1914.] ]Q5 



ON ANCHOMENUS ATBATUS, Panz., AND A. DAHLI, Bobre. 

 BY E. A. NEWBEET. 



In the year 1879, M. Preudhomme de Borre, in a valuable treatise 

 on the Anchomenini (Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. 1879, 55), defined an 

 Anchomenus, as at least a good variety, under the name of var. dahli. 

 This insect had been mentioned before by other authors ; it is the 

 atratus of Fairmaire and Laboulbene (Fn. France, i. 76) and the 

 pusillus of Schaum, but this name is preoccupied in the genus and 

 cannot stand. Modern authors consider A. dahli to be a good species. 

 Eeitter (Fauna Germanica, I, 141) separates the two thus : — 



Thorax broader than long, strongly contracted behind ; elytra somewhat 

 short oval, flatly arched. Length 7-8 mm. (A. niger, Dej., atratus, Fairm., 

 pusillus, Schaum).— Indigenous in the west and south of Europe, and probably 

 also in West Germany, but hitherto mistaken for, or confused with, atratus 



...dahli, Borre. 



Thorax narrow, as long as, or a little longer than, broad, not strongly con- 

 tracted behind, with the hind angles scarcely indicated ; elytra long oval. 

 Larger, more slender species, easily distinguished by its long narrow thorax. 

 Length 8-9.5 mm. (A. lucidus. Fairm., laterale, Redt., menetriesi, Fald.) — In 

 the south part of middle Europe, in salt marshes. Not yet recorded with 

 certainty from Germany, but probably indigenous in Bavaria . . . atratus, Duf t. 



I have omitted in the above table certain characters given by 

 Eeitter which are common to both species. Ganglbauer states that 

 the short longitudinal impression near the apex of the fifth elytral stria, 

 which is present in atratus, is wanting in dahli. I do not find this 

 character constant, and it is probably for this reason that Beitter does 

 not mention it. Ganglbauer and some other authors say that the 

 elytral striae in dahli are stronger than those of atratus. Judging by 

 a specimen of the latter sent me by Capt. Deville, which agrees well 

 with the characters given in the above table, I find the reverse to be 

 the case ; the interstices are also more raised and the body more shining. 



As regards the geographical distribution, M. de Borre attributes 

 A. dahli to England and France. It is also found in Italy, and 

 probably the atratus of the more northern regions should be referred 

 to this species. A. atratus appears to be a Mediterranean species which 

 has not yet been found in England, nor does it appear very probable 

 that it will be. It occurs in the south of France, Italy, Sicily, Greece, 

 Spain, Portugal, and Morocco (Tangier). The localities given by 

 Fowler (Col. Brit. Vol. I, 91) must be considered as applying to dahli. 

 A specimen taken in Cumberland by Mr. Day is quite typical, but the 



