BLAPS (Fabricius), a genus of Insects belonging to the order Cokoptera, of the section lleteromera, and family Melasome (Latreille). The principal generic characters are :—Antennre with the two basal joints short, their breadth equalling their length; the third joint long, exceeding that of the two following together ; the three following joints are longer than broad ; the remaining joints nearly round, excepting the terminal one, which is round at thebase and acuminated towards its extremity; maxillary palpi with the terminal joint flattened, and when viewed from above or below somewhat hatchet-shaped ; thorax broad, sides rounded, posterior margin straight: abdomen oblong-ovate, exceding the thorax in width : elytm generally soldered together, incurred so as to embrace the sides of the abdomen, more or less acuminated towards the apex, and prolonged to a point at the apex.
The species of this genus are tolerably abundant, and frequent dark damp situations, such as the caverns in rocks, &a In this country there are only two well authenticated species, Blaps obtuse and B. mortisaga: the latter is very
common in our kitchens end cellars (in company with the cockroach) ; the former is much leas abundant It is occasionally found with B. mortisage.
Both species are of an obscure black colour, and about three quarters of RD inch in length. Aa B. mortiraga is a well-known common species, we will merely mention the characters, distinguishing the rarer one from it. The first striking difference is the superior breadth in B. obtuse; the antennae are shorter, the fourth, fifth, and sixth joints are scarcely longer than broad (while in B. mortisaga their length is nearly double the breadth): the thorax has its hinder angles rounded (in mortisage they are acute) : the legs are much shorter in proportion, and the elytra are distinctly punctured. Baker relates that he kept a Darkling Beetle (B. mortisaga) three years without food.
(Kirby and Spence, Introduction to Entomology.)