October, 1909.] 217 



LACCOBIUS SCUTELLAEIS, Motsch., IN ENGLAND. 

 BT DAVID SHARP, M.A., F.E.S. 



Many years ago Mr. G. C. Champion sent me a specimen of the 

 genus Lnccohius captured by him at Chobham.* I was then unable to 

 determine it, and it has remained unique till a few weeks since, when 

 I found an exactly similar example at Brockenhurst. 



The valuable works that have been recently published on Rtjdro- 

 philidse bv Ganglbauer and others enable me now to give the above 

 name to the species. 



L. scutellaris is most nearly allied to the insect called sinuafus, 

 Motsch., by Ganglbauer, but it is much darker in colour than that 

 species, or than any other Laccohius found in England. It has the 

 serial punctuation of the el\ tra coarser and more regular, and the 

 thoracic punctures more numerous. The dark colour of the thorax is 

 more extensive, and there is no pale mark on the side of the head ; 

 the hind and middle femora are black instead of blackish ; and the lines 

 of black spots on the elytra are nearly confluent on the disc. The 

 colour and sculpture enable it to be readily distinguished, but I may 

 add that the species is also abundantly distinct structurally. It is 

 said to be very variable on the Continent, but the few English speci- 

 mens I have seen are extremely constant. 



L. scutellaris occurs here in company with L. nigriceps and 

 sinuafus, but at present it is extremely rare. 



The synonymy of the species of Lnccohius may give rise to inter- 

 minable discussions. I reproduce the description of Motschoulsky 

 belov?, and will merely add that the insect under consideration is the 

 ohscurus (or ohscuratus) of Rottenburg, and the regularis of Rey. 



" Laccobius scutellaris, Motsch., dii double plus grand et de la meme 

 couleur que le Laccobius minutus, avec lequel on confond generalement 

 plusieurs esperes, mais marque de lignes noires, sur les elytres, plus egales et 

 plus fines. Ponctuation du corselet plus forte et plus epaisse. On n'y voit 

 de taches itoires sur les elytres, que pres des angles humeraux et vers 

 Vextremite. Anatolie." — Etudes Ent., iv, 1855, p. 84. 



It is my opinion that this description was not drawn from our 

 insect, although Kuwert and Ganglbauer apply the name thereto. 



Brockenhurst : 



September Uth, 1909. 



* Found on September 22nd, 1878.— G. 0. C. 



