^5 



12- n^i' 



538. 

 NOTHUS BIPUNCTATUS. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Cantharidae. 



Type of the Genus, Cantharis bipunctatus Fab. 

 l>!oTHVs Zieg., Dej., Meg., Curt. — Osphyra and Pelecina III. — CEde- 

 mera Lat. — Dry ops ? Scho. — Cantharis Fab. — Zonitis Meg. 

 Antenrue longer than the head and thorax, filiform and slender, 

 inserted upon the internal margin of the eyes, clothed with short 

 bristly hairs, 11 -jointed, basal joint the stoutest, clavate, 2nd 

 small ovate, 3rd and following long slender and subclavate, the 

 terminal joint subfusiform, being suddenly narrowed towards 

 the apex (6). 



Labrum quadrate at the base with the angles produced and se- 

 mitransparent, semicircular before, ciliated and producing a few 

 long hairs (1). 



Mandibles subtrigonate, externally hairy with a sharp and bifid 

 apex, the internal margin hollowed and filled with a broad mem- 

 brane, produced into a small lobe at the apex and ciliated (2) . 

 MaxillcE minute, formed of 2 lobes, the internal one linear and 

 pubescent, especially at the apex, the external lobe much larger, 

 hook-shaped and very pilose. Palpi larger than the labial, 

 4-jointed, basal joint small, 2nd long and stout, narrowed at 

 the base, 3rd obtrigonate, 4th very large and somewhat bowl- 

 shaped, but compressed and attached by the side (3). 

 Mentum small, semicircular. Lip rather large, membranous, 

 pubescent and cordate. Palpi attached to small scapes arising 

 from beneath the anterior margin of the mentum, triarticulate, 

 basal joint small and curved, 2nd longer and clavate, 3rd very 

 large pubescent and bowl-shaped (4). 

 Head suborbicular : eyes lateral prominent and reniform. Thorax sub- 

 orbicular or transverse-ovate, the sides a little reflexed : scuteUum 

 semiovate. Elytra very long and elliptical. Wings ample. Legs 

 rather short : thighs incrassated in the male, especially the hinder 

 pair which are subovate, with a tooth beneath near the apex : tibiae 

 simple with minute spurs at the apex, the posterior thickened in the 

 male, with a notch on each side of the base, covered with a membrane, 

 the apex produced on the inside and forming a strong obtuse spine : 

 tarsi, 4 anterior 5-jointed, posterior 4-joittted, basal joint the longest, 

 especially in the hinder j)air, penultimate bilobed, terminal clavate : 

 claws strong and trifid, the central claw being the longest (5 f hind 

 leg of male) . 



Bipunctatus Fab.- — Curt. Guide, Gen. 277. 1. 



NoTHUs was considered by Latreille to be related to the CEde- 

 merae, but it appears to me to be closely allied to Conopalpus 

 (Zonitis Brit. Ent.jtl. 112.); and although Dejean has placed 

 them in different families with 3 or 4 tribes betv/een them, I 

 expect they are sufficiently analogous to be received into the 

 same family, and this will be best shown by comparing the 

 dissections in pi. 112 with those of the one before us, when it 

 will be seen that the slight differences in the tropin cannot be 

 deemed more than generic: the tarsi are very similar, and the 

 claws considerably so, and it is merely in the absence of a joint 



