34 Mr. D. Sliarp on the Brucliiclfe of Japan. 



III. — On the Bruchidge of Japan. 

 By D. Sharp. 



The specimens of this family brought home by Mr. G. Lewis 

 are not so numerous as might have been anticipated, and it 

 would appear that in Japan, as well as in Central America, 

 these insects are rarely met with at large in any numbers, 

 being in this respect dissimilar to our European species, many 

 of which in the warmer parts of France and Spain are fre- 

 quently met with in the greatest abundance. Altogether 

 Mr. Lewis obtained thirteen species, three or four of which 

 are probably merely introductions from abroad to the Japanese 

 fauna ; such is, I believe, the case with the two European 

 species found in Japan, and with the American B. pusillimus ; 

 B. dorsalis was described from India by Schonherr, and B. scu- 

 tellaris is now widely distributed in the world. The other 

 species, to the number of eight, are at present peculiar to 

 Japan ; but as very little indeed is known about the oriental 

 BruchidfB, it is probable that some of them occur elsewhere. 

 The most noteworthy feature of the J apanese Bruchidas is the 

 occurrence tliere of a remarkably distinct genus ; there are 

 only three other genera of Bruchida known — each of them 

 has many species and a wide distribution, and it seems there- 

 fore scarcely possible that Japan should possess as peculiar 

 to itself a genus of a very isolated character. 



Bruchus dorsalis. 



Bnichns dorsalis, Fahrs. Sclaonh. Gen. Cure. v. p. 98. 



This species has been recorded as destroying seeds of Gle- 

 ditschia sinensis brought to this country from Japan [cf. Proc. 

 Ent. Soc. Lond. June 1873) ; it is apparently, however, not 

 a common insect in Japan, as Mr. Lewis met with only two 

 or three examples. 



Bruchus pisi. 



Bruchus pisi, Linu. Syst. Nat. 2, ii. p. 604. 

 Yokohama. One example. 



Bruchus loti. 



Bruchus loti, Gyll. Ins. Suec. iii. p. 13. 



Of this common European species Mr. Lewis met with a 

 single example at Kawachi. It is in a bad state of preserva- 

 tion, but appears to agree entirely with European specimens, 

 except that it is of very large size. 



