16 -1^31 



734. 



TROGOSITA MAURITANICA. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Trogositidae. 



Type of the Genus, Tenebrio Mauritanica Linn. 

 Tbogosita Oliv., Fab., Lat., Curt. — Platycerus Geo/. 



Antenna remote, inserted at the extremity of a deep cavity, on 

 each side of the head, between the eyes and the mandibles, 

 short and clavate, compressed towards the apex, sparingly pu- 

 bescent, 11 -jointed, basal joint stouter than the following, ob- 

 ovate, 2nd minute, 3rd a little oblong, the remainder increasing 

 in diameter, 3 or 4 of the terminal joints forming a club, 9th 

 and 10th joints cup-shaped, 11th suborbicular (6). 

 Labrum exserted, transverse, the angles rounded, anterior mar- 

 gin a little concave and densely ciliated with long hairs (1). 

 Mandibles porrected, rather large, bifid at the apex, with 3 or 

 4 teeth on the inside and ciliated at the base (2). 

 Maxilla; terminating in a curved, elongated, oval lobe, the apex 

 ciliated with long bristles, the internal margin with numerous 

 curved spines longest above the middle. Palpi moderate, 4- 

 jointed, basal joint subglobose, 2nd long, subovate-truncate, 

 3rd rather shorter, curved, pyriform- truncate, 4th considerably 

 the longest, subfusiform, truncated at both ends (3). 

 Mentum transverse, sublunate. Labium large, the base obovate- 

 truncate, the apex dilated, subcordate, with a brush of long 

 cilia on each side. Palpi remote, attached on each side of the 

 mentum a little beyond the middle, short, clavate and triarticu- 

 late, basal joint minute, 2nd tolerably long, stout, dilated an- 

 teriorly, 3rd the largest, base narrow, apex ovate-truncate (4). 



Depressed. Head suboi'bicular : eyes small, subovate, coarsely granu- 

 lated and placed behind deep cavities which receive the antenncB, re- 

 mote from the base. Thorax broader, semiorbicular , a little broadest 

 before, the anterior angles produced and incurved, the sides slightly 

 margined, posterior angles acute, base rounded : scutel small, tri- 

 angular. Elytra a little broader than the thorax, from which it is 

 separated by a narrow neck, elliptic, the base truncated: wings ample. 

 Legs short, anterior the stoutest : thighs ve7-y short and stout : tibiae 

 short, compressed, dilated at the apex, especially the anterior (of), 

 with 2 minute teeth at the outer and 2 curved spurs at the inner angle: 

 tarsi as long as the tibice and 4-jointed, ciliated beneath, first S joints 

 short, 4th long and clavate : claws strong and curved. 



Mauritanica Linn. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 397. 1. — caraboides Fab. 

 Dull castaneous, palpi subferruginous, tips of mandibles and 

 eyes black ; head with a longitudinal impression before ; regu- 

 larly but not thickly punctured, the thorax punctured : elytra 

 piceous or blackish, 9 punctured striae on each, very faint ex- 

 ternally, the interstices punctured and transversely scratched. 



Trogosita has hitherto been included in the Ciicujidae, but 

 the numerical difference in the joints of tiie tarsi, independent 

 of the trophi, which are very dissimilar, as will be seen by re- 

 ferring to pi. 510, render it impossible to keep them in the 

 same family. It is not surprising that Linnaeus should have 



