June, 1912.] 121 



than in other members of the section ; first joint of posterior tarsi in both sexes 

 f xu-nished with long white cilia beneath ; posterior tibial spnrs short and thick. 

 Underside pitchy testaceous, abdomen black. Winged. Length, 2^-3 mm. 



This very common insect may be generally distinguished from 

 other members of the group by its more transverse thorax and longer, 

 more acuminate shape ; it is also usually larger than any species in 

 this section, except forms of L. nigrofasciahcs. In the thoracic punc- 

 tuation it oftens approaches L. suhirellus, but the thorax is never 

 black as in that species and in L. sufuralis, and never possesses a 

 metallic reflection as in L. atricillus. From L. nigrofasr.iatus, certain 

 forms of which it closely resembles, it can be distinguished (in fresh 

 specimens) by the more evident pilose clothing of the vmderside of the 

 first posterior tarsal joint, and the distinctly shorter and thicker 

 posterior tibial spurs. 



The food-plant, according to Bedel, is Plantain, wlio adds, 

 " Buddeberg a observe sa larve a la racine du P. lanceolata. Presque 

 toute I'annee ; eclot commencement de I'ete." This, however, has not 

 been confirmed, so far as we are aware, by any British coleopterist. 



L. melanocephalus seems to occur all the year roimd, and is often 

 found in haystack refuse in winter. It is one of our commonest 

 species of Lorujitarsus, and its range extends over the whole of the 

 kingdom. 



Vars. — hutscherm, Rye^ [Ent. Ann. 1872, p. 199] ^ atriceps, 

 Kutsch. [Wien. Monat. 1864, p. 207]. 



This form was described in 1864 by Kutschera as a distinct 

 species. By the com-tesy of Mr. E. A. Waterhouse we have been 

 enabled to examine specimens so named by that authority in the 

 " Gr. R. Waterhouse " collection, and we cannot but think that Weise 

 and other modern authorities are correct in considering it as merely a 

 small form of L. melanocephalus with the thorax generally darker. 

 We are unable to appreciate the structural differences referred to by 

 Fowler (Brit. Col. iv. p. 345), and in any case they are not more 

 than might be expected in so variable a species as L. melanocephalus. 



Var. — kutschera-, Rye, is smaller than the average type-form, with 

 the elytra shorter and distinctly less acuminate ; the thorax usually, but 

 by no means always, darker, and the posterior tibia; blacker. We can 

 discover no persistent difference in pvmctuation or other structural 



(1) E. C. Rye, alluding to this insect, says ('.'■.), " T. atriapx, Kutsch., requires re-naming on 

 account of the long prior atriops of Stephens, and may be called /^ttt^v/une." 



