210 . [February, 



NOTES ON PSOCUS OBSCURUS, RAMBUR. 

 BY HERMAN ALBARDA. 



The above-named species, although more than forty years ago 

 described, after a specimen captured near Paris, is yet nearly un- 

 known by entomologists. Perhaps it has been overlooked. 



De Hagen, in his " Psocinorum et JEmbidinorum Synopsis Synony- 

 mica" recorded it as a " Psocus" but Baron de Selys-Longchamps, 

 the owner of Eambur's collection, informed us, in his " Revision des 

 Psocides deer ites par PLambur" that it was a Peripsocus. We have no 

 further information, and the description is insufficient. Peripsocus 

 phceopterus, Stephens, being unknown to the author, he compared the 

 insect to his Ps. subfasciatus, = Peripsocus subpupillatus, McLachlan, 

 and, as M. Kolbe remarks, phceopterus and obscurus must be nearly 

 allied, but no one knows how to separate them. Baron de Selys was 

 so kind as to lend me the type, and also another specimen discovered 

 by Dr. Hagen, in the collection of Latreille. 



The examination of these specimens, and of phceopterus, enables 

 me to give the following comparative descriptions : 







P. phceopterus, Stephens. P. obscurus, Rambur. 



Expanse, 5"2 — 5"5 mm. Expanse, 6 — 63 mm. 



Reddish-brown. Cinereous. 



Antennee shorter than the wings, mo- Antennae shorterthan the wings, densely 



derately pilose, blackish. pilose, brown, darter towards the apex. 



Head uniformly reddish-brown. Head cinereous; crown intensely black. 



Thorax dark brown, nearly black on Thorax dark cinereous, blackish on the 



the lobes.. lobes. 



Abdomen reddish-brown, darker on the Abdomen fuscous, paler beneath, 

 sides. 



Legs brown ; fore-tibiae blackish. Legs cinereous ; tarsi fuscous. 



Wings more or less dark mouse-grey ; Wings pale cinereous, shining, with 



veins blackish ; pterostigma nearly black, violet reflection ; veins and pterostigma 



somewhat darker. 



Pterostigma slightly enlarged towards Pterostigma broadly enlarged towards 



the apex ; a conspicuous black spot at its the apex ; a minute black spot at its com- 



commencement, another very minute in mencement ; no spot in its external 



its external angle, and a third at the angle ; a nearly imperceptible sppt at 



inner margin of the wing, at the end of the inner margin of the wing, at the end 



the cubitus. of the cubitus. 



Posterior-wing a little paler. Posterior- wings paler. 



Thus, obscurus can, by its black crown, far more enlarged ptero- 

 stigma, and general paler colour, easily be separated from phceopterus. 



Leeuwarden : December 27th, 1888. 



