662. 

 SPHvERIESTES FOVEOLATUS. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Salpingidae. 

 Type of the Genus, Dermestes ater Payk. 



Sph^riestes Kirh., Curt. — Salpingus///., Gyll. — Curculio Mars. — 

 Dermestes Payk. — Tenebrio Linn. ? 



Antenna remote, inserted on each side of the clypeus, before the 

 eyes, a little longer than the head and thorax, clavate, hairy 

 and 11-jointed ; basal joint obovate, 4 following slenderer some- 

 what pear-shaped, 4th and 5th being the smallest, the following 

 stouter, submoniliform, the joints somewhat ovate-truncate, ter- 

 minal joint ovate-conic (6). 



Labrum exserted, large, covering the mandibles, cordate, the 

 base truncated with a few bristles round the margin (1). 

 Mandibles exserted, elongate-trigonate, a httle curved and acute 

 at the apex, serrated on the inside, the teeth diminishing towards 

 the base (2). 



Maxilla elongated, terminating in 2 long narrow lobes, pube- 

 scent at the apex, the inner one the shortest. Palpi longer, 

 4-jointed, basal joint minute, 2nd subpyriform, 3rd shorter, 4th 

 the longest, subfusiform, with a gland at the apex (3). 

 Mentum transverse, scarcely narrowed before. Labium elongate- 

 ovate, narrowed at the middle, the apex being orbicular and 

 slightly pilose. Palpi attached on each side at the middle, 

 rather remote, triarticulate, 2 basal joints short, obovate, 3rd a 

 little longer and stouter, the apex slightly oblique (4). 

 Head rather broad and oblong, produced narrowed and depressed an- 

 teriorly : eyes remote, small but prominent, not touching the Thorax, 

 which is somewhat obcordate, the base truncated : scutel S7nall and 

 triangular. Elytra long, subelliptic, a little dilated beyond the mid- 

 dle, the apex rounded. Wings very ample. Legs slender : thighs 

 a little thickened : tibiae with short sjmrs at the apex : tarsi 5, 5 and 

 4-jointed, pubescent beneath, anterior with the basal joint a little 

 elongated, 3 following cordate, 4th the smallest (5) ; basal and ter- 

 minal joints long in the hinder feet (f) ; claws long slender and 

 acute. Obs. The species dissected is S. foveolatus. 



FovEOLATUs Liungh Act. Hoi. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 396, 5. 

 In the Cabinets of Mr. Little and the Author. 



This is a very anomalous group approaching the CurcuHo- 



nidae, yet being in fact heteromerous : its position seems to be 



between Anthribus and Trogosita. 

 The British species are, 



1. foveolatus Liung. — Curt. Brit. Ent.pl. 662. 



Black with a slight brassy tinge; clypeus, trophi, base of 

 antennae, tibiae and tarsi ferruginous, apex of the latter and 

 thighs often piceous; head and thorax very coarsely punc- 



