1868.] 



133 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF THYAMIS. 

 BY E. C. EYE. 



Amongst a series of most of the then known British Halticidco, sent 

 in November, 1863, by Mr. G. 11. Waterhouse to Herr Kutschera of 

 Vienna (and recently returned with certain remarks, of whicb a notice 

 from the pen of the former gentleman will appear in our next Number), 

 was an example of a large species of Thyamis, taken, as far as I am 

 aware, only by myself,* — which Herr Kutschera considers to be distinct 

 and undescribed. I, accordingly, characterize it as follows : — 



Thyamis agilis, n. s. 



Alata, ovata, convexa, nitida ; ItLvide testacea^ oculis nigris, suh- 

 tus picea, antennarum feinorumque posticorum late apicibus piceis ; 

 thorace evidenter putictulato ; elytris confuse, sat fortitei\ minus con- 

 fertim punctntis, humeris vix prominulis, apice singulatim suh-rotun- 

 datis ; tihiis posticis calcari brevissimo, crassmsculo, instructis. 



Var. capite elytrorumque siiturdvel rufescentibus vel picescentibus^ 

 tibiaruin tarsorumque apicibus picescentibus. 



Long. corp. Ij — IJ lin. (Anglic). 



T captured about a dozen specimens of this conspicuous insect in 

 September, 18G3, by sweeping in Headley Lane, Mickleham ; but have 

 subsequently only found one other example, in the same place. 



It is about tbe size of T. jacobcece, Waterhouse (tabida, Auct.), 

 which, however, it exceeds in comparative width ; but it is most closely 



allied to T. tabida, Fab., TVaterh. (verbasci, Auct.), which it resembles 



very much in appearance and structure. Compared with that insect, 



it is considerably smaller, the largest example of it being rather less 



than the smallest verbasci ; its colour is not so light ; its thorax is more 



evidently and its elytra more strongly and less closely punctured ; the 



second and third joints of its antennae are equal in length, instead of 



the third being rather longer than the second ; and the spur terminating 



the posterior tibiae is very much shorter and scarcely perceptibly curved. 



The smallest examples, which are about equivalent in size to large 

 specimens of T. melanocephala, may readily be known from that species 

 by their less defined colouration, wider and less acuminate elytra — 

 which are more shining, owing to their wider punctuation— stouter an- 

 tennae, light posterior tibiae, &c. 



The testaceous Ralticidcd are so liable to get discoloured after 

 death, that it is extremely difficult to define their exact tints. The 

 lightest in colour of my specimens has the five apical joints of the an- 



* Dr. Power appears to h : ' ''wo very old specimens of this insect in his collection, taken at " Gog 

 Magog,' Cambridge. One of m^ Ivfkkleham examples, given to him by me, has been sent by him to M. 

 Allard, who has returned it as verbasci, var., having apparently failed to perceive the structural differ- 

 ences between the two insects.— E. C. R. 



