331 Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apiou. 



Swedish insect sent to him by Gyllcnhal, whicli is now in the pos- 

 session of the Entomological Society : no doubt can exist as to 

 the identity of this insect; it is pinned with a long fine pin and 

 labelled Antli J\Ir. Kirby^s number 27 ; subsequently Gyllenhal 

 described the same species ; and it is very remarkable, that the de- 

 scriptions of the sculpture by these celebrated entomologists are 

 very discrepant. The head between the eyes is described by Kirby 

 as having an impressed fovea, by Gyllenhal 2.% fiat, not impressed', 

 the thorax is defined by the former as deeply punctured, by the latter 

 as ohsoletely punctate. I have minutely examined the Swedish insect 

 above-named ; it has the head, between the eyes (when viewed in 

 front), evidently impressed, and the thorax distinctly punctm-ed. 

 It has a very great resemblance in all its essential characters to 

 Ap. Spencii, and as the latter species is extremely variable, I have 

 hitherto regarded it as a male variety, but it appears to have the 

 rostrum a little shorter and rather less bent ; the antenuse with 

 their articulations also appear to be rather shorter and a little 

 stouter ; these differences have caused me to hesitate in giving a 

 decided opinion. The British insect variety /3, cited by Kirby 

 under the name of Ap. foveolatum v, ith a note of interrogation, 

 " an idem V is beyond all doubt a male of Ap. Spencii ; and va- 

 riety J. is decidedly a female variety of the same species. Gyl- 

 lenhal has referred the first (/3.) to his Ap. intrusum, and I have 

 no doubt from his description it is synonymous with Ap. Spencii. 

 Germar has cited both the above varieties of Khby {^, 7.) under 

 his Ap. columbinum, but with a note of interrogation. I possess 

 a foreign example of the latter species from Germar ; it has the 

 habit of a female oi Ap. Spencii with a narrow head, but appears 

 to be distinct from that species ; it differs in having the head 

 longer and constricted behind the eyes, with a much deeper con- 

 cavity between them, the concavity profoundly sulcate ; the thorax 

 somewhat cylinch'ical, deeply rugose-punctate ; the elytra longer, 

 less convex, and of an oblong-oval form : I have never seen a 

 British specimen like it. 



The typical examples of Ap. Spencii (27 ? c? ), now in the Kir- 

 bian collection, have the head with a distinct cavity or fovea be- 

 tween the eyes ; it is very extraordinary that ]\Ir. Kirby in his 

 description should have omitted to notice this important cha- 

 racter. The male has the rostrum rather shorter than that of the 

 female, filiform, and covered with hairs to the apex ; in the latter 

 sex the rostrum is rather attenuated before the antenufe, and 

 glabrous. Varieties of the female occur with very narrow heads ; 

 and the cavity between the eyes in both sexes is more or less 

 deep ; the fovese on each side of the dorsal channel towards the 

 base are sometimes obsolete or entirely wanting. When a long 

 series of this species is closely examined, the characters will be 

 found to be extremelv variable. 



