Royal Physical Society. 99 



8. C. meridionalis, Aube. 

 C. meridionalis, Aube, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. viii. 326. 34. 1. 11. f. 2; Kraatz, 



Stett. Ent. Zeit. xiii. 428. 10. 

 Ovatus, convexiusculus, piceus ; antennis pedi- 

 busque ferrugineis; thoracis angulis posticis 

 valde productis; elytris oblongiusculis, stria- 

 tulis. 

 Lons:. 21 lin. 



Pitchy- brown ; in general appearance occupy- 

 ing the middle between fuscus, Panz., and picipes, 

 Fab. Head black and finely punctate. Antennae 

 and palpi ferruginous ; antennae of the length of 

 the head and thorax, only feebly thickened to- 

 wards the point ; first joint equal in length to the 

 third, and nearly twice as long as the second ; fourth equal to 

 the fifth, also to the sixth, and somewhat shorter than the 

 third ; seventh equal to the second, yet somewhat stronger than 

 those on each side of it ; eighth scarcely half so long as the 

 seventh, scarcely more slender, somewhat shorter than the ninth ; 

 tenth equal to the ninth; eleventh acuminate. The thorax is 

 pitchy -brown, moderately convex, transverse, of the breadth of 

 the elytra, once and a half as broad as long, emarginate in front, 

 cut almost straight behind, where it is broadest ; the sides are 

 broadly rounded ; the anterior angles depressed and rounded, 

 the posterior projecting behind and somewhat acute. Scutellum 

 tolerably large, finely punctate and reticulate. Elytra brown, 

 oblong oval, nearly twice as long as broad, finely punctate and 

 reticulate, and marked on each side of the suture with a suffi- 

 ciently distinct stria, and with several others on the disk much 

 less perceptible, particularly in front. Legs ferruginous. 



This species at first sight looks very like an overgrown fuscus, 

 Panz., but closer examination shows that it is a good species, — 

 the proportions of the joints of the antennae as well as other par- 

 ticulars being wholly different. In a specimen which I owe to 

 the kindness of M. Kraatz, I observe that the development of 

 the posterior angles of the thorax is considerably exaggerated in 

 the outline I have given, which is copied from Aube's own figure. 

 Aube also states it is larger than picipes, Fab., which had 

 hitherto been considered the largest known Catops ; but my spe- 

 cimen is scarcely so large as the smaller individuals of picipes, 

 from which I should infer that it ought perhaps rather to be 

 stated as being about the same size as picipes. Its entirely fer- 

 ruginous colour and the projecting posterior angles of the thorax 

 furnish a tolerably good primd-facie guide to the species. 



It is found in Sicily, and is as yet scarce in collections. 



