceis (regione scutellan nigrescente), an- 



tennis breviusculis ad basin diluto-testaceis, pedibus testaceis. 



Mas, capite prothorace paulo latiore, subrotundato (clypeo antice ampliato) : abdominis segmento 



sexto subtus apice bisinuato (lobo intermedio paulo longiore crassiore leviter elevato, ad apicem 



subemarginato-truncato) ; scptimo profunde bi-inciso (lobis lateralibus acurainatis, intermedio 



paulo breviore subquadrato, ad apicem in medio obsolete acuto). 



Fam,, capite prothorace paulo angustiore, subtriangulari : abdominis segmento sexto subtus apice 



truncato ; septimo apice leviter bisinuato (lobo intennedio rotundato-triangulari, ad basin lato). 



Long. corp. lin. 2-2\. 



Staph^linus picetis, Linn. Sj/st. Nat. i. ii. 686 (1767). 



, Fab. Si/st. Ent. 267 (1775). 



Oxytelus piceus, Erich. Oen. et Spec. Staph. 788 (1839). 

 , Heer, Fna Col. Heh. i, 204 (1841). 



Habitat in stercore bovino Maderse, et borealis et austraUsj praesertim in locis subinferioribus, toto 

 anno frequens : in Portu Sancto quoquc occurrit. 



O. I)hick, and slightly shining. Head and prothorax rather deeply and unequally punctured (the 

 jjuncturcs being composed of large ones, and minute ones between) : the former ynih a very 

 abbreviated central channel behind ; with its extreme lateral edges (over the eyes) sinuated, but 

 not raised, its anterior angles (beneath which, as is universally the case in the Oxytelides, the 

 antennae are inserted) elevated and enlarged (although obtuse), and piceo-testaeeous ; and with 

 the region of its clypeus depressed, less punctured, and with its front margin raised : the latter 

 with its hinder angles obtuse ; trisulcated down the disk (the outer grooves being shghtly 

 flexuose, and somewhat obsolete anteriorly) ; and widely (though not veiy deeply) impressed 

 towards either side. Elytra testaceous, with the scutellary region usually black; and lightly 

 longitudinally-strigulose. Anfe/ina shorter than the head and prothorax (their second joint being 

 a little longer than the third), fuscous, with their basal four joints pale piceo-tcstaceous. Legs 

 pale testaceous. 

 Male, with the head larger and rounder than the female (being a little wider than the anterior por- 

 tion of the prothorax), and with its clypeus somewhat enlarged in front, — projecting a little 

 beyond the fore-margin of the forehead. Tlie abdomen beneath with the sixth segment bisinuated 

 at its apex (the intermediate lobe bemg rather long, thickened, a little elevated, and subemargi- 

 nate-truncatcd at its termination) ; and with the seventh very deeply incised on either side (the 

 lateral lobes, thus formed, being acuminated ; and the intermediate one a little shorter, squarish, 

 and truncated at its apex, — though just perceptibly pointed in the centre). 

 Female, with the head a little naiTOwer, and more triangular. The abdomen beneath with the sixth 

 segment truncated ; and with the seventh slightly bisinuated at its apex (the intermediate portion 

 being of an obtuse, or rounded-triangular, form ; and very wde at its base). 



A common insect both in the north and south of Madeii-a, as well as in Porto 



