222 Memoirs of the Indian Museum. [Voi,. Ill, 



sively punctured in the smallest of all; median groove often stronger in middle than 

 at either end, probably always complete in unworn specimens. Prothorax beneath 

 as in Episphenus comptoni; posterior area of prosternum very rarely bearing long 

 erect hairs. Scutellum either smooth or finely and indistinctly punctured laterally, 

 pubescent striato-punctate area beside middle of anterior margin usually prolonged 

 backwards as a more or less distinct double band of sparcer puncturing and pubescence. 

 Mesothoracic episterna polished and punctured above and in front, finely roughened 

 across posterior angles. Surface of mesosternum of somewhat variable texture; 

 scars finely roughened, occasionally with a few large indistinct punctures, narrow or 

 broad, well or ill defined. Central area of metasternum large and as a rule very 

 clearly defined, with or without one or more depressions (varying in arrangement and 

 distinctness) near hinder margin, and a large median circular depression in front; 

 lateral areas narrow, either parallel-sided or very nearly so, not in contact with 

 central area, closely punctured and hairy (usually very hairy especially in front, 

 occasionally almost hairless); anterior intermediate areas very hairy, more coarsely 

 punctured ; posterior intermediate areas strongly and coarsely punctured at least on 

 inner side, hairless except along posterior margin where the surface resembles that 

 of lateral areas. Posterior parts of hi7i,d coxae as a rule finely, scars of abdominal 

 sterna more coarsely, rugose or punctured, especially in small specimens. All grooves 

 of elytra of normal width ; lateral grooves much more strongly punctured than dorsal 

 ones. 



Habits. — Mr. Bainbrigge Fletcher writes of the series of this and the following 

 species that he collected in the Anamalai Hills: ''They were found in small colonies 

 in rotten logs, stridulated loudly when disturbed and seemed to congregate together 

 under dead wood, etc. on the ground when they were dislodged from their nidus. 

 My impression was that the stridulation served as a means for rallying them together. 

 In many cases, but not invariably, larvae were found in the logs together with the 

 beetles." In another letter he says, ''I have not noticed any particular differences 

 in the state of decay of logs inhabited by various Passalids. I should class them all 

 as 'rotten.' Sometimes, whether owing to the sort of wood or exposure to sun or 

 drought in the dry season, a log may be more or less tough, but I doubt whether you 

 can draw any hard and fast line between tough and soft. Most of the E. neelgherriensis 

 from Ootacamund were found in logs which were more or less tough (perhaps owing 

 partly to its being then very dry weather), but specimens of the same species from 

 the Bababudins were from rotten logs so soft that we broke them up with our hands. 

 In the Anamalais also, where I got E. indiens and Pleurarius brachyphyllus , the 

 logs were usually soft and quite rotten." 



Episphenus neelgherriensis (Percheron) 



PI. xi, figs. 21-21«. 



9-9680 c T J- 



-TS — b. India 



C Col. Beddome, 

 ^ British Museum. 



