( 41 ) 



II. The Rhi/ncltophoi'otis Coleoptera of Japan. By 

 David Sharp, M.B., F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. 



Part I. ATTELABID.E and RHYNCHITID.E. 



[Read November 7th, 1888.J 



The Rhynehopbora brought by Mr. Lewis from Japan 

 fifteen years ago were examined by M. Roelofs, and 

 described by him in some papers that appeared in the 

 ' Annales de la Societe entomologiqne de Beli^nqiie,' 1874 

 and 1880. Since then Mr. Lewis has olttained a much 

 more extensive collection, and, as M. Roelo's is not at 

 present occupied with Entomology, I have undertaken 

 the task of revising the collection by the assistance of 

 this much richer material, and I now deal with the first 

 two families, Attelahidce and RhynchitidcB. 



I was surprised to find, on examining the first of these 

 groups, that they form an exception to the other 

 Ehynchophora in the structure of the prosternum : 

 Leconte recently drew attention to the importance of 

 this part of the body as a means of separating the 

 Ehynchophora from other Coleoptera, and it is very 

 curious that he should not have noticed that this family, 

 which he correctly placed at the commencement of the 

 series, differs from his definition of Ehynchophora in 

 this important particular. 



In order to define the structure of the prosternum in 

 these insects, I have been obliged to make use of a new 

 term, which I must explain. If the prosternum of one 

 of the larger Apostasimeride Ehynchophora be looked at 

 — Homalonotus, for example — it will be found that there 

 are three pieces in the antero-posterior direction of the 

 mesial line — 1, the prosternum proper ; 2, a piece rather 

 small in size and usually rhomboidal form, for which I 

 find no existent name, and which I have called the 

 centro-sternal piece ; 3, the prosternal epimera, joined 

 on the mesial line by a suture more or less obliterated. 

 This same structure may be seen in the Synmerid 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1889. PART I. (MARCH.) 



