\ 



IIAUPALID^. — OPHONUS. 159 



This is one of the most common of the Geodephaga, and is found 

 I believe in all parts of the country. 



Genus LVIII. — Ophonus, Ziegler. 



Palpi; external maxillary with the terminal joint ovate-truncate, longer and 

 stouter than the preceding, which is clavate : internal with the basal joint 

 slender, the terminal more robust, ovate, acuminate ; labial with the two last 

 joints of equal length, the last stoutest, fusiform truncate, the preceding 

 slender, not clavate : /aZ>r«m shghtly notched : wariJzZi/e* short, rather obtuse, 

 the base dilated internally: mentum short, deeply emarginate, the centre 

 slightly produced. Antennce with the two basal joints naked: head subtri- 

 gonate: thorax subquadrate or suborbicular : elytra rather sinuated at the 

 apex: second stria abbreviated : ivings two, ample: anterior an^ intermediate 

 tarsi of males, with four dilated joints. 



Ophonus differs from Harpalus by having the upper surface 

 more or less punctate throughout ; by the greater length and stout- 

 ness of the terminal joint of the maxillary palpi, and by the brevity 

 of the mentum, and its slightly produced central lobe : all the 

 species are pubescent above, are more abundant during the summer 

 than the true Harpali, and seemingly affect chalky and gravelly 

 districts. 



Sp. 1. stictus. Plate VIII. f. Q.— Niger, punctulatissimus, elytris leviter 



striatis, apice excise, antennis pedibuscjue rvfo-Jerrugineis^Long. corp. 6^ hn.) 



Ca. stictus. Marsham MSS.—Op. stictus. Steph. Catal. p.32. No. 301. 



Antennae ferruginous : thorax with the sides rounded, the angles obtuse, without 



. an impressed fovea at the base : body above black, thickly punctate, the puncta 



largest on the thorax, less on the head, and least on the elytra, which are 



faintly striated, with the apex rather deeply excised : body beneath black, 



punctated : legs ferruginous. 



This insect, which is the largest of the genus, greatly resembles Op. oblongius- 



' ciilus of De Jean, but it is somewhat broader, less glossy, and the punctation 



appears different ; but these characters may be consequent upon the disparity 



of sex ; the only specimen of De Jean's insect which I have examined being 



a male, and Mr. Bentley's and my own being females. Its superior bulk well 



• distinguishes it from any of the other species, excepting the two foUowinf , 



• from which it is separated by its colour and the deep excision at the apex of 

 the elytra. 



I obtained one specimen from the Marshamian Collection, and 

 I believe Mr. Kirby has another: of their localities I am ignorant, 

 but most probably they were found in Suffolk. There is also one 

 in the British Museum, taken near London. " Hackney-marshes, 

 in May, 1823."— M/-. Bentleij. 



