232 Dr. Sliarp^s Revision of the 



Section G. 



Group XVIII. Abdomen rather narrowed towards the 

 apex; the hinder angles of the thorax well marhed; habitat 

 in ants' nests. (Species 123 — 125) . 



Of this group, H. flavipes and eonfusa are closely 

 allied, but anceps has an entirely different facies, 



123. Homalofa anceps. 



Fusco-nigra, opaca, confertim punctata, antennarum 

 basi pedibus anoque obscure testaceis ; thorace transver- 

 se, piano, canaliculate, angulis posticis haud rotundatis; 

 abdomine supra confertim subtilissime, apice minus cre- 

 bre punctate. Long. Ij lin. 



H. anceps. Er. Kaf. Brand, i. 336; Gen. et Spec. Staph. 

 125; Kr. Ins. Deutsch. ii. 264; Wat, Cat.; Lyprocorrhe 

 anceps, Th. Sk. Col. iii. 108. 



. A peculiar and distinct species ; the head, thorax, and 

 elytra being harder than in the other species of the genus, 

 and clothed with an extremely short, and scarcely visible 

 pubescence ; it has somewhat the appearance of a small 

 H. fungi, but is flatter and duller. The antennas are 

 pitchy, paler at the base, moderately long, rather slender, 

 scarcely thickened towards the apex ; joints two and three 

 of nearly equal length, moderately long, four to ten each 

 differing but little from one another in length, the first of 

 them distinctly longer than broad, the last of them about 

 as long as broad; the eleventh joint about as long as the 

 two preceding. The head is considerably narrower than 

 the thorax, rather broad and short, very finely and close- 

 ly punctured, a little shining. The thorax is at the base 

 about as broad as the elytra, its breadth nearly twice its 

 length, distinctly narrower at the anterior than at the 

 posterior angles, the latter being distinct and not round- 

 ed ; the surface of the thorax is flat, and has a distinct 

 longitudinal channel in the middle, it is thickly and pretty 

 finely punctured, and has sometimes one or two irregular 

 little pits, or impressions. The elytra are rather short, 

 about one-third longer than the thorax, closely and pret- 

 ty distinctly punctured, dull. The abdomen is closely 

 and finely punctured, with a distinct moderately long 

 pubescence. The legs are yellowish. 



