230 Mr. C. O. Waterhouse on Tenebrio ferrugineus. 



XXXII. — Note on Tenebrio ferrugineus, Fabr., in the 

 Banhsian Collection of Coleoptera. By Charles O, 

 Waterhouse. 



I HAVE had occasion to examine the type specimen of Tenebrio 

 ferrugineus, F. (Sp. Ins, i. p. 324), and think the following 

 notes may be useful. 



The following is the Fabrician description : — " Corpus 

 prsecedenti [Antherophagus pallens'\ adhuc minus, magis 

 depressum ferrugineum. Elytra striata^ testacea. Habitat 

 in Africa gequinoctiali." 



The general appearance is something between Pediacus and 

 Lcemophloeus ; the antennae, however, resemble those of 

 Gnathocerus, but with longer terminal joint. I cannot call to 

 mind any insect with a similar thorax. This is flat, slightly 

 dull, except the smooth median line and fine smooth line 

 inside the lateral finely reflexed margin ; it is only slightly 

 narrowed towards the base, and the almost rectilinear sides 

 are peculiar. I can only distinguish four joints to all the 

 tarsi. 



I think the species must be placed in the Cucujidas, near 

 Xenoscelis, Woll., which it resembles in many respects, but 

 has quite different antennae. 



The following additional characters will help to identify 

 the species. Of course the insect so long known in our 

 collections as Tribolium ^^ferrugineum, Fab.," will have to 

 bear a different specific name. 



Prosternum without process, flat between the coxae, im- 

 pressed behind them. Mesosternum lightly impressed, with 

 a slight oblique swelling next the intermediate coxa3, which 

 are moderately separated ; the line dividing the mesosternum 

 from metasternum curved. Metasternum with a deep longi- 

 tudinal median impression behind. [Abdomen wanting.] 

 Apical joint of the maxillary palpi elongate-ovate, very 

 obliquely truncate at the apex. 



Anterior tarsus four-jointed, four fifths the length of the 

 tibia. The basal joint about one third of the tarsus ; the 

 second and third joints shorter, subequal, slightly produced 

 beneath ; claw-joint a very little longer than the basal joint. 



Posterior tarsus with four joints, the basal one long; the 

 second with its basal part about one third the length of the 

 basal joint, produced below into a long rather broad lamina, 

 extending beneath to about the middle of the claw-joint ; the 

 third joint about as long as the second ; the claw-joint about 



