j20 f^^^' '^1-- 



aliitaceous ; punctuation distinct, rather remote, not very strong, very similar 

 to that of L. suturalis. Elytra : aliitaceous, dull, testaceous, more feebly, and 

 plainly, more closely and confusedly puncttired than in L. suturalis, with suture 

 sharjjly defined in black, the apex and side-margins also often darkened. Legs : 

 testaceous, Avith tarsi slightly darker, and posterior femora quite black ; first 

 joint of anterior tarsi in S not dilated ; posterior tibial spiirs moderately short. 

 Underside black. Usually winged Length, 1.2-lf mm. 



Its m\ich smaller size will easily distinguish this species from either 

 L. suturellus or L. suturalis, which are the only two species otherwise super- 

 ficially resembling it. 



Food plants. — Various species of Boragine^ : Symphytum, Cyno- 

 glossum (Bedel), Echium (Bedel, Foudras, Fowler) ; Nasfurtium 

 and other water plants (Thomson). It appears to be rare in this 

 country, and usually occurs in sandy places in the autumn. There 

 are records from as from north as Yorkshire. 



Var. — autwmnalis, Weise. An apterous form, otherwise un- 

 differentiated. 



L. MELANOCEPHALUs, de Gr. [Mem. Ins. V. p. 348] ; Gryll. [Ins. 

 Suec. III. p. 545] ; All. [Mon. p. 313] ; Weise [Nat. Ins. Deutschl. VI. 

 pp. 979, 1022] ; Bedel [Col. Bass. Seine, V. p. 311]. 



Syns. — atricillus, Foudr. [Mon. p. 164] (i); piciceps, Steph. 

 [Man. p. 296] (2). 



atricapillus, Duft. [Fn. Austr. III. p. 257]. 



In form a long oval, more acuminate than other members of the group. 

 Very variable in size and general appearance, but with the thorax always more 

 or less rufescent and without metallic reflection, and the sutural line narrow 

 and even throughout. Head : black, finely punctured between eyes. Antennae : 

 black, with first four or five joints testaceous. Thorax : very transverse, 

 bordered, shining, riifescent, with punctuation exceedingly variable, but never 

 strong, often almost obsolete, occasionally slightly alutaceous between the 

 punctiu-es, but usually with interspaces smooth. Elytra : varying in colour, 

 from pale straw coloiir to testaceous red, with punctuation stronger than that 

 of thorax, distinct but confused ; sutural line naiTOw and even, black with 

 siiffused reddish edges, but rarely with sutural marking obsolete ; apices 

 acuminate, more shai-ply angled than in most other members of the group. 

 Legs : testaceous red ; posterior femora usually black, but sometimes ferru- 

 ginous, and always ferruginous beneath ; the posterior tibiae also varying from 

 black to ferruginous ; first joint of anterior tarsi in g distinctly more enlarged 



(1) From the text of Foudras it is imijossible to be quite certain to what species his atricillui 

 really referred. Most Continental authorities, however, regard it as equivalent to melanocephahis, 

 de G., AH., &c., and tlie .synonymy is so given in the latest European list. 



(2) That the " piciceps " of Stephens was really the nulanocephalus of de Geer and others, was 

 pointed out by E. C. Rye (Ent, Annual, 1872, p. 91), and assumed ("picipes, Steph.," in error) in 

 the Waterhouse Catalogue of 185S. 



