34 Mr. J. O. Westwood's Description of 



VII. Description of a minute Coleopterous Insect, forming 

 the type of a new Snhgenus allied to Tomicus, with some 

 Observations npoti the Ajfinities of the Xylophaga. Hy 

 J. O. Westwood, F.L.S., ^c. 



[Read January G, 1834.] 



An instance of the ravages of insects upon the bindings of books 

 having been communicated to me by Mr. Edward Lumley, I have 

 thought that a notice of it might not be uninteresting to the Ento- 

 mological Society, especially as the insect in question will not well 

 agree with the characters of any established genus. This gentleman 

 gave me the cover of a book [portions of which were exhibited,] 

 which was eaten in every direction by a very minute Scolytideous 

 insect, numbers of specimens of which were found dead in the va- 

 rious burrows. This binding seems formed of pasteboard and paste, 

 both of which materials were consumed. Mr. Lumley does not know 

 from what quarter he received the book ; and I have nowhere met 

 with a description of the insect, nor observed it in any collection. 

 Entomologists must therefore use their own discretion as to its in- 

 troduction into our British lists. The following are its characters. 



Tomicus (Hypothenemus) eruditus, Westw. Piceo-niger, setu- 

 losus, thorace fulvo antice convexo tuberculato, supra caput pro- 

 tenso, an tennis pedibusque lutescentibus, elytris posticfe rotun- 

 datis integris, antennarum clava ab articulo 5to incipiente. 



Long. Corp. lin. f . In mus. nostro. 



Pitchy black, the head of the same colour, entirely concealed from 

 above by the front of the thorax. The antenna appear to be 

 ordy 5-jointed, the first joint long and bent at the base, the se- 

 second large and cup-shaped, the two next very minute yet 

 distinct, the remainder of the antennae forming a very large 

 ovate mass, somewhat depressed and hairy, in which three ru- 

 dimental articulations are very indistinctly discernible. The 

 organs of the mouth are formed upon the Curculionideons type, 

 and are very similar to those of Tomicus, Hylurgus, &c. The 

 thorax is fulvous, narrowed in front, and subcucullated (com- 

 pletely concealing the head), vnth the anterior margin obtusely 

 denticulated, subrugose, and clothed with very short thick pu- 

 bescence. The elytra are oblong, pitchy black and shining, 

 with punctate striae, a short, thick, pale setula arising from each 



