MEHISMODERUS. 



457 



Genus MERISMODERUS. 



Ceratodevus, subg. Me ris modems, Wesfcwood, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 

 v, 1847, p. 23. 



Merismoderus, Lacordaire, Gen. Col. ii, 18-54, p. 11 ; Raffray, Nonv. 

 Arch. Mus. Paris, (2) viii, 1885, p. 341. 



Somewhat elongate, and a little compressed ; head variable, eyes 

 very small; antenna? formed apparently of six joints, of which 

 the first is comparatively large, and the remaining five, though 

 apparently distinct, are soldered together; maxilla? with two 

 lobes, the inner large and bifid at the apex, the outer very small ; 

 maxillary palpi large and compressed, the third joint being broad 

 and dilated and much larger than all the rest together ; the first 

 two joints are very small, and the last two small, narrow, cylindrical, 

 and curved, the last being truncate at the apex ; labial palpi three- 

 jointed, the first joint very small, the second and third large, 

 about equal, dilated apically, the apex of the last joint broad, sub- 

 truncate, and slightly excavate ; pronotum deeply divided and 

 bilobed, with the anterior angles produced at the sides ; elytra 

 almost rectangular, with strong traces of raised lines ; legs com- 

 paratively long and slender. 



This genus contains two species, M. bensoni, Westw., from 

 India, and M. Jiamaticornis, Van der Poll, from Sumatra ; the 

 latter species has the head short and strongly transverse, while in 

 the former it is large and subquadrate. The genus is closely 

 allied to Ceratodertts, of which AV^estwood regarded it at first as a 

 subgenus. If the clubs of the antennae are to be regarded as solid, 

 both genera might be assigned to Paussus proper, to certain species 

 of which M. bensoni is closely allied in the form of the pronotum 

 etc. ; the transverse impressions across the club of the antenna? 

 in certain species of Paussus, e.g. P. schiodti and P. liearseyanus, 

 appear to indicate the original sutures between the now fused 

 joints. 



224. Merismoderus bensoni, Wtshu, 



Merismoderus bensoni, Westwood, Trans. Ent. Soc, Lond. v, p. 23, 

 pi. ii, fig. 2; id., Thes. Ent. Oxon. p. 80, pi. 18, fig. 1 ; Benson, 

 Calcutta Joiirn. Nat. Hist, vi, pp. 166-470 ; Ptaffrav, Nouv. Arch. 

 Mus. Paris, (2) viii, 1885, pi. 17, figs. 25-27. 



Of a luteous yellow colour, dull ; head large, produced before 

 the eyes, which are small and not prominent, impressed or chan- 

 nelled in front, and with an impression on each side between the 

 eyes; these are somewhat variable; antenna?, rather long, with 

 the club moderately broad, somewhat narrowed towards the base ; 

 pronotum bilobed, the deep dividing furrow being more or less 

 plainly furnished with yellow pubescence, anterior portion longi- 

 tudinally channelled, with the anterior angles somewhat acutely 

 produced on each side ; elytra very finely sculptured, coriaceous, 



