86 f^i"-''' 



P. rupcstris Fabr. 

 The male* shows mucli variation, the $ is nearly constant. 



6 6- 



1 (2) Black, except the r"d tail. (In transitionnl specimens there mny He 



more or less sordi'l, paler hairs in tlie lateral tiiits of the h isal 

 sefjment and some indiccation of pale thoracic bnnds) 



. . . . var. (I. 



2 (1) Abdomen with at least some ])ale pubescent areas, evi(bMit to the naked 



eye, in front of the red tail. 



3 (6) Third abdominal seg'ment not entirely covered with pale liairs. but at 



least with a dark-haired basal bnnd. 



4 (o) Second segment with pale lateral spois or a distinctly broken bnnd 



. . . .var. /3. {alhliijlla K.). 



5 (4) Second segment witli an entire band var. y. 



<• (3) Third segment entirely ]ialH-l)aired, the hair.i sometimes red and 

 concolorous witli those of tht- folowinij- segments. 



7 (S) Second segment dark-haired ba>aliy, at lea.^^t towards the sides 



var. 8. 



8 (7j Second segment witliont dark l.'airs, tlie whole npjier aspect of the 



abdomen being witliont these. (()ften the red tail shades off into 

 reddish yellow on tlie basal segments, or to nearly white on tlie 

 basal segment itself. The pale hairs of the thora.v are sometimes 

 whitish, sometimes reddish) var. f. 



?$• 



1 ('!) Thor.tx in front with an evident, though generally not very conspicuous 



pale band, and the scutellar region sometimes with more ])ale liairs 



. . . .var. art'naria (Paiiz.) Sm. 



2 (1) Thorax entirely black typical form. 



The variety arenaria of the 5 is rare ; specimens were taken at 

 Norwich by Bridgman, as recorded by Smith. In Devon it is very rare. 

 The var. e of the J in the colour of its pubescence quite resembles 

 British examples of the same sex of Bomhus pomorum Panz., and the 

 latter might be overlooked for that reason. F. Smith, when he captured 

 his males of pomoriim in August 1857, considered them to be a variety 

 of this Psitliyrus. In " Ent. Ann." 1858, p. 45, he remarks: "We 

 quoted, with a doubt, the Bremus poinorum of Panzer as one of the 

 varieties of this insect ; all doubt is now removed as we captured three 

 fine fresh specimens of the highly-coloured variety at Kingsdown." 

 After a description of these as var. pomorum, he continues: " The capture 

 of this very beautiful variety is a great acquisition. We have only seen 

 a single example before, we think in the collection of Mr. Curtis, who 

 has collected a good deal at Dover." 



* An entirely black (J from ColclitEter is recorded by Bladen. 



