86 



ANISOTOMID.E. 



notice one of which I captured in Teneriffe (in the highest part oi 

 the forest of Las Mercedes), whilst the remaining two were found hy 

 the Messrs. Crotch in Gomera (in the wooded district above Her- 

 migua). 



Genus 76. AGATHIDIUM. 

 Uliger, Kaf. Preuss. 81 (1798). 



256. Agathidium globulum. 



Agathidiimi globulum, Woll., Cat. Can. Col, 99 (1864). 



Habitat Canarienses (Can., Ten., Grow., Hierro), in sylvaticis sub- 

 sylvaticisque iiitermediis hinc inde baud infrequens. 



A Canarian Agatliidium which resides, though very locally, in the 

 sylvan districts of intermediate elevations. It will probably be found 

 to be universal in the central and western islands of the Group, though 

 hitherto it has not been observed in Palma ; but in Grand Canary, 

 Teneriffe, Gomera, and Hierro (in the last two of which it was cap- 

 tured by the Messrs. Crotch) it occurs, more or less sparingly. It 

 varies a little in its sculpture, the Teneriffan examples being rather 

 more perceptibly punctured (and with their head and prothorax more 

 evidently alutaceous) than those from the other islands. 



I have tried hard indeed to find a specific distinction between the 

 Teneriffan specimens (always very appreciably punctured) and those 

 from the other islands of the Group, but have entirely failed. In 

 some of the lightly sculptured examples (particularly Gomeran ones) 

 I have occasionally thought that the lopping- off of the shoulders was 

 more oblique than is the case in those from Teneriffe ; but even this 

 I now believe to be more apparent than real, for the greater or less 

 horizontality in the mounting of the Agathidia completely alters the 

 aspect of their humeral region (in specimens of undoubtedly the same 

 species) ; so that I can really find nothing except the relative strength 

 of the punctation in which the two forms differ from each other *. 



I imagine that the Teneriffan individuals of this Agathidium which 

 I have placed under the microscope are males ; but in a female speci- 



* I would not wish, however, to imply by the above remark that the oblique 

 truncation of the humeral angles is an unimportant feature, for I believe that 

 it is one of the most important which distinguishes the various species of the 

 Agathidia ; only I think we must be very cautious in our practical employment 

 of it, for it is surprising how much the contour of the same individual insect is 

 altered (in that respect) according to the exact manner in which its abdominal 

 region is mounted upon the card, and according therefore as the upper surface 

 of its elytra is more or less overlapped by the pronotum (or upper surface of the 

 prothorax). 



