7-- )^^7 

 148. 



BLAPS OBTUSA. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Blapsidae Lat.^ Leach. 



Type of the Genus Tenebrio mortisagus Linn. 



Blaps Fab., Lat., Ol'w., Leach. Tenebrio Linn., Geoff., DeGeer. 

 Antennce inserted before the eyes, subfiliform, 1 1 -jointed, basal 

 joint pear-shaped, 2nd minute^ 3rd long, 4 following of equal 

 length, the 7th being the largest, the remainder moniliform, the 

 last subconic (fig. 6). 



Lahrum exserted, transverse-ovate, slightly emarginate, pilose, 

 with a thick brush of hair on each side near the centre of the 

 anterior margin ( 1 ) . 



Mandibles large, bent, broad and bifid at their apex, fleshy on 

 the internal side (2). 



MaxillcE bilobed, internal lobe slender, bent, horny and bidentate 

 at the apex, ciliated internally, outer lobe thick ovate, hairy at 

 the apex. Palpi rather long, 3-jointed, basal joint long clavate, 

 2nd shorter clavate, 3rd large obtrigonate (3). 

 Mentum small, not covering the base of the maxillse, transverse- 

 ovate. Lip large subcordiform, ciliated with strong hairs. Palpi 

 inserted on each side the lip, 3-jointed, basal joint short, 2nd 

 robust trigonate, 3rd large securiform (4). 

 Head rounded, rather small. Eyes small, lateral, lunular. Thorax 

 sub-quadrate. Scutellum very small or wanting. Elytra connate, 

 sides injiexed, apex mucronate especially in the males, in which sex 

 there is a fascicle of hair at the base of the 2nd abdominal joint be- 

 neath (10 a), Wings none. Legs long, robust. Tibiae simple, 

 spurred. Tarsi alike in both sexes, 4 anterior 5 -jointed, posterior 

 pair A-jointed. Claws long. Pulvilli none (5, a fore leg). 



Obtusa Fab. Ent. Syst. Supp. p. 46. — similis Lat. Hist. Nat. t. 10. 

 p. 279. — lethifera Marsh, p. 479. n. 2. 



Male black, naked. Head thickly and minutely punctured. An- 

 tennae shorter than the thorax, all the joints excepting the 3rd 

 being moniliform. Thorax transverse, anterior angles very much 

 rounded, finely and thickly punctured. Elytra very broad, con- 

 vex, acuminated at the apex, coarsely and thickly punctured. 

 Process between the posterior coxae narrower than in B. morti- 

 saga, a tuft of yellowish hair arising in the middle, at the base 

 of the 2nd abdominal segment (f. 10, underside of abdomen). 

 Female broader, less shining, scutellum none 3 elytra more ob- 

 tuse and less acuminate. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



