﻿1870.] 



279 



CHAEACTEES OF A NEW GENUS and DESCRIPTIONS OP NEW SPECIES 

 OF ALEOCHARID& FROM BRITAIN. 



BY D. SHAEP, M.B. 



Actochaeis (Janson in lift.), gen. nov. 

 Maxillae nialis elongatis, angustis, interiore spinulis validioribus instructd, 



apice uncinatd. 

 Palpi maxillares articulo tertio magno, sub-ovali, quarto subulato. 

 Ligula triangularis, apice bifida. 

 Palpi labiales bi-articulati, articulo secundo primo paulo breviore et 



angustiore. 

 Tarsi breves, antici intermediique 4-, postici 5-articulati, omnes articulis 



primis tsqualibus. 

 Oculi obsoleti. 



Corpus elongatum, lineare, depressum. Caput elongatum, oculi minores, nullo 

 modo prominuli, pigmento nullo. Maxillaa malis 

 elongatis, sub-asqualibus ; interiore intus basi 

 ciliata, apicem versus spinulis fortioribus in- 

 structs, apice uncinata ; exteriore apice pubes- 

 cente. Palpi maxillares mala interiore paulo 

 longiores, articulo secundo tertio vix breviore 

 sed multo angustiore, hoc magno, sub-ovali, quarto 

 subulato, prsecedente breviore. Ligula lata, tri- 

 angularis, apice bifida. Palpi labiales articulo 

 primo sat elongato, secundo illo angustiore, et 

 paulo breviore. Antennae sat validse, apicem 

 versus vix incrassatse, articulis 3 — 10 sub-trans- 



versis, tertio cseteris minore. Thorax haud transversus, basin versus angustatus. 



Elytra thorace breviora ; alas nullse. Abdomen basi quam apice angustius. Pedes 



validi, breviusculi. Tarsi breves, anteriores et intermedii 4-, posteriores 5- 



articulati : articulo basali sequente haud multo longiore. 



The tiny insect for which this genus is established is, as will be 

 seen from the characters given above, a most anomalous little crea- 

 ture. Its appearance and characters leave no doubt that it must be 

 placed among the true AleocJiarida, though in the elongate lobes of the 

 maxillse it clearly approaches the Myllcence, and by the great size of the 

 third joint of the maxillary palpi, as well as by the two-jointed labial 

 palpi, the Gyrophcence. On the whole I think it is best placed near 

 Silusa, which approaches Actocharis in more than one respect, as re- 

 gards the structure of the trophi. 



A. Eeadingii, sp. n. 



Angusta, linearis ; testacea, abdomine, apice excepto, fusco ; omnium dense obso- 



Maxilla and labium 

 of Actodiaris Readingii. 



