JrJUf 
39 . 
TIIYMALUS LIMBATIJS. 
Order Coleoptera. Pam. Silphadse Leach . Necrophagi Lai. 
Type of the Gems Cassida limbata Fad. 
Thymalus Lat. Silplia Linn. Cassida, Peltis Fab. 
Antennae inserted before the eyes, short, 11-jointed, first joint the 
longest, clavate, second short and robust, third, fourth, and fifth 
somewhat cylindric, sixth, seventh, and eighth, somewhat turbi- 
nate, the three last large, forming a compressed perfoliated club, 
the ninth and tenth joints being transverse, the eleventh orbi- 
cular. (6.) 
Labrum exserted, nearly oval, the posterior margin straight. (1.) 
Mandibles exserted, bifid at the apex, sometimes dentated inter- 
nally towards the middle. (2.) 
Maxillae membranaceous, with a corneous arcuated tooth, external 
process short, curved inward, strongly ciliated and clothed with 
hair towards the apex : Palpi short and robust, 3 -jointed, terminal 
joint subovate. (3.) 
Mentum small, quadrate : Palpi 2-jointed : Lip large, broader 
than the mentum, entire, superior margin ciliated. (4.) 
Head small , nearly concealed by the thorax, which is emarginate before 
and broad behind ; the sides being margined. Scutellum small. Elytra 
viewed together with the thorax elliptic , margined , much broader than 
the abdomen, which they completely coyiceal. Wings 2. Peet short, 
without spines. Tarsi indistinctly 5 -jointed, all simple. 
Limbatus Fab. Ent. Syst. v. 1. pars 1. p. 294. n. 11. Syst. Eleu. 
v. 1. p. 344. n. 4. 
Pubescent, shining, reddish brown with a slight cupreous cast, 
the margins of the thorax and elytra appearing brighter. Legs 
and underside reddish brown. Thorax minutely punctured. 
Abdomen with numerous longitudinal lines of deep punctures. 
In the Author's and other Cabinets. 
The remarkable habit of our insect, which is so similar to that 
of Cassida as to have led Pabricius to consider it as belonging to 
that Genus in his earlier works, an error however which he cor- 
rected in his iSystema Eleuteratorum, has induced the Baron 
Dejean and other Entomologists to separate it from Peltis ; and 
it is now the only true Thymalus known, Peltis retaining the other 
four species (grossa, ferruginea Pab. &c.), none of which have 
