1912.] 207 



measure the success of the Oxford Congress is due to the energy and 

 organizing powers of the G-eneral Secretaries, Dr. Karl Jordan, 

 and especially Mr. H. Eltringham, who was at short notice called 

 upon to act on behalf of Dr. Malcolm Burr, unfortunately prevented 

 by the illness of himself and his wife from fully carrying out the 

 onerous duties of that post. 



NOTES ON THE BEITISH SPECIES OF 0PH0NU8. 

 BY D. SHARP, M.A., F.R.S. 



No. 2. — O. RUPicoLA and allies. 



(Continued from p. 185). 



4. — 0. rupicoJa, Stunn. This is one of the easiest of the species to 

 recognise, on account of the comparatively elongate and fiat fonn, and 

 the shining elytra with unusually coarse punctuation ; this sculpture 

 is, however, rather denser and finer in the female than it is in the 

 male. The thorax is ample, but a good deal narrowed behind, and 

 that in a slightly variable manner, for the sides are sometimes only 

 veiy slightly, sometimes distinctly, sinuate posteriorly ; when the sides 

 are most sinuate the hind angles approach nearly to being rectangular, 

 but they are always slightly obtuse, and there is no basal margin. 

 The species therefore ought never to be confused with 0. cordatus, 

 though it sometimes is mistaken for that species. The colour varies a 

 little, the head and tliorax being sometimes rather bright red, while in 

 other specimens they are picescent, but are never so black as the 

 elytra. Serial punctures on the 3rd and 5th interstices are not easy 

 to detect, but sometimes 2 or 3 really exist, on the 5th interstice at 

 any rate, though they are difficult to distinguish among the coarse 

 diffuse punctuation. Large specimens attain a length of 9^ mm. A 

 very small variety only 6i mm. long occurs, and in the smallest 

 specimens the hind angles of the thorax are quite obtuse. The 

 aedeagus in this species is quite remarkable on account of the broad 

 strongly margined apical portion. This character is not diminished 

 in the depauperated variety just mentioned. 



0. rupicola is apparently a local species occasionally met with in 

 numbers in the South of England. I once captured numerous speci- 

 mens at Malvern in the month of August. Commander Walker finds 

 it at Oxford and in the Isle of Sheppey. The Champion collection has 



