TENEBRIONID.E. — OPATRUM. 17 



verse-ovate, narrower than the thorax, the latter transverse-subquadrate, 

 deeply emargmate in front, with the lateral margins rounded, and sinuated 

 behind, with the posterior angles acute, and closely applied to the base of 

 the elytra; which last have the sides deflexed : abdomen elongate-quadrate: 

 wings moderate : tibia; with very short spurs, anterior trigonate : tarsi short, 

 heteromerous. 



Opatrum at first sight bears a remote affinity to Bolitophagus, 

 but from that genus it may be recognised with facility by having the 

 lateral margins of its thorax simple, and the antennas distinctly 

 clavate, and not serrated : from HeHophilus, Pedinus, and Phylan, 

 it is known by having the elytra free, and in possessing wings, which, 

 however, are rather abbreviated ; and, unlike the former genus, the 

 posterior margin of the thorax is closely applied its entire length to' 

 the base of the elytra. 



Sp. 1. sabulosum. Fusco-nigrum, opacum, thorace granulato, elytris lineis 

 subelevatis tribus utrinque tiiberculato-dentatis. (Long. corp. 3J — 4 lin.) 



Op. sabulosum. Linne.—Samouelle, pi. 2. /. S.—Steph. Catal. 243. No. 2428. 



Fuscous-black, or dull ashy, opaque : head rugose-punctate, deeply emarginate 

 anteriorly : thorax rather narrowed in front, its anterior and posterior mar- 

 gins deeply emarginate, the hinder angles produced behind, and acuminate ; 

 the disc thickly granulate : elytra each with three elevated obtuse lines, each 

 of which is furnished on both sides with small, somewhat polished approxi- 

 mating tubercles, and a row of smaller ones near the suture and towards the 

 lateral margin : legs short; the tibiae granulated, the anterior dilated at the 

 apex : antemife pitchy-black. 



Extremely abimdant early in the year in sandy and gravelly dis- 

 tricts throughout the south of England. " In plenty at Southend 

 in the spring." — Rev. J. W.Hope. " Frostenden, Suffolk." — W. 

 C. Hewitson, Esq. " Near Liverpool." — Rev. A. H. Matthews. 



Sp. 2. tibiale. Ovatum, convexum, nigrum subnitidum, elytris vagi punctatis 

 subrugosis, tibiis anticis compresso-tr iangularibus dentatis. (Long. corp. 

 li— 2 lin.) 



Op. tibiale. Fabricius.—Steph. Catal. 243. No. 24,29.— Curtis, v. pi. 319. 



Ovate, obtuse, convex, black, slightly shining: head slightly emarginate ante- 

 riorly : thorax very short, somewhat cui-ved in front, the lateral margins 

 rounded and dilated before the middle, the base a little sinuated; the disc 

 very convex, thickly punctured, with three distinct slightly glossy tuber- 

 cles, two anterior and one posterior, and two smaller ones ; and on each 

 side of the base an oblique oblong fovea : elytra thickly, though finely 



Mandibulata. Vol. V. 29tii Feb. 1832. c 



