22 MANDIBULATA. — COLEOPTERA. 



Family LVII.— BLAPSID^, LatreiUe. 



Mandibles bifid at the apex : maxilla unguiculated : mentum small, broader 

 than long : labium porrected ; its palpi short, with the terminal joint large. 

 Antennae subfiliform, 11-jointed: head small, deeply inserted in the thorax; 

 Avithout any posterior contraction: bodij elongate: elytra ample, connate, 

 inflexed over the sides of the abdomen : legs long, or moderate; tarsi with 

 entire joints, similar in both sexes, heteromerous. 



Of this family, which consists of two reputed indigenous genera 

 only, as hereunder briefly distinguished, the species are of dull, 

 obscure, colours, as in the typical Tenebrionidae. They reside in 

 close, dark, and dampish places, subsisting upon vegetable matter, 

 and shunning the light ; they are very inactive, and they produce a 

 very unpleasant smell. 



Antennce extrorsum sensim crassiores, art", ult". ovato : . 438. Misolampus. 



filiformes, art", ult. globoso ovato, apice acuto : . 439. Blaps. 



Genus CCCCXXXIX.— Blaps, Fahncius. 



Antennce ^\iorm, slender, second joint very short, third elongate, subcylindric, 

 four following generally obconic, three next globose, the terminal one 

 globose-ovate, acute at the tip. Palpi maxillary with the apical joint com- 

 pressed, obtrigonate : lahrum exserted, rounded anteriorly : mentum trans- 

 verse-ovate: body oh\ong-OYa\.e, flat above; head small, rounded: thorax 

 subquadrate: e/^/^r-a with the apex mucronate : abdo7nen ovate: legs rohust; 

 tibia; simple, with short spurs at the apex. 



The inflected lateral margins of the connate, mucronated, elytra, 

 which closely embrace the sides of the abdomen, and the large com- 



stouter, subturbinate, the apical one larger, ovate. Palpi maxillaryporreet, 

 with the terminal joint securiform : labrum exserted, entire: head inflexed : 

 thorax rather narrower than the elytra, subglobose : elytra united: abdomen 

 subovate, rounded posteriorly : legs slender ; tibiw elongated, narrow. 



•fSp. 1. Pimelia. Thorace antice rotundato, niger elytris pundato-striatis, 

 antennis apice riifis. 



Ne. Pimelia. Fabricius (!)—Steph. Catal. 414. No. 2434,* note. 



Black, elytra pvmctate-striate, apex of the antennae rufous, thorax rounded 

 anteriorly. 



I have never seen a British specimen of this insect, of which Fabricius says, 

 " Habitat in Anglia rarius." 



