122 • [June, 



characters. This form seems to be much less common than the type, 

 and we are without rehable evidence as to its range ; Hke the type it 

 is winged in both sexes. 



nigrinus, Weise [Nat. Ins. Deutschl. VI. p. 979]. This 

 appears to be a melanic fonn. Weise describes it as " black, base of 

 antennae reddish, elytra pitchy, becoming reddish towards the sides." 

 He adds that it is rare, and we have not seen anything taken in this 

 coimtry which quite corresponds with it. 



L. NiGROFAsciATus, Groeze [Ent. Beytr. I, p. 812 (1777)]. 

 Syns. — marginahis, Geoffr., 1785. 



lateralis, Illiger, 1807 ; Foudr. [Mon. p. 179] ; All. [Mon. 

 p. 110]. 

 Weise [Nat. Ins. Deutschl. VI, pp. 983, 1020]. 

 V. fairtielh. All. [L'Abeille, III, pp. 302, 398].(i) 



This very variable and perplexing species resembles in some of its forms 

 both L. suturellus and L. melanocephalus. In form rather long oval, somewhat 

 similar to L. melmiocephalus. Head black, very faintly striated between eyes. 

 Antenna} : long and stout, testaceous, with last four or five joints fuscous. 

 Thorax : transverse, bordered, very variable both in coloiu' and sculpture, the 

 colour ranging' from testaceous to pitchy black, the punctiiation always fine 

 but distinct, varying considerably in intensity ; interspaces always more or less 

 aliataceous, the strength of the alutacity appearing to vary proportionately 

 with that of the punctuation. Elytra : either clear yellow testaceous or testa- 

 ceous brown, nearly always with more or less indistinct darker linear markings, 

 which often take the form of a cloudy elongate spot in the centre of the upper 

 half of each elytron ; the sutiu-e iisually black and boldly marked, the marking 

 irregular in width, sometimes narrowed at base and apex to a fine line or 

 widened out on the apical declivity, sometimes (in the form (listing uendus) 

 narrowed to a thin ruf escent line, or almost effaced ; punctuation rather strong 

 distinct and remote, and often partially seriate ; apices separately rounded and 

 furnished with a few short exserted cilia. Legs : anterior and intermediate 

 pairs entirely testaceous, the posterior pair with the femora black and the 

 tibiae testaceous or fuscous ; the underside of the first posterior tarsal joint is 

 set with short close pubescence, and the posterior tibial spur is long and 

 slender and only very slightly curved at extremity ; first joint of anterior tarsi 

 slightly enlarged in J . Underside black or pitchy testaceous. According to 

 Foudras both sexes are winged, but this is certainly not invariably the case in 

 this country, as we have taken c? specimens in Surrey with wings rudimentary 

 or absent. Length, l|-2^ mm. 



The wide range of variation of this species has occasioned much 

 confusion in synonymy and much difl&culty in identification, but 



(1) Waterhousc's .specimens originally named laUrallii, 111., by Allard, and subsequently 

 de.scribed by him as patnullti, have been returned by Kutschera as latcrallx, 111. (Ent. Ann. 

 1807, p. 61). 



