42 MANDIBULATA. — COLEOPTERA. 



Rather scarce; taken beneath the bark of birch trees in Coombe- 

 wood, in company with Ni. punctatissima and grisea. " Under bark 

 (near Swansea), not common." — L. W. Dillwyn, Esq. 



Genus CXXXI. — Strongylus, Herbst. 



Ant(nnw shorter than the thorax, the basal joint large, subcylindric ; the second 

 shorter, less robust; the third considerably longer than the fourth, the latter 

 shorter than the fifth, the two following shorter, subtrans verse ; the eighth 

 very short, transverse, rather broad, the remainder forming an abrupt co- 

 arctate compressed club ; or with the basal joint very large, lenticular ; the 

 second shorter, less robust, subglobose; the third scarcely longer than the 

 fourth, the latter and four following short, of nearly equal length ; the re- 

 mainder forming a dense abrupt,, slightly compressed, somewhat globose club : 

 palpi filiform : head rounded or angulated : tho?-ax rather large, convex, the 

 sides not depressed, slightly margined : elytra slightly convex, not depressed 

 on the sides, margined, sometimes striated. 



The insects of this genus, so far as I have observed, are found 

 exclusively beneath the decaying bark of trees, subsisting upon the 

 putrid sap, or in fungi, and not in or upon dead animals ; — they 

 differ chiefly from the Nitidulse in the structure of the antennas, in 

 having the thorax larger in proportion, and not depressed on its 

 sides, the body more convex: — but from the great discrepancy 

 in the former character amongst the species, I conceive the genus 

 ought to be subdivided; the two last species differing from the 

 preceding, not only by the diversity in the structure of the an- 

 tennas hereafter pointed out, but in their general habit. 



Whether the name Strongylus ought to be retained, I am in 

 doubt, having no means of ascertaining when it was first employed 

 by Herbst, as there is a genus of Vermes thus called by Rudolphi, 

 and which may have the priority ; and in such case the present 

 must receive a new appellation. 



A. With the basal joint of the antennae subcylindric, the third longer than the 

 fourth, the latter and fifth longer than the two following, the club com- 

 pressed. 



Sp. 1. strigatus. Brevis, ovatus, convexus, nigro-fuscus, marginibus corporequc 



rufo-piceis, elytris jusciis duabus lobatis pallidt's. (Long. corp. 1^ — 2 lin.) 

 Ni. strigata. Fabricius. — St. strigatus. Steph. Gated. 79. No. 850. 



Short, ovate, convex, deep fuscous : head rounded, subemarginate anteriorly, 

 the anterior portion ferruginous: thorax pitchy, with the lateral margins fer- 



