September, 1912.] 201 



Food j)lants. — Verhascnm and Scroplmlaria. Local throiighout 

 the south of England, from Kent to Devonshire, but common where it 

 occurs. 



There are some specimens of L. mjilis in the collection of the late 

 W. Laundj Brown said to have been taken in Norfolk, and Mr. Morley 

 has recorded it from Suffolk. A variety with dark sutm-e has been 

 taken by Mr. Champion at Mickleham, Tilgate, Snodland, and Oxford. 



L. JACO^MM, Wat. [Cat. Brit. Col., 1858]. 

 Syn. - tabidtis, Panz. et Auct., nee Fab. 



One of the larger of our British species of Longitarsus. Oval, somewhat 

 acuminate, convex. Entirely and iin if ormly testaceous, paler or darker. Head 

 very finely ahitaceous between the eyes. Antennae : long, testaceous, with last 

 four or five joints infuscate. Thorax .- transverse, distinctly bordered, quite 

 smooth or exceedingly finely ahitaceous, with ptmctuation very feeble or quite 

 obsolete. Elytra : very finely ahitaceous, punctuation weak but x'ather close and 

 regidar, variable, much weaker in some specimens than in others, but never 

 strong ; apical angles very slightly separately rounded. Legs concolorous, 

 posterior femora occasionally slightly darker on upper side ; posterior tibial spurs 

 very short ; first joint of anterior tarsi distinctly enlarged in J . Underside 

 usiially concolorovis with upper, sometimes slightly darker. Winged. Length, 

 2^ — 3^ mm. 



This, one of the most abundant and conspicuous of our Longltarsi, 

 can hardly be confused with any other species of the genus. From 

 L. agilis, which perhaps it most closely resembles, its entirely different 

 food plant separates it. It also differs from that species in its longer 

 form and more uniform and lighter colour. Exceptionally small indi- 

 viduals of L. jacobsese are possibly difficult to distinguish from large 

 L. gracilis, as in this case the food plant is the same ; but the elytral 

 punctuation of L. gracilis is generally weaker, the colour lighter — more 

 straw-coloured than testaceovis, the antennae shorter, and the shape 

 rather more parallel-sided. 



L. jacobseee occurs generally throughout the kingdom. Its food 

 plant is Senecio jacobxa. 



Ya,r.—rufescens, Fowler. This is merely a darker coloui'ed form, 

 vai'ying from ferruginous to (in extreme and exceptional cases) a clear 

 red. It occurs with the normal form, usually ia spring and autumn, 

 and is sometimes locally abundant. 



L. ExoLETUs, L. [Syst. Nat. Ed. X, p. 373] ; Weise [Nat. Ins. 

 Deutschl. VI, p. 999]. 



