Homalota diluticornis, Sfc. 477 



I compare it with H. nigritula, because that is with us a common 

 insect, but its resemblance to H. subterranea is far greater; indeed I 

 at first sight mistook it for that insect, but upon comparison found 

 it might be readily distinguished by its remarkably stout antennae, 

 as well as by its male characters. The head is pitchy-black ; the 

 thorax and elytra, as well as the apex of the abdomen, are fusco- 

 rufous, the external apical angle of the elytra, however, some- 

 what dusky ; the basal segments of the abdomen are more or less 

 piceous, or rufo-piceous ; the legs, parts of the mouth, and one or 

 two basal joints of the antennae, are testaceous ; the remaining 

 joints of the antennae are more or less dusky, but the terminal 

 joint is sometimes less dark. The two basal joints are but little 

 elongated ; the 1st joint is stout; the 2nd is rather less stout and 

 shorter; the 3rd smaller than the 2nd, obconic ; the 4th scarcely 

 broader than the 3rd, but distinctly transverse ; the 5th (which is 

 nearly double the bulk of the 4th) to the 10th joints are all greatly 

 dilated, being at least twice as broad as long, but the greatest 

 width is attained by the 7th joint ; the terminal joint is conical. 

 The head is nearly round, decidedly narrower that the thorax, 

 convex above, and very finely punctured. Thorax transverse, 

 the sides moderately rounded, the fore part slightly contracted, 

 the surface convex (without fovea or groove), moderately glossy, 

 very finely, but not very thickly punctured ; two small setae are 

 seen on the sides, one near the middle, and the second near the 

 anterior angle. Elytra about one-fourth longer and but little 

 broader than the thorax ; like the thorax, they are well clothed 

 with palish pubescence, finely punctured, but the punctures are 

 but moderately dense. Abdomen with scattered punctures on 

 the basal segments, the 5th and 6th segments destitute of punc- 

 tures, or very nearly so. The upper plate of the penultimate 

 abdominal segment in the male presents a small notch on either 

 side, and the notch is bounded externally by a small acute tooth; 

 the middle portion of the plate is produced considerably beyond 

 the tooth, and is somewhat contracted in width posteriorly. On 

 the same transverse line as the lateral notches are seen two trans- 

 verse tubercles, which are pretty widely separated from each 

 other ; and from each of these tubercles, a delicate raised line 

 extends outwards, and at the same time curves backwards, to join 

 the outer margin of the segment, and indeed forms the whole 

 outer boundary of the apical portion of the plate : this latter is 

 obtusely notched at the apex. The surface of the segment being 

 alutaceous, and consequently somewhat dull, the raised glossy 



