276 

 Note on Hawaiian Platynus (Coleoptera, Carabidae). 



BY DR. K. C. I.. PERKINS. 



(Presented by O. H. Swezey.) 



In the ■'Fainia Hawaiiensis" two species of I'hi/i/iius were 

 described liv Dr. Shar]), one from Haleakala, ^lani. and the 

 other from Kanai. Xeither of the species was fonnd in any 

 numbers, and of the latter, F. ambicns Shp., only a single ex- 

 ample was eaptin-ed, althouah a large number of Carabidae 

 was collected on Kanai, and these were to some extent exam- 

 ined at the time of ca])ture, in order that I might have a good 

 idea of the nmnber of species that were being collected. 



Recently I came across a small tube of Kauai lieetles, ]n-e- 

 served many years ago in alcohol for jmrposes of dissection, and 

 was surprised to find that three of the five exam])les of Carabi- 

 dae belonged to Platynus amhiensy the others being the two 

 very common species Mefromeiius pavidus and DisenocJius 

 atevninus. A very aberrant female specimen of HJi i/ncof/omis 

 I'cumieiisis, a few common Profcrliinus, etc.. made \i]) the rest 

 of the contents of the tube. It is remarkable that these few 

 beetles picked up at random should have contained more of 'the 

 Platynus than were found wlien such things were s])ecially 

 looked for. I may add that though these beetles had reuiaineii 

 so many, years in alcohol, they w(n"e in the best of condition 

 and were easily moimted. 



Though placed in the same genus, the two Hawaiian Plu- 

 ti/iias ari' extraordinarilv different in structure and Init for 

 the ]>ronotal setae l)eing alike in each, they certainly would nor 

 be jdaced together, since each of them is far more like to somo 

 other species of Hawaiian Carabidae placed in other genera 

 than its congener. I have not compared my specimens with 

 the ty])e, but Sharp's descri})tion agrees with them so admir- 

 ably that there is no ])robability of error; indeed, there is lit- 

 tle ditficnltv in identifvino- nearlv all the Carabidae bv tlu^ 



Proc. Haw. Eiittmi. Soc. IV. Xo. 2. Juno, 1920. 



