OMALID/E. 89 



ii. Heterogenea. Kirb. 



Family OMALIDiE. Omalidans. 



It appears to me that the pentamerous genera Micropeplus, Proteinus, Omalium, 

 Lesteva, &c. belong to a distinct tribe from the trimerous ones, Oxytelus, &c. 

 As this tribe includes genera that lead towards Nitidula, Catheretes, &c. on one 

 side, as Micropeplus and Proteinus; and towards Lebia, &c. as Lesteva, on the 

 other, I have given it a name indicative of that circumstance. 



The reader will here recollect that having described those Brachelytra that lead 

 to Stenus, of which last there were none taken in the Expedition, and so connect- 

 ing with one branch of the Geadephaga, I now go to the insects nearest to Lesteva, 

 of which likewise there were no specimens, which lead to another. 



XLIII. Genus OMALIUM. Grav. 



(124) I. * Omalium marginatum. Margined Omalium. 



O. f marginatum j piceum, nitidum, punctatum ; prothorace utrinque latius marginato, trifoveolato ,• pedibus, antennisque rvfis. 

 Margined Omalium, piceous, glossy, punctured ; lateral margins of the prothorax rather wide, with three punctiform 

 impressions; legs and antennae rufous. 



Length of the body If lines. 



One specimen taken in Lat. 65°. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Body piceous, glossy, naked, rather grossly punctured. Head narrower than the prothorax ; eyes 

 prominent ; antenna? rather longer than the head and thorax, dusky-rufous : prothorax rather wider 

 than long, lateral margin somewhat dilated ; near it, and partly in it, is a deep punctiform impres- 

 sion, and above the scutellum another obsolete one : elytra something wider than the prothorax, and 

 nearly as long as the abdomen, paler at their apex : legs dusky-rufous. 



This species is related to O. tectum, but it is more grossly punctured, the lateral margin of the 

 prothorax is much more dilated, and the punctiform impressions more distinct. 



N 



