PiNOPHiLUS, Grav., Cat., p. 1919. 



In all the specimens of this genus examined by me the mandibles were 

 clenched, so that it was impossible to decide as to whether they were dentate or 

 not, and this appears to have been the case with (at least) most of the Australian 

 specimens that have been made into types. On placing the specimens in water 

 for about an hour, however, they may be softened so as to allow the mandibles 

 to be opened, and it will then be seen that by them the Australian species of the 

 genus may be divided into four groups, as follows : — 



I. Mandibles unarmed. 



LATEBRICOLA, Blackb. MAJOR, Lea. PUNCTIFRONS, Lea. RUFITARSIS, 



Fvl. TRAPEZUS, Fvl. 



2. Each mandible with a small, acute, subbasal tooth. 



APTERUS, Lea. australis, Har. (on this species the subbasal tooth is so 

 small that it could be easily overlooked). mastersi, Macl. 



J. Each mandible with an acute siibmedian tooth. 



MACLEAYI, DUV. RUBRIPENNIS, Fvl. 



4. Each mandible with an acutely bicuspidate submedian tooth. 



AENEIVENTRIS, Fvl. QUADRATICOLLIS, Lea. SEMIOPACUS, Lea. 



Of the species not noted above : — 



cuRTicoRNis, Fvl. Is probably allied to P. rubripennis, and so may belong 

 to the third group ; its mandibles were not even mentioned in the original 

 description. 



GRANDiCEPS, Macl. Is allied to P. trapezus, and probably has unarmed 

 mandibles. 



MARGiNELLUS, Fvl. Somc specimens commented upon as probably belong- 

 ing to this species have curious mandibles, figured for comparsion with those 

 of the numbered groups. 



Despite the variation in the mandibles the Australian species have a 

 strong general resemblance, and all appear to be congeneric. Sharp, 

 however,^'') says: "The genus Araeocerus, Nordm,*^*) is ascribed to Pino- 

 phihts as a synonym by Erichson and others, but this is a mistake, 

 as Araeocerus is well distinguished by the edentate mandibles." So 

 that apparently he would refer all the species of the first group to Araeocerus. 

 Erichson'^''^ says, "Mandibjdae . . . medio dente valido truncate," a char- 

 acter which, if insisted upon, would exclude all the Australian species here 

 dealt with, with the possible exception of P. marginellus ; as the only specimens 

 I have seen to which it would apply are some of the third group from which 

 the tips of the bicuspidate tooth have been broken. Lacordaire,*^^^^) who also 

 included Araeocerus as a synonym, says, "Mandibules . . . fortement 

 unidentees en dedans," which would exclude all those of the first and fourth 

 groups. Fauvel, without comment, referred species to the first, third, and fourth 

 groups. 



C') Sharp, Biol. Cent. Amer., I. (Part 2), p. 620. 



(^) Aracccrus of the Anthribidae was used by Schonherr in 1826, and altered bj' Gem- 

 minger and Harold, in 1872, to Araeocerus, despite the fact that Nordmann had, in 1837, used 

 the latter form for a genus of Staphylinidae. 



W Erichson, Gen. et Spec. Staph., p. 669. 



(.W) Lacordaire, Gen. des Coleopt., ii., p. 102. 



