Q^ [March, 



ON THE OCCURRENCE IN NORFOLK OF (EDEMERA VIRESCES^, 

 Linn., A SPECIES NOT HITHERTO RECORDED AS BRITISH. 



BY JAMES EDWARDS, F.E.S. 



I have just discovered that the species of (Edemera found in a 

 restricted area in Central Norfolk is not, as I had previously supposed, 

 (E. lurida. Marsh., but (E. virescens, Linn. So long ago as June, 

 1884, I took in the locality in question two specimens of a dull sage- 

 green (Edemera with simple hind femora, which I could only regard 

 as a large form of (E. lurida. Quite recently, however, in looking 

 over my undetermined Norfolk material in Ileteromera it became 

 evident that these specimens were the females of a species in which 

 the males have incrassate hind femora, and therefore could not be (E. 

 lurida. Marsh, T subsequently made them out to be (E. virescens, 

 Linn., and my determination has been confirmed by Mr. Champion. 



The British species of (Edemprn will therefore now be dirstin- 

 guished as follows : — 



1 (2) — Upper-8ide shining emerald-green, golden-green, or copperj ; hind femora 



of male very strongly incrassate nulilis, Scoji. 



2 (1) — Upper-side dull sage-green. 



3 (4) — Hind femora of male distinctly incrassate virexcent, hinn. 



4 (3) — Hind femora of male simple lurida, Marsh. 



As a rule the female of (E. virescenn is evidently larger than that 

 of (E. lurida, and has the raised line down the middle of the thorax 

 much more distinct ; but after a careful study of considerable material 

 T am forccid to the conclusion that this sex of the two species cannot 

 be separated with certainty apart from the males. Mulsant (Cole- 

 opteres de France, Angustipennes, pp. 149-151) describes both species 

 in great detail, but he does not appear to have been more fortunate 

 than myself in discovering any real index character for their females ; 

 he says that (E. virescens occurs principally in the cool or mountainous 

 parts of France, and is found on flowers in woodland rides from June 

 to August. 



'I'he species of (Edemera must occur very sparingly in Norfolk, 

 since none of the many able non-resident collectors who furnished 

 material for the "List of Norfolk Coleopfern" mentioned either 

 species. Their known distribution in the county is as follows : — 

 (E. nobiliii,\n the district immediately east of Norwich only, one pair, 

 Dossitor ; ditto, Thouless : (E. virescens, Central Norfolk, in one 

 locality only, but there not uncommon : (E. lurida, Norwich District, 

 July 29th, 1874, one female, June 7th, 1875, one male, Edwards; 



