3^ 



646. 

 PTINUS SEXPUNCTATUS. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Ptinidae. 



Type of the Genus, Ptinus Fur Linn. 



Ptinus Linn., Fab., Curt., &c. 



Antennae as long or longer than the body in the male, shorter 

 and stouter in the female, inserted near the middle of the face, 

 approximating, rather stout, filiform, hairy and 11-jointed, basal 

 joint stout and ovate, 2nd small, pear-shaped, 3rd not longer 

 than the 1st, the remainder long and linear, terminal joint coni- 

 cal at the apex (6). 



Labrum suborbicular, a little narrowed before, slightly emargi- 

 nate and densely cUiated with long hairs (1). 

 Mandibles subtrigonate, convex and hairy outside, the apex 

 acute with a short tooth on the inside, beneath which the mar- 

 gin is ciliated (2). 



Maxillee with an obtuse spine at the insertion of the palpi, apex 

 terminating in 2 rounded lobes densely cihated. Palpi rather 

 long clavate pubescent and 4-jointed, basal joint long and slen- 

 der, 2nd and 3rd stouter, of equal length, the former obovate, 

 the latter truncated, 4th equal in length to all the others, very 

 stout and subfusiform, the apex rounded (3). 

 Menium somewhat semicircular. Lip elongated, dilated and 

 cihated in front. Palpi attached to the centre of the anterior 

 margin, short stout and triarticulate, basal joint long slender 

 and curved, 2nd obtrigonate, 3rd large and pyriform (4). 

 Head very short and nutant : eyes sinall lateral and j)rominent. Thorax 

 gibbose, subglobose, constricted near the base and projecting over the 

 head: scutel small and orbicular. Elytra long and oval: wings 

 very long. Legs moderate : thighs clavate : tibiae rather long and 

 slender : tarsi longish, 5 -jointed, basal joint the longest, 4th the 

 smallest, 5th clavate : claws small. (5, a hind leg.) 



SEXPUNCTATUS Fab. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 284. 5. 



Female, castaneous brown : antennae and legs clothed with 

 ochreous scales, base of head and scutel with whitish scales : 

 thorax with a tubercle on each side, but not channelled, rugose 

 with punctures, having also short ochreous hairs : elytra with 

 10 lines of oblong punctures and rows of smaller punctures be- 

 tween them producing short hairs ; a large sublunate white spot 

 on each side towards the shoulders and another near the apex, 

 divided and forming a small and large spot. 

 In the Author's Cabinet. 



Ptinus is frequently a most destructive insect in houses, 

 iving in wood and furniture, and occasionally causing serious 

 nischief in museums. 



