124 



[June, 



ARENA OCTAVII, Fauv., ON DAWLISH WARREN. 

 BY PHILIP DE LA GAEDE, U.N., F.E.S. 



In the course of setting some Plnjtosus halticus taken on Dawlisb 

 Warren on April lOtli, I came across an insect which at once struck 

 me as being a stranger, and, on account of its similarity to P. halticus, 

 probably Arena octavii. Mr. E. A. Newbery, who has kindly 

 examined the specimen for me, is able to pronounce it as undoubtedly 

 that species. 



On this particular day scarcely any beetles were to be found 

 among the ordinary dead seaweed at high-tide mark, and I had 

 gradually worked up the beach to the line of an abnormal spring-tide 

 of ten days past before meeting with the usual number — possibly 

 some heavy rain during the previous night had driven them to the 

 caked scum and refuse as providing better shelter — but the nature of 

 the then habitat was more or less on a par with the llfracombe record 

 of 1891 for Arena " in a dead gull on the shore." (Ent. Mo. Mag., 

 xxviii, IGO). 



Prior to this 1891 capture by Mr. Tait, one s])ecimen was taken 

 on Chesil Beach by Mr. Blatch in 1SS;J, and now Mr. Attle reports 

 (Ent. Rec, xix, 91) having taken one at Llanbedr, Merioneth, in 

 September last. 



As I believe no description of this species hns ever appeared in 

 English, it may be opportune to give the chief points of distinction 

 from P. halticus in tabtilar form : — 



Arena octavii, Faiiv. 



Head with distinct, sliallow pmicturos 

 which are obsolete on a ceiitr;il spricc^ 



Aiiteniise— Lliird joint pear-shaped, half 

 as long as second. 



Maxillary palpi — somcwliat sf roni^ly en- 

 larged from base to apex. 



Thorax — transverse, oidy a little nar- 

 rowed behind. 



Eljtra — very little shorter than tliorax ; 

 insect winged. 



Abdomen — black, cxcejit apex ; scarcely 

 dilated ; sliiny. 



Anterior tibife with long, outstanding 

 bristly hairs, which are scarcely spines. 



Average size — shorter. 



" Teignview," Christ ow, near Exeter 

 May 4t/i, 1907. 



Phylonus balticvs, Kr. 



Head with very indistinct punctures, 



which are sometimes obsolete. 

 AntcMinse — third joint ahnosfc globuJHr, 



one-third or one-fourth lengtli of 



second. 

 Maxillary jialpi — ^much more elongate 



and linear. 

 Thorax — as broad a-i long, distinctly 



narrowed behind. 

 Elytra — much shorter than thorax ; 



wings scale-like, rudimentary. 

 Abdomen— always red at base; dilated 



at apex ; dull, at least, at apex. 

 Anterior tibiro with spines for digging. 



Average size — lonjjer. 



