222 MANDIBULATA. — COLEOPTERA. 



Genus CCCLXII, — Cucujus, Fahricius. 



Antennae shorter than the body, subfiliform, the articulations short, subturbi- 

 nated ; the terminal joints sometimes a little thickened. Palpi subequal, with 

 the terminal joints somewhat thickened, obconic, with the apex truncate ; 

 labrum membranous, rounded anteriorly^ entire : labium bifid : maxdiw with 

 a small external process : bod^ oblong, or elongate, very much depressed : head 

 large, porrect, exserted : thorax subquadrate : tarsi in one sex heteromerous, 

 in the other obscurely pentamerous, the basal joint being minute. 



There is considerable diversity in the liabit and structure of the 

 insects of this genus, at least with regard to the length and form of 

 the antennae and head, exclusively of the dissimilarity in the trophi 

 and other essential organs : all the species reside beneath bark, or 

 in decayed or decaying wood; most of them are rare in Britain: 

 but like other xylopliagous insects, are occasionally found in some 

 plenty : — they may be known from the allied genera by the bifid 

 labrum, and comparatively short antennse, and from Uleiota also 

 by the palpi being truncate. 



Sp. 2. dermestoides. Fusco-ferrugineus, punciulatus, pedibus rufo-testaceis, 



thoracefoveolato, utrinque quadridentato. (Long. corp. l| — 2^ lin.) 

 Cu. dermestoides. Fabricius. — Steph. Catal. 195. No. 2012. 



Rusty-broiun, punctured : head subtriangular : eyes large, black : antennse rather 

 stout; the seventh, ninth, and two following joints incrassated, the eighth 

 being small : thorax with four impressed fovece placed tetragonally : scutellum 

 transverse: elytra smooth, testaceous, with the sides margined, the apex 

 rounded : legs pale rufo-testaceous : posterior tarsi in one sex tetramerous. 



Very rare, at least near London : I once found a specimen within 

 the metropolitan district, and I have received others from the New 

 Forest : — where several specimens were captured this year by the 

 Revs. F. W. Hope and G. T. Rudd. 



f Sp. 1. depressus. Niger, subnitidus, capite thoracis dorso elytrisque rujis, 



thorace utrinque denticulato, supra bisulcato. (Long. corp. 5 lin.) 

 Cu. depressus, Fabricius. — Leach (! ) — Steph. Catal. 195. No. 2011. note. 



Black, rather shining, with the head, disc of the thorax, and the elytra rufous, 

 the thorax denticulated in the lateral margins and bisulcate above. 



Inadvertently noticed in the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia as a native of England, 

 by Dr. Leach. 



