200 LAugust, 1912. 



NOTES ON THE BRITISH SPECIES OF LONGITARSUS, Latk. 



fA GENUS OF COLEOPTERA). 



BY J. E. LE B. TOMLIN, M.A., P.E.S., AND W. E. SHARP, F.E.S. 



(^Continued from p. 124 antea). 



Sect. V. — Species large (exceeding 2 mm. in length), convex, nnicolorous. 

 (except in vars. of L. tabidus), testaceous orbroAvn, or with sutiiral 

 line faintly rixf escent ; punctuation fine. 



I. Posterior tibial spvu-s short. 



1. Form moi'e rounded and convex, punctuation stronger. Species 



living on Verbascum and Scrophularia L. agilis. Rye. 



2. Form more elongate and less convex, punctuation weaker. 



A. Size larger, iinicolorovis, posterior femora hardly darker 



Species living on Senecio L. jacohseae, Wat, 



B. Size smaller, suture faintly rvifescent, posterior femora 



always more or less pitchy. Species living on Bora- 

 ginece L. exoletus, L. 



II. Posterior tibial spurs long L. tabidus, F. 



L. AGILIS, Rye [Ent. Mo. Mag., 1868, p. 133] ; Weise [Nat. Ins. 

 Deutschl. VI, pp. 987, 1020]. 



Of a full rounded oval shape, very convex, entirely light yellow brown. 

 Head smooth between the eyes. Antennae long, ferruginous with last four or 

 five joints fuscous. Thorax : ti-ansverse, finely bordered, sometimes very finely 

 alvitaceous, sometimes quite smooth, with punctuation variable but always 

 feeble and remote. Elytra: finely and distinctly alutaceous, punctuation 

 distinct and close, but not very strong, somewhat seriate at base and near 

 suture ; apices very slightly separately rounded ; suture sometimes darker, 

 especially throughovit apical half, often with obscure darker somewhat linear 

 markings, particularly at base and sides. Legs concolorous with body, posterior 

 femora darker, often quite black, apices of posterior tibiae and tarsi usually 

 fuscous ; posterior tibial spurs short ; first anterior tarsal joint very slightly 

 enlarged in ^ . Underside pitchy. Winged, apterous, or semi-apterous. 

 Mr. Champion (see note already refen-ed to, Vol. XLVII, p. 244, antea) found, on 

 examining a very large number of specimens taken by himself near Seaton, 

 Devon, that the fully-winged individuals were females, the apterous and semi- 

 apterous being males, but it remains uncertain wliether this is invariably the 

 case. Length, 2\- — 3 mm. 



This species, attached as it is to special food plants, can hardly be 

 confused with any other. It is sometimes found on Verbasc^lm 

 associated with L. tabidus, but the darker colour and very much longer 

 tibial spurs easily distinguish that species. Very small examples some- 

 what resemble pale forms of L. lateralis {distinguendus) , but the shape 

 of agilis is always more rounded and convex, the tibial spurs shorter, 

 and the punctuation weaker and less seriate. 



