162 Longicornia Mahtyana. 



Apomecyna. 

 Apomecyna, Serville, Ann. Soc. Ent. de France, iv. 77. 

 Caput antice transversum, tuberibus antenniTeris validis, basi 

 vix approxiraatis. Ociili mediocres, grosse granulati, late 

 emarginati. Jntennce breves, setaceae; scapo obconico; arti- 

 culo tertio scapo vel longiore, vel subsequali ; quarto bre- 

 viore ; sequentibus brevissimis, obsolete articulatis. Pro- 

 thorax capite paulo latior, subcylindricus. Elytra oblonga, 

 subdepressa. Pedes breves, aequales. Pro- et meso-sterna 

 declivia. Corpus elongato-ovatum. 

 The short setaceous, or occasionally nearly linear antennae, not 

 approximate at the base, with the obsolete articulations of the 

 terminal joints — the two apical, especially, looking as if they 

 formed but one — and the somewhat depressed, elongato-ovate 

 outline, will readily distinguish this genus. The type is the Lamia 

 kistrio of Fabricius; so at least it is generally stated, but the point 

 must have been determined more by tradition than from his de- 

 scription. Besides Apomecyna cretacea, Hope, there are two forms 

 of this species in collections, or perhaps it would be more correct 

 to say that there are two species under the name of histrio. One, 

 besides other characters, has a thicker scape, the apices of the 

 elytra nearly transversely truncate, and the antennae unicolorous ; 

 the other has the scape smaller, is more thinly covered with pile 

 so that the punctures are readily seen, the apices of the elytra are 

 obliquely truncate, and the fourth joint of the antennae is generally 

 white, except at the tip. Of the first* I have examples from 

 Dacca and Ceylon; examples of the second, from Bombay and Bris- 

 bane (Au.stralia), agree tolerably well together, while those from 

 Batchian and Saylee have much stouter antennae, and one from 

 Natal is very decidedly broader, with the three series of spots 

 nearer to the apex. Whether these, considering the vast dis- 

 tances which intervene between their respective habitats, are any- 

 thing more than local sub-species, may be doubted. Mr. Wallace's 

 specimens are identical, 1 tliink, with those usually referred to A. 

 histrio, the commonest of the Indian species. The normal Apome- 

 cynce have the third antennal joint twice the length of the scape ; 

 a species from South Africa, however, which, in other respects, 

 does not differ generically, has it nearly equal. This I have 

 received under the name o^ Apomecyna sparsula, Germ. I cannot 

 find that it has been published. Several insects referred to this 

 genus will have to be separated. 



• Tliis may be named A. neglecta. 



