BRO'SCUS, a genus of Coleopteroua Insects, belonging to the section of the Carabidce, called Simplicimani by Latreille. In Latreille's work, however, this genus retains the name of Cephalotes (given to it by Bonelli, from the circumstance of the species possessing an unu sually large head), which has been expunged by many naturalists owing to its having been previously used to designate a genus in some other branch of Natural History.
The insects of this genus are remarkable for the almost total absence of the indented striae on the elytra generally observed in the insects of the tribe to which they belong, and for the large and strong man dibles, the elongate form of the body, and the somewhat heart-shaped thorax, which is much attenuated posteriorly.
It has the following characters :—Palpi with all their joints of nearly equal thickness, the terminal joint of the maxillary palpi rather short and truncated ; the antennae, if extended backwards, reaching to the base of the thorax ; mandibles unidentate internally ; labrum entire ; anterior tarsi of the males with the three basal joints dilated.
The species are generally found under stones, and often accompa nied by fragments of numerous other insects devoured by them. When taken in the hand they will often pretend to be dead, extend ing their limbs stiffly, and it is then with difficulty they can be made to move.
Only one species of this curious genus is a native of this country, Broscus cephalotes. It is of a dull-black colour, and varies from three-quarters to an inch in length : its form is elongate ; the head is nearly equal to the thorax in bulk ; the elytra are nearly smooth, the longitudinal strize being scarcely It seems to be confined to the sea-coast, where it is frequently found under stones or rubbish.
In Stephens's arrangement of British Insects this genus is classed among the Harpalidce. About six or seen exotic species have been discovered.