166 MANDIBULATA. — COLEOPTERA. 



Genus CCCXLIV.— Apion, Herhst. 



Antennae not geniculated, 11-jointed, inflexed beneath the head, towards the 

 middle, or at the base of the rostrum, the basal joint slightly elongate, 

 clavate, the second somewhat obconic, the six following Very short, equal, 

 conic-rounded, or somewhat turbinated, the remainder united, and forming an 

 oval, acute, triarticulate club. Rostrum porrect, slender, cylindric, more or 

 less curved ; the base sometimes thick, with the apex subulated : head elon- 

 gated behind : e^/es lateral, rounded, prominent : thorax conic or subcylindric, 

 with the base and apex truncate : elt/tra ovate, arched, covering the apex of 

 the abdomen : legs elongate, unarmed : tibice rounded, and thickening to the 

 apex: — body somewhat pear-shaped, winged. 



Of the insects of this singularly neat and pretty genus, an 

 admirable paper is given in the 9th volume of the Linnean Trans- 

 actions by Kirby, to which a supplement appeared in the 10th : — of 

 these valuable observations and descriptions I have availed myself 

 in the following pages, as well as from those contained in the 3d 

 and 4th parts of Gyllenhal, and the 2d and 3d volumes of Germar's 

 Magazine : — the genus may be well known from its subporrect 

 rostrum, straight antennse, and pear-shaped body : there is consi- 

 derable diversity of appearance amongst the species, and I have in 

 some measure followed Germar's subdivisions, in order to get more 

 readily at any given insect. 



A. With the rostrum subulated at the apex, 

 a. Rostrum short. 



Sp. 1. Craccse. Atrum villoso-subincanum, rostra crassiusculo apice attenuato, 

 antennis basi iestaceis, colenptris subghhosis. (Long. corp. 1^ — 15 lin.) 



Cu. CraccfE. Linne. — Ap. Craccae. Steph. Catal. 184.. No. 1877. 



Obscure, black, with a slight hoary- white pubescence : head punctured, rugu- 

 lose between the eyes : rostrum compressed, with the base incrassated and 

 rugulose, the apex subulated : antennae testaceous at the base, with the club 

 shining : thorax somewhat rounded and finely punctured, with a dorsal line 

 abbreviated at each end, the anterior margin slightly notched: coleoptra 

 subglobose, sulcate-striate, the striae punctate, with the interstices somewhat 

 flat. 



Not very uncommon ; found in June on the Vicia Cracca, within 

 the metropolitan district as well as in Norfolk. " Dorking, in 

 July." — Air. Water-house. 



