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THE ENTOMOLOGIST.

No. XVIII.

APRIL, MDCCCXLII.

PRICE 6D.

ART. LXXIV.—Description of a new species of Lamellicorn Beetle, brought from Valdivia by C. Darwin, Esq. By G. R. WATERHOUSE, Esq., Curator Zool. Soc.

ORYCTOMORPHUS (?) pictus. Nigra, nitida; capite punctatissimo, punctis confluentibus: thorace punctato, punctis sparsis impressis: elytris irregularitèr lineato-punctatis, ad basin maculis binis aurantiis, fasciâ obliquâ concolori ad medium positâ, binisque aliis irregularibus subapicalibus. (Corp. long. 9½ lin. lat. 5 lin.)

Habitat Valdivia.

Head very thickly and finely punctured, the punctures confluent, with a distinct tubercle between the eyes, behind which is a transverse depression, which is impunctate. Clypeus rather broader than long, with the lateral margins of the hinder half straight and parallel, but in front converging, and thus forming an obtuse angle on each side, the apex very narrow, recurved and slightly emarginated, the upper surface concave. Labrum minute, and nearly of a semicircular form. Mandibles short, stout and pointed, and with the apex recurved; at the base on the inner side is a large rounded tooth, presenting a flat masticating surface, having three or four elevated transverse ridges. Maxillæ very small, the blade scarcely projecting above the base of the palpus, its apex is rounded and clothed with longish hairs. Maxillary palpi of moderate length and thickness, three-jointed; the middle joint short, being about equal in width and length; the basal joint nearly obconical and longer than the second; the terminal joint the longest, and of an elongated conical form, but with the apex truncated; labial palpi small, with the two basal joints short and equal; the terminal joint about equal in length to the other two, nearly cylindrical, but becoming gradually narrower towards the apex, which is rounded. Mentum in the Form of an isosceles triangle, but with the sides slightly dilated in the middle. Antennæ with the basal joint much incrassated at the apex, the following four are nearly cylindrical, the two first are somewhat elongated and the other two are short, the sixth and seventh joints are dilated and cup-shaped, the remaining three form the club, which is very large, very broad, and longer

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than the seven basal joints taken together; it is much compressed and slightly curved. Thorax nearly twice as broad as long, the fore part slightly emarginated, the sides distinctly rounded and the posterior margin nearly straight, but slightly produced in the middle; the upper surface convex, excepting in the middle of the anterior half, where there is a large and rather deep excavation; the whole surface is distinctly punctured, but the punctures are scattered. A fringe of yellowish hairs is observable on the sides of the thorax. Elytra convex, oblong, not broader than the thorax at the base and but little dilated in the middle; the length exceeds the width by about one sixth; the surface is covered with smallish punctures, and these are for the most part arranged in longitudinal lines. Scutellum of moderate size, and smooth. Pygidium slightly convex, twice as broad as long, rounded at the extremity, very delicately punctured, and with one or two shallow foveæ on each side and near the point. Thorax and base of the abdomen beneath well clothed with long yellowish hairs. Legs moderately long, and clothed with hair; the anterior tibiæ compressed, and with three denticulations on the outer side; tarsi longer than the tibiæ, and rather slender, the basal joint of each tarsus longer than the three following joints and the terminal joint the longest; the claws rather small, simple and equal, with the exception of those of the anterior tarsus, one of which (the inner one) has a straight pointed process on the under side, at the base, which is equal in size to the claw from which it springs; between the claws is a small appendage, furnished at the extremity with two bristly hairs. The insect is black and glossy; on each clytron is a large deep yellow spot near the scutellum, a broadish oblique stripe, commencing a little below the humeral angle and terminating near the suture rather behind the middle of the elytra, where it is dilated, and throws downwards a short branch, which nearly joins a very irregular subapical spot or spots, for the spot in question is interrupted in parts. The antennæ are pitchy red; the basal joint is pitchy, and the club brownish.

The insect above described was brought from Valdivia by C. Darwin, Esq.

It is with great hesitation that I place the present insect in M. Guérin's genus Oryctomorphus,* since it differs in having the claws of all the tarsi equal,† and in having the mandibles somewhat exposed.

* Voyage de la Coquille, p. 79, pl. iii. (Insectes) fig. 3.

† None of the claws appear to be ever folded back, as represented in the plate of Oryctomorphus.

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The fourth and fifth joints of the antennæ are short, and not elongated as M. Guérin states is the case with the same joints in the antennæ of Oryctomorphus; there appears moreover to be a difference in the form of the clypeus. Should it happen that the above differences are not sexual, it appears to me that O. pictus would require a subgeneric title, and that the name Gonocheile would be applicable.

G. R. WATERHOUSE.

 

 

 

ART. LXXV.—List of Lepidoptera captured near York.

By ROBERT COOK, Esq.

(Continued from page 260).

30, Collier Gate, York,

February 5th, 1842.

Dear Sir,

Annexed is the continuation of my captures in Lepidoptera in the neighbourhood of York.

I am, Dear Sir,

Your's &c.

ROBT. COOK.

To the Editor of 'The Entomologist.'

Fidonia atomaria	Onrapteryx Sambucaria	Aspilates respersaria
ericetaria	Campæa margaritata	Phasiane plumbaria
Bupalus Piniarius	Ellopia fasciaria	Larentia cervinata
Mæsia favillaceria	Hipparchus Papilionarius	chenopodiata
Anisopteryx leucophearia	Chlorissa thymiaria	Cidaria didymata
Æscularia	putataria	unidentaria
Hibernia capreolaria	Hemithia Cythisaria	miaria
prosapiaria	Cleora bajularia	fluctuata
defoliaria	Lichenaria	montanata
Phigalia pilosaria	Alcis repandaria	propugnata
Biston Betularius	rhomboidaria	Harpalyee fulvata
hirtarius	Hemerophila abruptaria	ocellata
Himera pennaria	Boarmia crepuscularia	subtristata
Crocallis elinguaria	punctularia	Corylata
Odontopera bidentata	Halia Vau-aria	Polyphasia immanata
Geometra Canaria	Numeria pulvaria	marmorata
Quercinaria	Cabera pusaria	comma-notata
illunaria	Ephyra pendularia	centum-notata
juliaria	punctaria	perfuscata
lunaria	Bradypetes amataria	Steganolophia Prunata
Pericallia Syringaria	Epione apiciaria	Lampropteryx suffumata
Angerona Prunaria	vespertaria	Anticlea derivata
Rumia Cratægata	Eurymene dolabraria	Electra Populata