ON A NEW SPECIES OF CERAPTERUS. 
75 
Sub-genus. Arthropterus, M‘L. 
Caput thorace haud augustius, collo conspicuo, oculis magnis. Thorax longior quam 
latus, sub-quadratus. Scutellum minimum. Elytra angusta parallela, apice truncata 
abdomine breviora. Tibia: lateribus haud parallelis apice bispinosis. Tarsi intra 
tibiarum apices excavatos haud retractiles. 
This groupe inhabits New Holland. 
Sp. 1 . Arthropterus MacLeaii, Don. 
Descr. Arthropterus rufo-brunncus ; thorace subconvexo posticb augustiore, augulis anticis rotun- 
datis, disco medio vix canaliculate. 
Caput subpunctatum thorace latius. Antennm lateribus parallelis haud serratis, articulo 
ultimo piano tribus precedentibus simul sumptis vix longiore. Thorax angustus, antice latior 
angulis anticis rotundatis, posticis acutis. Elytra thorace latiora, et non triplo longiora, 
oblongo-quadrata lateribus parallelis. Pedes rufo-brunnei. 
Cerapterus MacLeaii , Don. Ins. of New Holland, pi. 3. 
Note. The only specimen known of this species was purchased by my father at the sale of Mr. 
Francillon’s museum. None of the authors who have written on the species ever saw it, 
except Donovan, who was its first describer in his work on the “ Insects of New Holland.” 
There is another species of Arthropterus, which I have seen in the valuable collection of my 
friend Mr. John Curtis, and which differs from A. MacLeaii in the form of the thorax, and in 
the body being more depressed. I am ignorant which of these two my brother, Mr. George 
MacLeay, has lately found, or whether his discovery may not prove, on comparison, to be still 
a third species. But I learn, by a letter from my father, that my brother, “ in one of his late 
excursions into the interior of New South Wales, discovered several specimens of ‘ Cerap- 
terus MacLeaii ’ in the nests of ants, and, moreover, remarked, that when alive they had the 
power of exploding, after the manner of Brachvni." The first of these observations with 
respect to the economy of A rthropterus agrees perfectly with what M. Verreaux noticed of the 
Paussi of the Cape ; and my brother’s second observation accords with that of M. Dupont’s 
correspondent on the Senegal species, Paussus excavatus. I hope, however, as I am about to 
visit Australia, soon to be able to make myself master of the economy of these interesting 
insects, and also to publish a correct representation of the parts of their mouth. 
