^7 



163. 

 THROSCUS OBTUSUS. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Elateridae hat. Byrrliidae Lat.y 



Leach. 



Type of the Genus Elater dermestoides Linn. 



Throscus Lat., Leach. — Trixagus Gyll. — Dermestes Fab., Payk., 

 III. — Elater Linn., Geoff., Oliv. 



Jntennac inserted before the eyes, as long as the thorax, pilose, 

 concealed when at rest in grooves beneath the thorax, ] 1 -jointed, 

 basal joint robust ovate, 2nd subquadrate, the G following smaller, 

 subglobose, the remainder forming a perfoliate club, the 1st joint 

 obovaie truncate, 2nd transverse, 3rd trigonate (fig. 6). 

 Labrum triangular, convex, ciliated and pilose (1). 

 Mandibles alike, broad at the base, bent, acute, internal edge 

 thin, external hairy (2). 



Maxilla; small, bilobed, membranous and pubescent at their ex- 

 tremities, internal lobe minute, external large ovate. Palpi 

 4-jointed, pubescent, basal joint minute, 2nd large clavate, 

 3rd globose, 4th large, subovate compressed (3). 

 Mentum transverse, produced into a lobe in the centre. Lip mem- 

 branous thickened down the cejitre, somewhat cordate, ciliated. 

 Palpi membranous, 3-jointed, inserted on each side the lobe of 

 the mentum, 3-jointed, basal and 2nd joints minute, 3rd very 

 large obovate, pubescent, compressed (4). 

 Head bent down so as nearly to conceal the mouth. Thorax produced 

 beneath between the coccce, semicircular, broadest at the base, acumi- 

 nated at the posterior angles. Scutellum triangular. Wings longer 

 than the elytra and twice as broad. Legs submembranous, received 

 into grooves in the abdomen when at rest. Thighs broadjlat. Tibiae 

 linear armed with several rigid bristles at their apex, having a groove 

 on the external side to receive the Tarsi ivhich are 5-jointed, basal 

 joint the longest, elongate ovate in the 4 posterior (5 f), penultimate 

 joint bilobed, terminal slender. Claws small (5, afore leg). 



Obtusus Westwood's MSS. 



Dull castaneous, shining, covered with short, decumbent yellow- 

 ish hairs. Head rounded, coarsely punctured. Eyes black. Thorax 

 coarsely punctured, convex, sinuated at the base, the centre being 

 produced and elevated close to the scutellum, posterior angles 

 very acuminate. Elytra striated, minutely punctured. Antennas 

 and legs ferruginous. Tarsi ochraceous. 



In the Cabinets of Mr. Cooper and Mr. Westwood. 



MoNS. Latreille in \\\sHistoireNaUircIIe])\Q.ced Tkroscusnext 

 to Elater, and after removing it to the ByrrJddce in his Genera 

 Crustaceorum and Considerations gaierales, he has again taken 

 up his first opinion in the Families Natwelles, the last of his 



