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RECLASSIFICATION OF SUBFAMILY AGRYPNINAE 21 
a variety of ovalis Germar. The type of pygmaeus is in the IMZU, Turin (p. 45). 
Apart from the colour it bears a close resemblance to occidentalis Candéze. Whether 
Baudi based his interpretation of ovalis on the description or some material, now 
lost, is unknown. 
The diagnostic characteristics of occidentalis Candéze and pygmaeus Baudi are 
included in the table. It can be seen that they possess the characteristic features 
of Germar’s Lacon species and differ from Germar’s generic diagnosis in the same 
way as the other species. 
These investigations have shown that no known species possesses the combination 
of characteristics attributed to Lacon ovalis by Germar. Although it is conceivable 
that such a species may yet be found, the evidence obtained from the re-examination 
of Germar’s Lacon material suggests that Germar misinterpreted the structure 
of the antennal groove in all the species (with the exception of caliginosus) included 
in his interpretation of Lacon, and that as a result his generic diagnosis is inaccurate 
and misleading. The antennal groove does not occupy the entire length of the 
prosternopleural suture as stated by Germar, but extends only a little beyond 
the half-way mark. As this type of groove also occurs in occidentalis Candéze 
I consider that Candéze’s comment that ovalis bears a close resemblance to 
occidentalis can be accepted without reservation. 
OTHER SPECIMENS OF Elater ovalis GERMAR. Up to the present time I have 
been unable to discover any specimens determined as ovalis Germar in any of the 
museums and institutions listed on pages Io and II. 
Latreille (1829 : 251) and Castelnau (1840: 24) are the only workers, apart 
from Candéze, Baudi (see p. 19) and cataloguers, to make any reference to ovalis 
Germar. As they do not record any specimens and as neither of their collections 
contain determined material of ovalis it seems probable that they based their 
interpretation of the species on the description. 
There are no published records of the capture of ovalis from the type-locality, 
Persia (Iran) or from anywhere else. Enquiries of the principal museums at home 
and abroad have failed to discover any undetermined material from Persia which 
bears a strong resemblance to occidentalis. Examination of the descriptions of 
unknown species from South-west Asia attributed to Lacon sensu auct. (nec Castel- 
nau) or related genera has failed to disclose any occidentalis-like species. Lacon 
adanensis Jagemann (1944 : 333), described from Adana (Turkey), is approximately 
the right size but the description is too poor to be of any value and up to the present 
time it has proved impossible to find the type-material (see p. 12). 
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. Pronounced sexual dimorphism is not common in the 
Elateridae. It is however very strongly developed in certain Adelocera species, 
a fact that has not been recognized before and which has led to the males and 
females of certain species being described as distinct species and in some cases 
being attributed to different genera. 
The sexual dimorphism resembles that found in other groups of insects, including 
the Coleoptera, in that individuals of one sex are more ornate and often larger 
than those of the opposite sex. Adelocera species are unusual in that it is the 
