Cholcva.'] CLAVICORNIA. 59 



fact that the antennae are in almost all cases distinctly thickened towards 

 apex ; the genus Catopomorplms, of which there is no British repre- 

 sentative, forms a connecting link between this and the preceding 

 sub-genus ; the species belonging to this last-named genus are dis- 

 tinguished by the very long last joint of the antennae and by their being 

 always found in ants'-nests. The name Ptomapliagus has been by many 

 authors applied to C. sericeus and C. varicornis, while the name Catops 

 has been retained for the species belonging to the present sub-genus ; 

 as, however, the type species of Catops described by Paykull appears to 

 have been C. sericeus, it appears more correct to confine the name of 

 Catops to the species with truncate elytra. 



The species belonging to the sub-genus Ptomaphagus are, in many 

 cases, extremely hard to determine with certainty ; this is more espe- 

 cially the case with C. tristis and its allies, which appear as a rule to be 

 mixed in collections ; the differences in one or two cases are so slight, 

 that it is doubtful whether all the species can really be considered as 

 distinct ; in fact Murray regards C. longula, C. grandicollis, and C. 

 rotimdicollis (=-Kirl)yi\ and the two continental species C. abdominalis 

 and C. montivaga as all varieties of C. tristis. 



I. Thorax more or less distinctly narrowed before base. 

 i. Pubescence greyish or yellowish ; antennse rather 

 long, slender, or more or less distinctly thickened 

 towards apex. 



1. Thorax with sides rounded completely to base, 

 not sinuate before posterior angles. 



A. Antenna? long and slender, only slightly 

 thickened towards apex, with sixth joint al- 

 ways longer than broad in male, sometimes 

 as long as broad in female ; size larger (4- 

 5 mm). 



a. Colour fuscous-brown ; posterior angles of 



thorax scarcely projecting C. FUSCA, Panz. 



b. Colour black ; posterior angles of thorax 



distinctly projecting C. NIGBICANS, Spence. 



B. Antennae moderate, distinctly, but not strongly 

 thickened, with sixth joint about as long as 



broad in male, sometimes transverse in female. 



a. Antenna? with joints 6-8 of nearly equal 



length, feebly transverse C. LONGULA, Kell. 



b. Antenna) with eighth joint half as long as 



sixth, strongly transverse. 

 a*. Last joint of antenna? as broad as penul- 

 timate ; thorax not quite as broad as 

 elytra. 



af. Elytra shorter ; antenna) ferruginous 



with darker club C. COBACINA, Kelt. 



bf Elytra longer ; antenna? dark with first 



two and last joints reddish yellow . . C. MOKIO, F. 

 b*. Last joint of antenna? narrower than 



penultimate ; thorax ample, fully as broad 



as elytra . . C. GBANDicoiLis, Er> 



