the Australian Longicornia. 567 



Genus Aphneope. 

 Caput elongatum, antice productum, pone oculos in collo con- 

 strictum. Oculi emarginati, Antennce filiformes, remotas, 

 articulo basali elongato claviformi, tertio quarto longioii, 

 quinto quarto ^quali, caeteris gradatim decrescentibus. Palpi 

 apice obtusi. Prothorax elongatus, antice posticeque con- 

 strictus, lateribus et disco armatus. Elytra oblonga, sub- 

 parallela. Pedes graciles, tarsorum articulo basali elongato. 

 Corpus angustum. 



This beautiful genus I place after Tessaromma, Newm., which 

 Mr. James Thomson, in his " Essai," refers with Chlorida, Phora- 

 cantlia, and others, to his *' Division Eburitce." I have no hesita- 

 tion, however, in grouping both genera with Stenoderus, Tritocos- 

 mia and their allies, which, in Mr. Thomson's arrangement, belong 

 to the " Legion (or Sub-tribe) Lepturitce." I am disposed to agree 

 with Dr. Leconte in not considering the Lepturidce a distinct 

 family of Longicornia, but rather that it is composed of several 

 minor groups or sub-families in correlation only to the other 

 sub-families of Cerambycidce. It is in my opinion quite impos- 

 sible to lay down any satisfactory characters by which the 

 Lepturidce may be distinguished as a whole. And the rigid ad- 

 herence to a single character can only lead to the most unnatural 

 combinations. As a proof of this, we have Distenia removed by 

 Dr. Leconte from his Lepturidce because of its globose anterior 

 coxse, and placed between Criocephalus and Callichroma. Now, 

 in regard to these anterior coxae, I cannot avoid expressing my 

 opinion, that from globose to conical they are so graduated that 

 in practice any reliance placed on their form must be received 

 with caution. In reality the difference between a shortly conical 

 coxa and a globose one is so slight, especially when we take into 

 consideration that these terms are only used approximately, that 

 it is often very puzzling to say which phrase would be the most 

 accurate. Now in Tessaromma the anterior coxae are very pro- 

 minent, with a sort of hour-glass contraction in the middle ; in 

 Aphneope they are moderately prominent and but shortly, if at all, 

 conical ; in Tritocosmia Digglesii they are decidedly conical ; in 

 Tritocosmia Roei they are neither conical nor globose, but simply 

 transverse; and between these two Tritocosmia rubea occupies an 

 intermediate place. Many other examples of the same kind 

 might be given. 



