On. the Idenfiti/ of Paussus lineatus and P. Parrianus. 459 



LIV. — On the possible Identity of Paussus lineatus, Thunberg, 

 and P. Parrianus, Westwood; with Notes on the Characters of 

 Specimens taken at the Cape of Good Hope. By W. H. Ben- 

 son, Esq. 



Paussus lineatus was described and imperfectly figured by Thun- 

 berg, in 1781, from a specimen taken by him at the Cape in 

 1772. In 1847, Westwood described and figured P. Parrianus 

 from a Natal specimen. When I made my first capture of 

 the latter species, under Table Mountain, in June 1846, I re- 

 corded in my journal an impression that it was P. lineatus ; but 

 on observing that Thunberg had omitted any mention of the 

 hinder excavation and other less important characters, I arrived 

 at the conclusion that the species was undescribed, while ex- 

 pressing surprise that a Paussus so frequent near Cape Town 

 should have escaped the notice of the Swedish naturalist. 



On the other hand, it is an important fact that no species 

 tallying more accurately with P. lineatus has yet been discovered, 

 notwithstanding the large accessions latterly made to the genus 

 from Southern Africa ; while the really slender form of P. Par- 

 rianus, especially when viewed with the antennae set in the posi- 

 tion indicated in Thunberg's drawing, and an agreement in 

 other particulars, some of which have been omitted by West- 

 wood, afford grounds for suspicion that the two species may 

 eventually prove to be identical. Moreover, the imperfection of 

 the magnifying powers possessed in Thunberg's day, and the 

 difficulties which must have attended the delineation of the 

 figure, eighty years ago, by an artist unaccustomed to sketch 

 such minute forms, and with but few allied species for compa- 

 rison, should be borne in mind. In spite of increased facilities 

 for observation, and the better-known peculiarities of various 

 sections and numerous species, the figures and descriptions of 

 these minute insects have not, even in more recent times, been 

 devoid of important errors, which have led to confusion by a too 

 implicit reliance on published characters. 



One of my specimens has the antennae fixed nearly in the 

 position in which Thunberg's figure was drawn ; and it is re- 

 markable how nearly the form of the clava corresponds there- 

 with, when observed by the unassisted eye; and even when a 

 lens is used, the angularity of the summit alone presents any 

 very obvious difierence. Compared with Westwood's figure in 

 the 5th vol. of the ' Transactions of the Entomological Society,' 

 pi. 2. f. 3, wherein the clava is given in a position which it 

 scarcely approaches naturally in any specimen, the w^hole insect 

 has a slender appearance, agreeing better with the copy of P. 

 lineatus in pi. 94 of the 'Arcana Entomologica ' than with the 



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