HALTICINjE. 



numerous near tlie apex, gradually becoming smaller and finally 

 disappearing as the proximal end of the tibia (which is sometimes 

 slightly curved) is approached ; the posterior tarsi are long, often 

 as long as the corresponding tibiae, and the first segment should be 

 always as long as half the tibia. There are species (mostly 

 African) in which the length of the first segment of the hind 

 tarsus is such that it becomes a matter of difficulty to determine 

 exactly whether the species belongs to this genus or not. Although 

 no such doubtful species have, so far, been found in our regions, 

 it may be mentioned that Jacoby described, at long intervals, one 

 and the same species as Longitarsus kanarensis and Aphthona 

 Tcanarensis. These remarks are made in order to draw attention 

 to the fact that the character on which the genus is founded is 

 by itself not definitive, and that there exist transitional cases. 



Head with vertex almost always impunctate, frontal elevations 

 often obsolete and, when present, never very strongly developed, 

 interantennal carina varying in length, height, and sharpness ; 

 mouth-parts somewhat exserted ; sometimes there are well-im- 

 pressed oblique channels in front, which extend tangentially 

 to the upper margins of the eyes and meet at a point in the 

 middle ; eyes always well developed and black. Basal segment 

 of antennas always long and club-shaped, second small and very 

 often thicker than third ; the relative lengths of the second to 

 fourth segments vary and can be made use of in separating 

 species ; the following segments are more or less equal in length, 

 sometimes the two or three apical segments are shorter, and the 

 last is always pointed. Prothoraoc always broader than long, 

 although not very much so, sides straight or rounded, each of the 

 anterior and posterior lateral angles bearing a long fine seta 

 (figs. 120, 123) ; when the seta is not visible, it has probably 

 been accidentally broken off, but a little elevated pore always 

 indicates its position ; often the edge at the anterior angles is ob- 

 liquely truncate and somewhat thickened ; surface gently convex, 

 often punctate, sometimes indistinctly so and sometimes im- 

 punctate ; in many cases the punctures are finer than those on 

 the elytra. Scutellum small, triangular, with apex very often 

 rounded, and with surface smooth and impunctate. Elytra : the 

 relation of the breadth of the bases of elytra and pro thorax 

 varies within a small range ; their surface is punctate, often 

 indistinctly and confusedly, sometimes comparatively more 

 strongly, and the punctures in some cases tend to arrange 

 themselves in longitudinal rows. Bind wings absent in some 

 species. Underside : anterior coxal cavities open behind ; legs 

 more or less slender, the front and middle pairs similar but 

 the hind pair different ; the structure of these latter is described 

 above ; tarsi often slender, the bilobed segment not very broad, 

 the claw-segment projecting beyond the bilobed segment; claws 

 well formed ; abdominal sternites almost always sparsely covered 

 with fine hairs 



Range. World-wide. 



