332 MANDIBULATA. COLEOPTERA. 



Genus CCCCIV. — PHiEDON, Megerle. 



Antennw moderate, slender at the base, distinctly thickened at the apex ; the 

 basal joint large, compressed ; the second shorter than the third, sometimes 

 subglobose ; the third slender ; the three following short ; the remainder 

 distinctly incrassated, with the terminal joint largest and subovate, acumi- 

 nate. Palpi maxillary filiform, the terminal joint obtuse or subconic : man- 

 dibles quadridentate at the apex : labruvi transverse : head small, a little 

 narrowed anteriorly : thorax transverse, the lateral margins simple : body 

 sometimes subhemispheric, at others suboblong ovate : elytra punctate-striate 

 or simply punctate : legs rather short : tibicE simple : tarsi slender. 



The insects of this genus are generally of very small size ; but 

 they differ considerably in form and habit ; they are removed from 

 the genuine Chrysomelse by their filiform maxillary palpi, of which 

 the terminal joint is either short and obtuse, or somewhat conic- 

 acute ; the genus, as it at present stands, contains three or four 

 very distinct types of form, but I have not ventured to remove the 

 discordant species. 



A. With the antennae short, subclavate. 



Sp. 1. Armoraciae. Breviter ovata, cceruleo-virescens, nitida, creberrime punc- 

 tulata subtus nigra, elytris bast plicatis. (Long. corp. 1^ — 2 lin.) 



Ch. Armoraciae. Linne.—Steph. Catal. 220. No. 2260. 



Short, ovate, slightly convex: above of a shining bluish-green, very thickly 

 punctured : head with a slight frontal groove : mouth piceous : thorax short, 

 rather obsoletely punctured : elytra more distinctly punctate than the thorax, 

 the punctures slightly disposed in lines towards the base ; the shoulders pro- 

 minent and wrinkled : body black beneath ; legs black : tarsi piceous : antennw 

 rit/b -ferruginous beneath at the base, black at the apex. 



Found beneath the bark of willows, and at the roots of grass in 

 marshy places, especially in Battersea-fields. " Meldon-park, New- 

 castle, hc"—G. Wailes, Esq. " Weston."— ijl^t;. A. H. Matthews. 

 " Common in Crwmlyii-bog." — L. W. Dilhtyn, Esq. 



Sp. 2. clavicornis. Ovata, supra viridi-cenea punctulafissimn, subtus atra^ an- 

 tennis basi tarsisque pallide-rufis. (Long. corp. 2 lin.) 



Ch. clavicornis. Kirby MSS.—Steph. Catal. 220. No. 2261. 



Ovate, somewhat rounded, above green-brass, very thickly and closely punctu- 

 lated ; beneath black, very glossy : head with a longitudinal fovea : thorax very 

 short : elytra irregularly punctate, the shoulders gibbous : body black beneath : 

 legs greenish-black: tarsi pale rufous, with the apical joint fuscous : antennw 

 pale rufous, with the four terminal joints black; the basal joints very slender. 



