December, 1911. J 2G0 



TWO COLEOPTERA NEW TO SCIENCE. 

 I BY NORMAN H. JOY, M.R.C.S., F.E.S. 



Bledius secerdendus, sp. nov. 

 Wlieii re-arrangiug my collection to make room for the new 

 species of Bledius recently descrilied by Dr. Sharp, I took the oppor- 

 tunity to critically examine other members of the genus. I was at 

 once struck by evidently specific distinctions between the so called 

 ' light " and " dark " forms of B. arenarms, Payk. On communica- 

 ting this observation to Dr. Sharp he informed me that he had 

 separated these two forms as far back as 1871, but had never pub- 

 lished any note on them. Mr. P. de la Garde had also a short time 

 ago pointed out the specific differences to him. Under the circum- 

 stances I hesitated to take fui-ther steps in the matter, but Dr. Sharp 

 asked me to do so, and Mr. de la Garde has kindly allowed me to see 

 his long series of both species. It is evident that the original descrip- 

 tion of B. arenarms applies to the form with straw-coloured elytra, 

 and I therefore propose the name B. secerdendus for the species with 

 dark elytra. It may be briefly described thus : — 



Black, with apical border and posterior angles of elytra broadly dirty 

 testaceous ; mandibles long and slender ; first joint of antennae pitchy, witli 

 extreme base and apex testaceous, the other joints obscurely testaceous ; head 

 and thorax dull, alutaceous, moderately strongly punctured, the latter with a 

 deep central line and strongly contracted at base ; elytra broader than thorax, 

 about one-third longer than wide, closely and moderately strongly punctured ; 

 hind body shining, finely ahitaceous and obsoletely punctured ; femora pitchy, 

 tibiae pitchy-testaceous, tarsi testaceous. Long., 3'5 mm. 



B. sece Jendus differs from B. arenarins in the following charac- 

 ters : — It is larger and stouter ; the antenntB are slightly darker ; the 

 head and thorax are more strongly punctured and alutaceous ; the 

 thorax has a deeper central line, and the sides are more abruptly con- 

 tracted at the base, the basal portion being longer and the posterior 

 angles more prominent ; the elytra are darker and more strongly 

 punctured ; the prominences at the outer angles of the last dorsal 

 segment of the hind body are blunter ; the tibiae are slightly more 

 dilated, and the spines longer. 



The B. arenarius, v. suhnicjer, of Schneider (from the Island of 

 Borkum), is considered by its describer as nothing more than a mon- 

 strosity. Mr. de la Garde's specimens of B. secerdendus were taken 

 at Dovercourt and Dawlish, and I have captured it at Tresco, Scilly 

 Isles, and Cloghane, Co. Kerry. 



