1909.] 149 



marked in the insects themselves than in the figures ; the plate in 

 lutea being black and concolorous with the hypopygium, but in 

 scufellaris clenv pale yellow, contrasting strikingly with the rest o£ the 

 structure. 



It may not be altogether amiss to take a look back and see how far, 

 in this large group of 24 species, the two chief conditions of a long 

 costa and a long costal fringe have been fulfilled, or whether some- 

 times a point has not been unduly stretched in their favour. As to 

 the fringe, the answer is entirely satisfactory. No one, I think, whose 

 eye has been familiarised with a study of these small creatures, would 

 hesitate a moment about its length in any of them. Naturally it 

 varies considerably, and is sometimes very long, sometimes only 

 moderately long, but in no single instance are its dimensions so 

 reduced as to allow of the term short being in any sense applicable. 

 The case of the costa, however, is more open to doubt, Two species, 

 nigripes and alhipennis, are certainly on the border land between 

 Sections C and J). 1 long hesitated before deciding at last to place 

 them in C, and it may yet be found advisable, in t^ome future revision, 

 to remove them into D. On general grounds both seem out of place 

 among their present associates, whilst on the other hand they bear an 

 unmistakeable family likeness to certain forms to be described later on 

 in Section D. 



MICROPEPLUS C.ELATUS, EitiCHSON : A BRITISH INSECT. 



BY N. H. JOY, M.E.C.S., AND J. R. LE B. TOMLIN, M.A., F.E.S. 



Black, rather shining ; antennae (except club) and legs testaceous ; head closely 

 punctured and rugose, with a minute keel on the vertex ; central portion of Ihorax 

 very rough, with the three basal impressions indistinct and the middle impression 

 on the disc shallow, though bordered and evident ; sides of thorax not strongly 

 angled in the middle ; elytra with five raised lines on each, interstices deeply and 

 rather closely punctured ; first three visible segments of abdomen divided into deep 

 squares by longitudinal ribs, the 4th segment strongly wrinkled throughout with 

 longitudinal ribs only indicated at base. Length, 1-75 mm.* 



This very distinct species is most closely allied to M. porcatus, 

 Payk., and has the same number of raised lines on the elytra, but it 

 is distinctly smaller, broader in proportion, more convex and shining, 

 and differs in many other particulars, especially in the character of 

 the vertical keel on the head. 



* Fowler gives 2 mm. as the length of M. porcatv.s; we agree with Ganglbauer's estimate of 

 2-3 to 2-6 mm. 



