382 



CANARIAN COLEOPTERA. 



583. Bruchus Teneriffae. 



B. ovatus, niger, subtus dense cinereo-, supra insequaliter cinereo- 

 et fusco-squamosus, antennarum basi pedibusque rufo-testaceis ; 

 femoribus (prajsertim posticis, subtus denticulo minutissimo inter- 

 dum aegre observando ai'matis) tibiisque posticis basi nigris ; capite 

 prothoraceque subconico punctatis ; elytris teniiiter subcrenato- 

 striatis ; antennis versus apicem vel rufo- vel nigro-brunneis. 



Mas elytris vix quadratioribus ; anteruais pedibusque (praesertim 

 tibiis tarsisque posterioribus) longioribus ; tibiis posticis sensim 

 gracilioribus, extus minus evidenter subserratis ; pygidio sequaliter 

 cinereo-tomentoso (nee nigro-subbimaculato). — Long. corp. lin. 

 1J_11 



Bruchus TeueriffcB (Steven), Schon., Gen. et Spec. Cure. v. 105 (1839). 

 Habitat in montibus Canariae, TenerifFai et Palmae, floribus Spartii 

 et Ci/tisi gaudens. 



"Were it not for the habitat " insula Teneriffa, in Spartio," it would 

 scarcely have been possible to recognize the present Bruclms in the 

 long but inaccurate description given in the 'Gen. et Spec. Cure.'; 

 but as it is, I feel perfectly satisfied that it is the species there re- 

 ferred to. It abounds in certain districts, chiefly of a high elevation, 

 on the mountains of Grand Canary, TenerifFe, and Palma ; and on 

 the lofty Cumbre of TenerifFe, above Ycod el Alto and adjoining the 

 Caiiadas, as well as on the opposite Cumbre above the Agua Mansa, 

 it absolutely teems — occurring on the flowers of the Spartium mibi- 

 gena (or " Retama "), and being most common from about 7000 to 

 9000 feet above the sea. Nevertheless it is also found, though less 

 profusely, at lower altitudes : thus, in Grand Canary I have taken it, 

 from off the blossoms of Cytisus prolifenis, throughout the region of 

 El Monte, as well as on the mountain-slopes above San Mateo (to- 

 wards the Roca del Soucilho), and on the ascent to the Pinal of 

 Tarajana, above San Bartolome. And whilst in Palma, during June 

 1858, 1 met with it in the great Pinal of the Banda above the plains 

 known as " Los Llanos," on the western side of that island. Li 

 Teneriffe it was likewise captured by Dr. Crotch, though sparingly, 

 on the Canadas. 



The B. Teneriffoi is remarkable, inter alia, for a certain, though 

 not very considerable, sexual dissimilarity which it presents (for I 

 think I can scarcely be mistaken in regarding the two forms now 

 before me as sexes of a single species). Thus, the male (which would 

 seem to be rather the rarer of the two) is, on the average, a little 

 larger and squarer in outline, and has its pygidium more uniformly 

 cinereous (there being no indication of the obscure, ill-defined darker 



