On the Rutelid Genus Adorodocia. 35 
VIII.— The Rutelid Genus Adorodocia and a new Allied 
form. By Gitpert J. ARROW. 
IN continuation of remarks recently made in this Magazine 
(May 1901) upon the genus Adoretus and some of its allies, 
I have afew observations to make upon the genus Adorodocia 
of Brenske (‘ Societas Entomologica,’ 1893, p. 1), a chance 
examination of which has opened up questions of extreme 
interest and shown the genus to be in some respects the most 
remarkable in the family to which it belongs. 
The genus was formed for a new species, Adorodocta 
maxima, the author including in it also Adoretus latissimus, 
Blanch., to which, from the description, he believed A. séri- 
gatus, Waterh., to be closely related, if not actually the same. 
Upon examination of the last species I find it to agree exactly, 
in spite of M. Fairmaire’s positive statement to the contrary 
(Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. 1896, p. 455), with the characters 
mentioned by Herr Brenske as distinguishing his genus, 
which, however, do not apply to the true Adoretus latissimus 
(evidently the A. ewnectoides, Fairm.). It seems therefore 
that A. strigatus is the insect referred to by Herr Brenske 
under the name of latissimus. ‘Vhe thoracic marks, as he 
thought likely, have a tendency to disappear ; but while those 
of A. strigatus consist of longitudinal stripes parallel to the 
margins, A. latissimus has a transverse row of spots. The 
latter species, although of extraordinary form, the elytra 
being produced laterally into a broad flange, is in its structural 
details a true Adoretus, while in Adorodocia strigata, on the 
contrary, external resemblance is the chief bond with that 
genus. In addition to the flattened prosternal process, the 
emarginate labium, and the cleft terminal segment of the 
abdomen, an important feature not observed by Herr Brenske 
is the possession of a conspicuous membranous fringe to the 
elytra, the absence of which, according to Lacordaire, is the 
distinguishing characteristic of the group Adoretides. Al- 
though the existence of a prosternal process seems to forbid 
its being assigned to any other group, itis impossible to refuse 
significance to this character, especially as it occurs in con- 
junction with so many other peculiar features. In fact, until 
a new system of classification is devised to replace that of 
Lacordaire, this genus also must be added to those which 
gather upon the uncertain borderlands, finding as yet no 
ordered resting-place. 
The remarkable form of the last abdominal segment of this 
insect is characteristic of the male sex, the female showing 
only the slightest reminiscence of it. As might be supposed, 
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