( ^^5 ) 



VII. On the different forms occurring in the Coleo- 

 pterous famili/ Lycida3, with descriptions of neiv 

 genera and species. By CiiAS. O. Waterhouse. 



[Read February Gtli, 1878.] 



I HAVE for a considerable time devoted my attention to 

 the difficult Coleopterous genus hycus and its allies, and 

 have already published two papers on this family.* I 

 have been much hindered in pursuing the study of this 

 group by the great difficulty of determining the genera. 

 My attention has been especially directed to the Asiatic 

 species ; and with a view to determining the genera to 

 which the species should be referred I have selected a 

 series of forms, which I here characterize, but seldom ven- 

 ture to name as genera, as I think it extremely doubtful 

 Avhether they could be maintained as such. I have ex- 

 amined the various ])arts, as the palpi, antenna?, rostrum, 

 thorax, scutellum, elytra, &c. of all the different forms, but 

 find no definite characters upon which to establish genera. 

 It is evident that the genera (if made) must be charac- 

 terized by the combinations presented by these parts, and 

 in the following account I have done this. 



I have divided the family into forty-five groups (or 

 genera), but, doubtless, numerous others would have to 

 be made, especially among the American species. The 

 geographical distribution of the species is apparently very 

 ])eculiar. For instance, the genus Calopteron is peculiar 

 to South America, but there are two species — one from 

 the Celebes and another from New Hebrides — which only 

 differ in the form of the palpi from those from South 

 America ; but as these organs vary immensely, it is 

 scarcely safe to establish genera for their reception. 

 Again, the only species Avhich agrees generically with our 



* " Monograph of the Australian sppcies of the Coleopterous family 

 Ljicida;.'^ Trans. Ent. Soc, June, 1877, p. 73. 



"Monograph of the Coleojitcrous genus Calochromns of the family 

 LyciilcE." Cistula Entomologica, June, 1877, p. 105. 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. 1878. — TART I. (aPR.) 



