55. 

 MELASIS BUPRESTOIDES. 



Order Coleoptera. Eam. Sternoxi Lat. Buprestidse Leach. 



Type of the Gemis Elater buprestoides Linn. 



Melasis Fab., Oliv., Lat. Elater Linn. 



AntenncB inserted between the eyes near the margin, 11-jointed : 

 male pectinated ; 1st joint long, 2nd small globose, 3rd short, 4th 

 and following pectinated (6) ; female serrated ; 1st joint long, 

 2nd and 3rd of nearly equal length somewhat cylindric, 4-th and 

 following joints less produced internally and more robust than in 

 the male (6. a.) 



Labrum concealed beneath the clypeus, very minute, slightly 

 emarginate (1.) 



Mandibles trigonate strong acute, slightly indented on the inter- 

 nal edge (2.) 



Maxilla short terminated by a membranaceous and hairy lobe : 

 Pal2n hairy 4-jointed, 1st joint small, 3nd large, 3rd short secu- 

 liform, 4th large, dilated in the middle, slightly truncated (3.) 

 Mentum transverse, anterior angles rounded, with a small tooth 

 in the centre : Palpi attached to 2 moveable scapes, arising 

 together from behind the mentum, 3-jointed, 1st joint long, 2nd 

 shorter, 3rd large truncated, having apparently a small tubercle 

 in the centre : Lip long, bifid, membranaceous (4.) 

 Head broad, nearly concealed in the thorax. Eyes small. Thorax 



more or less emarginate before, posterior angles produced into spines. 



Sternum not mucronated. Scutellum long. Body cylindric. Wings 2. 



Legs short. Tibiae broad flat. Tarsi compressed entire, ^-jointed, 



\st joint the broadest and longest, terminal joint slender. Claws 



simple (5 afore leg). 



Buprestoides Linn. Syst. nat. t. 1. pars 2, p. 656. — flabellicornis 

 Fab. Ent. Syst. t. 1. pars 1. j). 244. 



Obscure black, glossy, inclining frequently to castaneous, espe- 

 cially the elytra. Antennae, palpi and legs rufous. Head pu- 

 bescent punctured. Thorax slightly narrowed behind closely 

 covered with small scabrous tubercles, with an impressed line 

 down the centre. Elytra appearing rough under a lens with 

 9 striae gradually approximating from the base to the apex. — In 

 some specimens the elytra are chesnut colour, and the abdomen 

 beneath somewhat rufous. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



Of this genus, which connects the Buprestida with the Elate- 

 ridee, there is but one species known to inhabit our island ; and 



