THE 



ENTOMOLOGIST'S 

 MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 



SECOND SERIES— VOL. X. 



[VOLUME . XXXV.] 



SOME KEMAEKS ON THE PRYTOSUS BALTICUS, Keaatz, AND 

 P. NIGRLVENTRIS, Cheve., OP BKITISH COLLECTIONS. 



BY G. C. CHAMPION, F.Z.S. 



Canon Fowler (Col. Brit. Islands, ii, p. 170) treats P. baJticus, 

 Ki'aatz, and P. nigriventris, Chevr., as forms of one species, he at the 

 same time calling attention to some specimens in his collection, from 

 Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, with the hind body much widened posteriorly 

 and very distinctly punctured. As these insects are regarded as spe- 

 cifically distinct by continental authorities, and both occur in Britain, 

 it is worth while to again call attention to the matter. They are eassily 

 separable by the characters given by Dr. Kraatz (Berl. ent. Zeitschr., 

 1859, pp. 52, 53) : — 



Briinneus seu brunneo-testaceus, cinereo-pubescons, capite infuscato, punctatissimo, 

 abdomine crebre punctato, nitidulo, nigro-piceo, basin versus magis uiinusve 

 infuscato, apice fusco-testaceo, elytris thorace diniidlo brevioribus .. 



lalticus, Kraatz.* 

 Stramineus, cinereo-pubescens, capite basi infuscato, eonfertini perspicue punctato, 

 abdomine confertissime punctato, opaco, segmentis quarto quintoque totis nigris, 

 sexto basi nigro, apice rufo, elytris thorace dimidio brevioribus 



nigriventris, Chevr. 



It may be noted that P. nigriventris averages much larger in size, 

 the largest specimen in my collection measuring nearly 3^ millim. in 

 length, and that it has the hind body much more widened posteriorly 

 than in P. halticas and more distinctly punctured ; the black band, 



* Originally described and figured by Dr. Kraatz under the name of P. nigriventris iStett. 

 ent. Zcit., xiv, p. 2f>l, t. 3, fig. 6 ; Naturg. Ins. Deutschl., ii, p. 43). 



Tanuaet, 1S99. 



