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IV. The Rhynchophorous Goleoptera of Japan. Part 

 IV.* Otiorhynchidse and Sitonides, and a genus 

 of doubtful position from the Kurile Islands. By 

 David Sharp, M.A., M.B., F.R.S., etc. 



[Read February 5th, 1896.] 



Although the collections of Goleoptera made by Mr. 

 Lewis in Japan are of great interest, and are the 

 base of almost all that we know of the Bhynchophora 

 of Japan, yet it is, I think, tolerably certain that as 

 regards the GurcuUonidai proper — as distinguished from 

 Anthrihidse, Scohjtidx, and Brenthidse — they are very 

 incomplete, and I am inclined to believe that the 

 Otiorhynchidie of Japan will prove to be twice or three 

 times more numerous in species than the lists made from 

 Mr, Lewis's collections will show. 



Under these circumstances it appears scarcely worth 

 while to discuss the question of geographical distribution, 

 particularly as our knowledge of the Rhynchophora of 

 China, of Korea, of Mongolia, and the region round the 

 mouth of the Amur, is very small indeed. I may, 

 however, remark that the Japanese Otiorhynchldai have 

 very little affinity with those of the European region. 

 I here enumerate fifty- eight species belonging to twenty- 

 six genera. Not one of the species is the same as an 

 European one ; while of the twenty-six genera fifteen 

 appear at present to be peculiar to Japan, and only five 

 have representatives in Europe, and of these five it is 

 tolerably certain that four will prove to be more charac- 

 teristic of Eastern Asia than of the paleearctic region 

 proper. The genus Otiorhynchiis is the most character- 

 istic genus of the Mediterranean Curculionidous fauna, 

 where it has altogether nearly six hundred species ; but it 

 is not represented in Japan. Indeed, the only points that 

 appear to give this section of the Japanese fauna any 

 claim to connection with the European one is the 

 existence of a considerable number of species of 



* Part I., see the Transactions for 1889 ; Part IT., Transactions, 

 1891 ; Part III. (by W. F. H. Blandford), Transactions for 1894. 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1896. — PART I. (mARCH.) 6 



