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483. 

 MORDELLA ABDOMINALIS. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Mordellidae. 



Type of the Gefius, Mordella fasclata Fab. 



MoRDELLA Linn., Fab., Lat., Gyl., Mar., Curt. 



AntenntE inserted close to the anterior marg:in of tlie eyes, shorter 

 than the head and thorax, pubescent, slender at the base, 11- 

 jointed, 3 first joints ovate, the first the stoutest, 4th elongate 

 obtrigonate, the remainder broader, compressed and more or 

 less obtrigonate, having a serrated appearance, the apical joint 

 ovate (6). 



Labrtim semiorbicidar, very pilose above (1). 

 Mandibles trigonate acute, bifid at the apex, -with a membranous 

 ciliated margin on the inside (2). 



Maxillee small, terminated by 2 lobes, the outer one dilated, 

 rounded and very pubescent at the apex, the internal one shorter, 

 sublanceolate and pubescent on the inside. Palpi clavate and 

 4-jointed, basal joint minute, 2nd long clavate, 3rd subtrigonate, 

 4th large ovate hatchet-shaped (3). 



Mentum dilated, homy and pilose at the base, narrowed an- 

 teriorly. Lip large subcordate, pubescent, deeply notched at 

 the middle. Palpi clavate, pUose, biarticvdate, basal joint sub- 

 clavate, 2nd larger and ovate (4). 

 Head incurved subglobose : eyes remote and lateral. Thorax drooping, 

 larger than the head, convex, transverse, sides rounded, base a little 

 produced at the middle at the scutellum, which is small and trian- 

 gular. Postpectus voy large. Elytra scarcely broader than the 

 thorax, oblong, slightly attenuated, and not covering the apex of the 

 abdomen. Wings ample. Abdomen acuminated at the apex in both 

 sexes, especially in the females. Legs short, 4 anterior slender and 

 inserted close together wider the thorax, posterior robust : thighs, 

 hinder broad ovate : tihise, posterior elongate trapezate with 2 strong 

 spines at the apex : tarsi simple, anterior o -jointed (5), the 4th joint 

 minute, 5th slender; posterior pair 4-jointed (f), basal joint long 

 and stout, 3rd and 4th of equal length. Claws small, slightly pec- 

 tinated beneath. 



Abdominalis Fab. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 273. 1. 



Piceous black, covered with sUky pubescence, minutely punc- 

 tured : antennse brown, 2 basal and the apical joints as well as 

 the mouth ochreous. Thorax and abdomen orange, aculeus 

 long and blackish. Elytra clothed with brown pubescence. 

 Legs piceous, anterior pair orange, tarsi ochreous and bro^^^l. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



Mordella is at once distinguished from Rhipiphorus (pi. 19,] 

 by its simple antennae, and from Anaspis, which it most re- 



