Johannes Werner Theodor Nietner

“ The habits of the insect are those of the Bemhidia in whose society it lives upon the banks of rivers, taking like them readily to its wings. I have found it occasionally in considerable numbers upon the sandy banks of the Maha Oya in the neighbourhood of Negombo close to the edge of the water. ”

“ In the 2 ant. tarsi of the female these are present at the apex only of the 1st and 2nd joint (hardly distinct at the former) ; however, they are well developed in the 3rd and very highly in the 4th joint, the squamulaceous bristles are less conspicuous but the peduncle at- tains extraordinary length in the 4th joint, the squamulae do not cover each other like tiles but stand more freely and loosely and are curved inward so as nearly to touch in the middle, their shape is that of an elongated triangle, they are veined and their apical edge is serrated. ”

“ The individual which I take to be the male is smaller and of a darker color than the other. The legs, with the exception of the tarsi, are the same in both sexes. They are of middling strength, the tibiæ are furnished with 2 spurs at the inner side of the apex, which spurs are finely serrated along their inner edge, the tarsi have joints 1-3 of the first pair slightly dilated, the posterior pair is elongated, subcylindric and the intermediate one forms a passage between the two. ”

“ The ligula is small, oblong, very slightly narrowed and transversely cut away at the apex, the paraglossse separate from its sides a little below the anterior corners ; they are setiform and reach much beyond it. The whole organ is of membranaceous texture having, however, a more substantial centre or back. The thorax and elytra aw? simple and sufficiently described above, i. may add that the former is divided by a longitudinal furrow and that both are furnished with a narrow margin at the sides. The scutellum is very small and the abdomen furnished with a short peduncle. ”

“ The paraglossæ agree in all three spec. in as far as they are highly developed, reach much beyond the anterior margin of the ligula and are more or less bent inwards. They assume their greatest development in H. elegans in which they nearly touch each other in front of the anterior margin, being cylindric and slender at the same time. ”

“ I feel doubtful as to the affinities of these insects, especially if in reality I have described both sexes and if the vesture of the inter- mediate tarsi is allowed to be of the same importance as that of the anterior ones, however, I think they must find a place amongst the Harpalid^ as restricted by Lacordaire. I must not omit to men- tion that the tooth of the mentunj appears to be variably, one of my specimens (a male) being decidedly without it, whilst another is furnished with a small, obtuse one. ”

“ H. oblongo-ovatus, subdepressus,punctato-rugosus,griseo-pubes- cens, supra seneus, subtus piceus, ore pectoreque dilutioribus, pe- dibus testaceis, antennis basi palpisque apice flavis ; capite robusto antice rotundato, postice parum angustato, thorace vix angustiore; > antennis humeros attingentibus art. 2o parvo, reliquis longitudine subsequali ; mandibulis obconicis robustis, una unidentata, altera incisa ; labro vix emarginato ; palpis art. ovato, apice abruptius angustato, leviter truncate ”

“ Antennae filiformes,humeros parum superantibus, art 2° parvo, reliquis longitudine subaequali. Thorax mediocris longitudine parum latior, antice vix, postice baud emarginatus, la- teribus leviter rotundatus, basi parum angustatus, angulis omnibus rotundatis, margine elevato. Elytra ovata, infra med. parum dila- tata, apice leviter angustata et acuminata. Pedes sub8p,quales, tibiis apice bicalcaratis, calcaribus intus subtiliter serratis, ant. leviter emarginatis, tarsis 2 ant. art. 1-3 leviter dilatatis gradatim minori- bus, art. ”