A.^ 



279. 



MELOE BREVICOLLIS. 



The short-necked Oil-beetle. 



Order Coleoptera, Fam. Cantharidas Lat.., Leach. 



Type of the Genus, Meloe proscarabseus Linn. 



MfiLOE Linn., Fnb., Oliv., Panz., Leach, &c. — Proscarabseus Geoff. 

 AntenncE inserted between, and close to the interior margin of 

 the eyes, longer than the thorax, filiform or incrassated, some- 

 times irregular in form in the males, 11 -jointed, basal and 3rd 

 joints of equal size, ovate, 2nd smaller, globose, 4th subglobose, 

 5th larger, cylindric, 6th inserted at the edge of the former, 

 large and compressed, 7th dilated and incurved, and from the 

 back- rises the 8th joint which is smaller and subglobose, as are 

 also the 9th and 10th, the terminal joint elongate-conic (6). In 

 the females the 4th and three following joints are sometimes 

 large and subovate-truncate (6 a). 



Labrum thick, transverse, emarginate, pilose above, the anterior 

 angles rounded and producing curved bristles (1 ). 

 Mandibles large, strong and bent, with a slight shoulder above 

 and a deep notch below the apex, which is truncated ; a mem- 

 branous and ciliated lobe on the internal side with an obscure 

 tooth near the base (2). 



Maxillce corneous, terminal lobe articulated, lunulated and cili- 

 ated with curved bristles ; internal lobe coriaceous and densely 

 pubescent. Palpi rather long, subclavate 4-jointed, basal joint 

 small, 2nd rather the longest, clavate-truncate, 3rd ovate-trun- 

 cate, 4th subovate (3). 



Mentum transverse-oval, narrowed and deflexed at the base. 

 Labium large, cordate, and pilose anteriorly. Palpi attached 

 near the lateral margins, subsecuriform, triarticulate, basal joint 

 minute, 2nd obtrigonate pilose, 3rd wedge-shaped (4). 

 Head suborbicular, vertical, as broad or broader than the head. Cly- 

 peus slightly produced. Eyes inclining to kidney shape. Thorax 

 quadrate or suborbicidar . Scutellum none ? Elytra generally cover- 

 ing only a portion of the body, oval, crossing at the base, diverging 

 towards the apex. Wings none. Abdomen large, oblong, conical 

 and soft, especially in the females. Legs long robust and very hairy. 

 Tibiae spurred, often shorter than the Tarsi which are densely pilose 

 beneath, and b-jointed (5), the posterior pair 4-jointed (5*), the 

 basal joint being rather the longest. Claws long, each divided to 

 the base so as to form 4 distinct ungues. 



Beevicollis Panz.fasc. 10. n. 15. — Linn. Trans, v. 11. pL 6.f. 9. 

 Male. Bluish-black. Antennse short, moniliform. Head broader 

 than the thorax, subtrigonate-ovate, coarsely punctured. Thorax 

 transverse oblong, broadest at the base, the angles rounded, 

 coarsely punctured, with a slight channel down the middle. 

 Elytra covering the body, rugose. 



Female. Rather more inclining to blue, the head and thorax 

 sometimes tinged with green. Elytra not covering the body. 



hi the Author's and other Cabinets. 



