/w* 3/ 
514 . 
HOMALOTA DIMIDIATA. 
Order Goleoptera. Fam. Staph ylinidae. 
Type of the Genus, Aleochara plana, Gyll. 
Homalota Mann. ? Dej., Step . — Aleochara Grav., Gyll. 
Antennae inserted before the eyes, near the base of the mandibles, 
as long as the head and thorax, clavate, pilose and 11 -jointed, 
basal joint stout oval, 2nd and 3rd of equal length, nearly as 
long as the 1st, but more slender and clavate, the remainder 
cup-shaped distinctly articulated and increasing in size, the 
apical joint being as large as the basal one and conical (6). 
Labrum transverse, pocket-shaped with scattered bristles above 
and on the anterior margin (1). 
Mandibles rather long and narrow, terminated by a long curved 
claw, one having a short tooth on the inside, with an excava- 
tion below it, filled by a thin ciliated membrane (2). 
Maxillae terminated by 2 lobes, the internal one long slender 
and densely hairy on the inside, the external one broader, a 
little longer and very hairy at the apex. Palpi longer than the 
maxillae, aciculated, 4 -jointed, basal joint very short and slender, 
2nd long and clavate, 3rd as long, stouter oval and pilose, 4th 
short and very slender (3). 
Mentum short and broad, narrowed a little before. Lip long, 
basal portion quadrate and narrower than the mentum, termi- 
nated by a transverse oval lobe, with 2 divaricating obtuse 
spines at the centre. Palpi short, attached to 2 scapes, triar- 
ticulate basal joint the longest and stoutest, 2nd subglobose, 
3rd shorter than the 1st, very slender and obtuse (4). 
Head rather smaller than the thorax , orbicular, depressed : eyes small 
and lateral. Thorax depressed and orbicular, a little truncated be- 
fore : scutellum small trigonate. Elytra a little broader than the 
thorax, length a little exceeding the breadth and slightly narrowed 
before. Wings ample. Abdomen equal in length to the rest of the 
insect, and a little broader than the elytra towards the apex. Legs 
short. Thighs rather broad and compressed : tibiae simple narrowed 
at the base, with small spurs at the apex : tarsi 4 -jointed, rather 
broad, 2 first joints somewhat obovate, basal one the longest in the 
hinder pair, 3rd shorter and sub cor date, Ath short and obovate : claws 
very slender (5). 
Obs. The dissections and characters are from the species figured. 
Dimidiata Grav. Mon. 149. 3.— angustula Gyl. var. e, 2. 394. — • 
basella Kirb. MSS. — Step. 
In the Cabinets of the British Museum, Mr. Rudd and the Author . 
