114 CaM. ©. von) HAYEK 
Metasternal grooves or depressions for the reception of the tarsi, if present, directed diagonally 
across the metasternum so that the distal ends, if produced, would cut the lateral margin of the 
metasternum at a point within the posterior quarter of its length or run directly into the 
posterior lateral angles of the metasternum (Text-fig. 5). Scutellum variable in shape, but 
never with a longitudinal carina. Tarsi with or without ventral lobes (Text-figs 15, 16). 
RANGE OF VARIATION WITHIN THE GENUS. Species possessing this combination 
of characteristics display a very wide range of variation in such features as the 
size and shape of the fourth to the eleventh antennal segments, the shape and 
appearance of the surface and margin of the head, prothorax and elytra, the shape 
of the mesosternal groove, the degree of development of the propleural and 
metasternal depressions or grooves for the accommodation of the anterior and 
middle tarsi, the length of the femora in relation to the width of the body, the 
structure of the tarsi and the colour and distribution of the scales clothing the body. 
Up to the present time these characteristics have been used, either singly or in 
combination with one another, as the diagnostic features of genera and subgenera. 
The practice of studying restricted faunas has obscured the fact that, when 
considered on a world-wide basis, these characteristics are very variable and do not 
appear in any constant relationship to one another. 
HISTORY OF THE GENUS. Eschscholtz listed the names of twelve species when he 
established the genus. Two species, cribrosus and granulosus were described as new 
and two others, senegalensis Dejean and coenosus Hope were undescribed. The 
description of coenosus Hope was not published until 1831 and senegalensis Dejean 
was eventually listed as a synonym of notodonta Latreille by Candéze (1857 : 27). 
Latreille (1834 : 143) included six of Eschscholtz’s Agrypnus species in his inter- 
pretation of the genus, which he divided into two parts. The first included species 
with a tubercle at the base of the prothorax (E£. fuscipes Fabricius and E. senegalen- 
sts Dejean) and the second the species without a tubercle (E. atomarius, varius, 
fasciatus and murius). He also included quadrimaculatus Fabricius (= Betarmon 
ferrugineus Scopoli) in the second group. The remaining six species included in 
Agrypnus by Eschscholtz (tomentosus, luridus, coenosus, conspersus, cribrosus and 
granulosus) are not mentioned by Latreille. 
Germar (1840 : 253) included four (luridus, tomentosus, fuscipes and atomaria) of 
Eschscholtz’s Agrypnus species in his interpretation of the genus and assigned to it 
four additional species (notodonta Latreille, ruber Perty, moerens n. sp. (Alaus, see 
p- 240) and adspersus Herbst (Aliteus, see p. 240)). Of Eschscholtz’s remaining eight 
species he transferred murinus to Lacon and varius, fasciatus and conspersus to 
Adelocera. Germar does not refer to coenosus, cribrosus, granulosus or senegalensis. 
Candéze (1857) limited the genus to four of the species originally included by 
Eschscholtz (tomentosus, fuscipes, luridus and senegalensis) to which he added 26 
species bearing a very close resemblance to them. 
Candéze’s interpretation of Agrypnus (= Lanelater of the present work, see 
p. 240), containing relatively large species with long antennal grooves and clothed 
with fine setae, was generally accepted for over sixty years, and Hyslop’s (1921 : 624) 
designation of tomentosus Fabricius as the type-species appeared perfectly justified. 
It was not until Lane drew Arnett’s (1952 : 105) attention to the fact that Westwood 


