212 RHYNCHOPHORA. \_AlopllU8. 



together ; it may at once be distinguished by the large common V-shaped 

 patch at the apex of the elytra. 



A. trig-uttatus, F. Oblong-ovate, somewhat variable in form, 

 upper surface covered with grey, yellowish-brown or brown scales 

 (which in fresh, specimens are often more or less metallic, especially on 

 head and thorax), mixed with fine hairs, usually more or less variegated 

 with small dark patches on the elytra, which are furnished with a 

 lighter spot on each before middle and a broad V-shaped common patch 

 before apex ; rostrum with a central furrow ; thorax rather longer than 

 broad, with the sides subparallel, in fresh specimens with bands of 

 lighter scales at sides ; elytra broadly emarginate at base, with very 

 fine, more or less obsolete, striae ; legs pitchy, tarsi and tibia? ferruginous, 

 anterior femora not toothed. L. 7-8 mm. 



Male with the body behind thorax oblong and the base of the abdomen 

 with a broad impression ; female with the body behind thorax sub- 

 cordiform and the base of abdomen without impression. 



Sandy and ch'.ilky places; under stones, and in moss, flood refuse, &o. ; not un- 

 common, and generally distributed throughout England ; Scotland, on herbage, often 

 abundant in flood refuse, Solway, Moray, and probably many other districts ; it is 

 most likely widely distributed in Ireland ; in my experience it is never abundant but 

 occurs singly in various localities, under stones, on pavements, &c. 



SUB-FAM. Curculionmae. 



This sub-family contains by far the great majority of the Khyncho- 

 phora and is made up of very divergent and heterogeneous forms, many 

 of which exhibit relationships to other families ; they are, however, all 

 connected by the fact that the mandibles have no scar or cicatrix at the 

 anterior external angle of the rostrum, a point which will separate them 

 from all the Brachyrrhininae ; from the Apioninae, which are by many 

 authors included in the sub-family, they may (with the exception of 

 Nanophyes) be distinguished by the formation of the trochanters, and 

 from the Attelabinas by the geniculated antennae,* rounded intermediate 

 coxae, and the fact that the projection of the first ventral segment is, 

 except in Lixns, obtuse or truncate, whereas in the last mentioned sub- 

 family it is always acuminate. 



The following characters may be noticed besides those just mentioned ; 

 mentum varying in size, maxillae exposed, palpi short, four-jointed, 

 rigid and conical ; rostrum variable, but usually long and more or less 

 slender, sometimes of varying length in the sexes, in which case it is 

 longest in the female, scrobes entirely or almost entirely lateral with the 

 apical portion occasionally visible from above (Hylol)ius) ; eyes variable, 

 as a rule depressed, sometimes very convex (Anthonomina), round or 

 almond-shaped; antennae with the club annulated or articulated; pro- 

 sternum longer or shorter before anterior coxae, which are either con- 



* In Cleonax, Rhamphus and Magdalis the antennae are only feebly geniculate, 

 but in the other genera this character is strongly marked. 



