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Rhyssemus. | LAMELLICORNIA. 
RHYSSEMUS, Mulsant. 
This genus contains about fifteen species, of which eight occur in 
Kurope, and the rest have been recorded from North America, Ceylon, 
North Africa, Madagascar, &c.; they are very closely allied to 
Psammobius, but are distinguished by the structure of the hind tarsi and 
the granulation of the interstices of the elytra; as in the last-mentioned 
genus, the head is asperate, and the thorax sulcate. 
R. germanus, L. (Psammobius asper, Steph.). About the size of 
Oxyomus porcatus, and of the same shape, fuscous black, dull, antenne 
and palpi reddish-yellow ; head thickly and finely granulate; thorax 
short, convex, with four or five transverse furrows, dividing four trans- 
verse elevated costee, the two posterier of which are sinuated and inter- 
rupted in middle ; elytra elongate, punctate- striate, aba the interstices 
granulate in two rows ; ; legs reddish-brown. L. 2-23 mm. 
Male with the metasternum impressed with a re roundish impression 
in middle, 
Under rotting vegetable matter, and at roots of decaying plants; very rare, and 
doubtful as British; sandy coasts near Bristol (Stephens); said by Curtis to have 
been taken near Swansea; I know of no recent captures. 
PSAMMOBIUS, Heer. 
This genus contains about five-and-twenty species, of which fifteen 
are found in Europe; the others are widely distributed, species having 
been recorded from North and South Africa, Arabia, Ceylon, Java, Cuba, 
North America, &c.; they are distinguished from all our other allied genera 
except Rhyssemus by their deeply and transversely sulcate thorax. 
I. Thorax without lateral or basal seta; first joint of pos- 
terior tarsi longer than exterior apical spur of tibiw; tarsi 
longer, with claws of the usual size . .« . PP. cmsus, Panz. 
II. Thorax with a fringe of clavate sete at base and ‘sides; 
first joint of posterior tarsi shorter than exterior apical 
spur of tibize ; tarsi shorter, with claws small and weak. 
. Size smaller and narrower ; striz of elytra rather finely 
| pnetred : . P. suncrcoxrtis, Z7/. 
. Size larger and broader, strie of elytr a broader and 
more/coarsely punctured). 3) 9.) s 28. 2 =) 2 = « J2- ROROLOOLDIS; M0. 
P. cesus, Panz. (Pleurophorus cwsus, Muls.). Elongate, narrow, 
subeylindrical, parallel-sided, pitchy black, shining, with the antenne 
reddish ; head thickly wrinkled and granulate ; thorax as broad as 
elytra, not narrowed in front, sparingly and very strongly punctured, 
with a fine central furrow, abbreviated in front, and two feeble transverse 
furrows on each side, one just behind the anterior margin and the other 
in the middle ; elytra with strong and crenate striz, interstices flat and 
