ELATERIDZE. 147 



DESCRIPTION. 



Body black, rather glossy, minutely punctured, downy with pale down. Antennae, mouth, and 

 palpi rufous or dusky-rufous ; labrum and mandibles piceous ; nose rounded, not reflexed, not over- 

 shadowing the mouth ; antennas serrated on the inner side in the middle, last joint acuminated : 

 prothorax short, widest behind, very obsoletely channelled, sides submargined ; posterior angles den- 

 tiform, strongly carinated : elytra piceous, or rufo-piceous, very slightly furrowed with oblong punc- 

 tures in the furrows, interstices minutely punctured : margin of the abdomen and of the penultimate 

 segment, rufous. 



LXXIX. • Genus PERIMECUS. Dillw? 



Parts of the mouth nearly as in Elater. 



Antennae not retractile within a furrow of the prothorax; serrated on their inner side in the middle: 



scape incrassated : pedicel short, obconical ; terminal joint lineari-lanceolate. 

 Tarsi filiform, without sucker or cushion. 

 Claws pectinated. 



Body linear, attenuated towards the anus. Nose rounded, overhanging the mouth ; rhinarium 

 deep ; eyes large, hemispherical : prothorax short, convex, narrowest before ; anterior angles not 

 prominent, posterior elongated, dentiform, above with a sharp ridge : scutelhim subquadrangular : 

 elytra linear, attenuated at the apex : prosternal process long, suddenly attenuated at the apex : tarsi 

 filiform, hairy, without suckers, cushion, or brush ; claws distinctly pectinated. 



This genus, of which Elater fulvipes is the type, is distinguished from all the other Elateridans 

 by having its claws finely pectinated, a character in which it agrees with Lebia and many others of 

 the Truncipennia amongst the Geadephaga, This striking distinction has been overlooked by 

 Gyllenhal and all the other Entomologists who have described this insect. 



I had originally named this genus Ctenonyx, but Mr. Stephens having distinguished another by 

 the name of Ctenonychus, probably related to Elater unguli-serris of Gyllenhal, 3 under the idea 

 that the type of the genus is E. fulvipes Linn. I have adopted the name given by Mr. Dillwyn, 

 to distinguish that insect, as forming a new genus : still some doubt rests upon the identity of 

 their specimens with the American : as Mr. Stephens describes the eyes as small, whereas in my 

 specimen they are large, but this may be a sexual character. 



: Schon. Si/n. iii, 136, 186. 



U2 



