OMASEUS ATERRIMUS. 
Order Coleoptera. Fam. Carabidse Lat. 
Type of the Genus Carabus aterrimus Fab. 
Omaseus Zieg., Curt . — Feronia Lat., Dej . — Carabus Linn., Fab. 
Antennae inserted before the eyes, short filiform and 11 -jointed, basal 
joint oval, rather the stoutest, 2nd the smallest, 3rd almost as long 
as the 1st, the remainder compressed, pubescent and scarcely de- 
creasing in length, apical joint ovate (6). 
Labrum transverse, pocket- shaped, angles rounded and ciliated, centre 
concave and bristly (1). 
Mandibles porrected, long narrow curved and acute, with a small 
tooth at the centre of the inner margin, minutely notched towards 
the base (2). 
Maxillae long and linear, very much curved at the apex forming a 
sharp claw, ciliated with long bristles on the inside. Palpi, internal 
biarticulate, basal joint clavate, 2nd a little curved and rounded at the 
apex : external long and 4-jointed, basal joint short and bent, 2nd the 
stoutest long and incurved, 3rd as long, clavate, slender at the base, 
4th short elliptic-truncate (3) . 
Menturn large, transverse, semiorbicular, deeply emarginate, with a 
bifid process in the centre. Palpi attached to scapes, triarticulate, 
basal joint very small, the following very long, the former clavate, 
rather indented inside, the latter subelliptic, the apex truncated. 
Labium oblong, the angles produced, forming 2 spines (4). 
Head ovate : eyes lateral, orbicular and prominent. Thorax considerably 
broader than the head, somewhat quadrate-cordate, a little narrowed at the 
base, with all the angles rounded, or the posterior slightly angulated, with 
a large fovea on each side. (T). Elytrae lliptical, slightly emarginate at 
the apex which is rounded and covers the abdomen. Wings ample or want- 
ing. Legs strong : thighs short and stout : tibiae spurred, anterior with 
a deep notch and spine on the inside below the apex : tarsi 5 -jointed, with 
strong bristles beneath, anterior dilated and ciliated beneath in the male 
(3), first 4 joints cordate, the basal one large, Ath small, 5th elongated, 
slender and clavate : claws strong slender and acute (5, a fore leg). 
Aterrimus Fab. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 37. No. 1. 
In the Author's and other Cabinets. 
When I published the 1st edition of this article in 1824 I thought 
myself justified in adopting Ziegler’s genus ; but it is nearly ten years 
since I stated that the essential characters were not sufficiently di- 
stinct to separate Steropus and Pterostichus from Omaseus * 9 and in 
this opinion I am now further confirmed by Latreille, who in 
Cuvier’s Regne Animal has united these and several other genera 
* Vide Brit. Ent. folios 171 and 196 published in 1827 and 1828. 
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