714. 

 ANTHICUS TIBIALIS. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Cantharidae or Anthicidae. 



Type of the Genus, Meloe Antherinus Linn. 



Anthicus Fab., Payk., Curt. — Notoxus III., Lat. — Lytta Mars. — 

 Meloe Linn. 



Antennce inserted before the eyes, on each side of the clypeus, as 

 long as the head and thorax, pubescent and pilose, a little thick- 

 ened towards the apex, 11-jointed, basal joint the stoutest and 

 oval, 2nd the slenderest, short and obovate, 5 following shorter 

 than the 1st; elliptic -truncate, 8th, 9th and 10th more ovate- 

 quadrate, 11th as long as the 1st; apex conical (6). 

 Lahrum transverse-ovate, anterior margin slightly concave and 

 pubescent, surrounded by long hairs (1). 



Mandibles trigonate, the apex acute and bifid ; a narrow mem- 

 branous margin on a portion of the inside, with a quadrate notch 

 below the middle (2). 



Maxillcd small, terminating in 2 short, densely hairy lobes, outer 

 one the largest and ovate. Palpi large and securiform, pube- 

 scent and 4-jointed, basal joint small, 2nd long, sublinear, 3rd 

 short and cleaver- shaped with a long bristle on the inside, 4th 

 very large and ax-shaped, the apex thickened (3). 

 Mentum corset-shaped. Palpi short, attached to short scapes, 

 biarticulate, basal joint somewhat obovate, 2nd longer broad 

 and ovate (4). 

 Head orbicular-quadrate, attached by a distinct neck, the clypeus nar- 

 rowed: eyes rather small, prominent and lateral. Thorax not broader 

 than the head, obovate-cordate : scutel minute. Elytra twice as broad 

 as the thorax, and 4 times as long, elongate-ovate, not covering the 

 apex of the abdomen. Wings ample. Legs rather short : trochan- 

 ters, anterior with a tubercle, hinder with a tooth beneath : thighs, 

 anterior short and stout, hinder narrower and compressed: tibiae 

 with minute spurs, hinder the longest, sometimes dilated at the apex : 

 tarsi 5, 5 and ■^■jointed, basal joint short in the anterior (5), the 2nd 

 and 3rd shorter and obcordate, 4th bilobed, 5th clavate and the long- 

 est ; basal joint very long in the hinder (f), 2nd as long as the ter- 

 minal, the 3rd bilobed : claws small and acute. 



Tibialis Curt.Mss. — Guide, Ge«. 283. 



Shining piceous with a bluish tinge, firmly punctured, base of 

 head and thorax castaneous-red, excepting the fore part of the 

 latter : elytra with ochreous pubescence, the base sometimes 

 castaneous : mouth antennae and legs fulvous, thighs pitchy- 

 chestnut ; hinder tibiae dilated towards the extremity, which is 

 concave internally and ochreous, as well as the base, the middle 

 being black. 



In the Cabinets of Mr. Spence, Mr. Rudd, and the Author. 



The simple form of the thorax distinguishes this group from 

 Notoxus; and the proportions of the labial palpi, the 3rd 

 joint of which is not cup-shaped, as well as the tarsi, are very 

 different to those of Xylophihis, fol. 299. 



