274 [December, 



NOTES ON THE BRITISH SPECIES OF LONGITARSUS, Late. 

 (A GENUS OF COLEOPTERA). 



BY J. R. LE B. TOMLIV, M.A., F.E.S., AND W. E. SHARP, F.E.S. 



(Continued from p. 248). 



L. /u"fyt'r,Koch, lias had, since 1864 (Eut. Annual, p. 82) and Crotch's 

 first catalogue, a place in our lists. Its occurrence in this country, 

 however, certainly requires confirination (see Fowler's Brit. Col. IV, 

 339), such specimens as we have been able to examine, standing over 

 that name in various collections, being a large black form of L. luridus, 

 Scop. The L. niijer of Koch is a very different insect, elongate and 

 distinctly acuminate, with testaceoiis-red unicolorous legs, and resembles 

 closely a very large L. anchnsie. 



Sect. II. — Species black, with distinct testaceous or reddish marking-s. 



1. Elytra with apex distinctly reddish-yellow L. holsaticus, L. 



2. Elytra (in normal form) with iowv reddish-yellow spots — two at apex, one 



on each shoulder L. quadriguttatus, Pont. 



3. Elytra with a distinct reddish-yellow mai'oj'inal band L. dorsalis, F. 



Their characteristic coloration and comparative invariability render 



the members of this group probably the most easily recognized in the 

 genus. 



L. HOLSATICUS, L. [Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 1758, p. 373] ; Fab. [Ent. 

 Syst. I, 2, p. 33. 101]. 



Oval, rather short, shining, black, witli a large and distinct testaceous spot 

 at apex of elytra. Antennae stout and rather long, first three joints yellow, 

 remainder black. Thorax transverse, convex, distinctly margined, very vari- 

 able in punctuation, sometimes alutaceous with punctiuvs scattered and few in 

 number or almost obsolete, sometimes deeply and closely punctured with 

 smooth interspaces. Elytra: pimctuation confused, very coarse and distinct, 

 showing but little variation ; apical angles slightly rounded. Legs : fuscous, 

 lighter or darker, posterior femora and usually posterior tibias also black. 

 Underside black. Winged. 



Food plant. — Pedicularis palustrls (Bedel and Weise). 



Locally common on lousewort, near Carlisle (F. H. Day). Foudras 

 gives Equisetum as the food plant of this species, but Bedel, com- 

 menting, says that this author may have confused the insect with 

 Hipjmriphila modeeri. 



Range. — General throughout Great Britain and Ireland. 



No British varietal form is known, although the size and intensity 

 of the apical spot varies considerably. 



