Blaptina.] HETEROMERA, 5 
BLAPTINA. 
In this tribe the clypeus is entire, or nearly entire, at apex; the head 
is prominent and slightly narrowed behind the eyes ; the metasternum 
is very short and the epipleure of the elytra are very large and broadly 
embrace the sides of the abdomen ; the legs are long and the tibial spurs 
are distinct ; the femora are elongate and considerably exceed the 
margin of the elytra, and the tarsi are channelled and setose beneath ; 
three genera belonging to the tribe are found in Europe, of which one 
is represented in Britain ; between this tribe and the Crypticina there 
intervene the large and important genera Asida and Pimelia, neither 
of which are found in this country. 
BLAPS, Fabricius. 
About one hundred and thirty species belong to this genus, of which 
more than forty are found in Europe, and the chief part of the re- 
mainder in Northern and Central Asia and Northern Africa ; hardly 
any occur in the tropics, where they are replaced by allied genera; they 
are large, dark, repulsive-looking insects, and our common species PB, 
mucronata is commonly known as the “churchyard beetle,” owing to 
the fact that the members of the genus are often found in vaults, 
cellars, &c.; three species only-occur in Britain, one of which is very 
rare ; in the late Mr, W. Garney’s collection there is a specimen of B, 
gages, L. (gigas, F.), which was originally in Mr. Griesbach’s collection, 
and was formerly taken in the south of England, but it is an evident 
importation ; the species have the three penultimate joints of the 
antennee dull and rounded, and the last joint acuminate, the second being 
very short and the third very long, four or five times as long as second ; 
the prosternum has no process behind the anterior cox, and all the pairs 
of coxe, beginning from the anterior pair, become gradually more widely 
distant ; the tarsi beneath are biseriately setose ; the general sculpture is 
feeble. 
The larva of Blaps similis is described and figured by Schiédte (De Metamorphos 
Eleutheratorum, x. p. 582, pl. vi. fig. 1); it is ofa pale colour, with the head, legs, 
and ninth segment of the abdomen slightly ferruginous and the mandibles and claws 
pitchy ; the shape is linear and very parallel but rather broader than in some of the 
allied larvee ; the prothorax is the longest segment, and the anal segment is mucronate 
at apex; the full-grown larva presents no traces of ocelli; it inhabits dark holes and 
corners, cellars, &c., and lives on vegetable matter. 
I. Antenne longer, with joints 4-7 oblong, more or less 
elongate. 
i. Form narrower; thorax distinctly narrowed behind ; 
apical process of elytralonger . . . + + + + s 
ii. Form broader; thorax slightly narrowed behind; 
apical process of elytra shorter. . . . + . . + + B.MuUCRONATA, Latr. 
II. Antennz shorter, with joints 4-7 short oval and 
rounded ; form broad 5 Wacwerseets 3) sD. SIMIEIS; Late 
B. mortisaga, L. (acuminata, Dej.). Black, upper side rather dull, 
under-side shiny, moderately elongate ; clypeus without smooth central 
B. MORTISAGA, L. 
