116 MANDIBULATA. — COLEOPTERA. 



minute impressions on the disc, and an interrupted series on the margin : 

 body beneath, legs, antennae, and palpi glossy black : tarsi pitchy. 



Var. iS. Om. rugicoUis. Steph. Catal. p. 24. No. 194. With the thorax very 

 strongly wrinkled transversely. 



Var. y. With the thorax not wrinkled transversely. 



Very common at the roots of trees, beneath stones, &c., throughout 

 Britain. 



Sp. 9. affinis. Ater, nitidus, thorace glaberrimo, elytris subrugosis, inequaliter 



striatis, striis per paria approximatis. (Long. corp. 7 Hn.) 

 Ca. affinis. Marsham, MSS.—Om. affinis. Steph. Catal. p. 24. JVo. 195. 



Allied to the last ; but known by its smooth glossy thorax, which is rounded 

 at the sides, with two deep striae at each of the hinder angles placed in a 

 rugged fovea: elytra rather glossy, striated; the striae placed in pairs and 

 interrupted, with three minute impressions on the disc, and an interrupted 

 series on the margin : the suture transversely wrinkled : body beneath glossy 

 black, impunctate. 



From the collection of Mr. Marsham ; but I am not acquainted 

 with its locality. 



Genus XLV. — Steropus, Megerle. 



Palpi nearly as in Omaseus; the terminal joint of the external maxillary ovate 

 and rather shorter than the second ; internal slender : labial with the two 

 last joints of equal length, the terminal clavate, truncate: labrum quadrate, 

 somewhat emarginate anteriorly: mandibles rather obtuse, striated above, 

 denticulated at the base internally: mentum transverse, with a bifid lobe in 

 the centre of its anterior notch. Antennae compressed: head porrect: thorax 

 suborbicular : elytra ovate : wings none : anterior tarsi of males with three 

 dilated joints. 



Steropus is chiefly to be discriminated from Omaseus by the form 

 of its thorax and elytra, the former being more orbicular, and the 

 latter more ovate and convex : the labrum is nearly quadrate, and 

 the mentum very deeply notched. 



Sp. 1. madidus. Ater, nitidus, thorace posticeutrinqueimpresso, elytris striatis, 

 strid secundd a margine punctis subcontiguis impressG. (Long. corp. 6 — 8^ 

 Un.) 



Ca. madidus. Fabricius.—-^t. madidus. Steph. Catal. p. 24. No. 196. 



Deep, rather brassy-black : head smooth, with two frontal impressions : thorax 

 rather convex, with a deep dorsal line a little dilated posteriorly, and on each 

 angle a deep rugose fovea with a longitudinal stria : elytra slightly striated, 

 the stria? impunctate, the second from the margin with a nearly contiguous 

 series of impressions : body beneath and legs glossy black. 



