10 WHEAT CHAFERS. 



PENTODON NIEEUS, Burm. (Fig. 5). 



Pentodon nireus, Burm. Handb. d. Entom. v. p. 103 ; 

 Bohm. Ins. Caff. ii. p. 3. 



FIG. 5. 1, Pentodon nireus ; 2, P. contractus. 



This Species and the next are Wheat-pests. 



Short-ovate, very convex; black, above slightly shining, 

 under side and legs piceous, shining; club of the antennae 

 red-brown. The head is short and broad, with close, 

 confluent, coarse punctures, and a fine elevated trans- 

 verse line in front ; the clypeus has two small raised 

 points at the apex. The thorax is broader than long, 

 with the sides rounded behind and narrowed in front, 

 the anterior angles are produced and acute, the entire 

 surface is evenly and rather closely punctured, and the 

 anterior and lateral margins are slightly reflexed. The 

 scutellum is broader than long, slightly impressed in the 

 centre, and without punctures. The elytra are together, 

 in the middle, nearly as broad as long, rounded at the 

 sides, and very convex ; there is a straight impressed 

 row of punctures next the suture and six to eight slightly 

 oblique rows on the disk, the inner rows are distinct, 

 but the outer ones are more or less effaced, especially 

 towards the apex, in some specimens. The pygidium is 

 short, convex, and punctured.. The under side and legs 

 are punctured and sparsely clothed with long red-brown 

 hairs, the centre of the metasternum and abdomen are 



