30 [February, 



ON A NEW SPECIES OF LACCOBIUS, Eit., WITH A TABLE OF 

 THE BRITISH SPECIKS OF THE GENUS. 



BY E. A. NEWBEBY. 



Laccobius puepueascens, nov. sp. 

 In bringing forward the above species as new it was my first 

 intention to give a detailed description of the insect on the time- 

 honoured plan ; I had indeed prepared such a description, but as this 

 must of necessity consist mainly of characters common to all the 

 species in the genus, I have come to the conclusion that the better 

 plan will be to show by means of a table the differences of the insect 

 from the other British species, adding thereto some observations which 

 will make it more clear as regards the European members of the 

 genus. 



TABLE OF THE BRITISH SPECIES OF LACCOBIUS, Er. 

 A. — Thorax not alutaceous. 



1. — Size larger ; head without well-marked triangular spot before eyes ; apex 

 of elytra paler than disc, but not bearing two distinct spots. 

 a. — Intermediate femora of $ with a spot of close pubescence on the 

 under-side just beyond the trochanter ; head distinctly alutaceous, 

 except close to base ; form of body short oval, nearly orbicular. 

 b. — Thorax with a blackish submetallic spot on disc, this spot toothed 

 at sides leaving the side margin broadly and conspicuously 

 testaceous, the pale colour being continued triangularly at 

 the base towards scutellum ; insect without coppery-purple 

 reflection ; average size larger, length 3^ to 4 mm.... 



L. nigriceps, Th. 

 bb. — Thorax (and head) almost entirely brown-red, the pale side- 

 margins being narrow, little conspicuous, and only narrowly 

 and linearly continued towards scutellum ; insect with more 

 or less coppery-purple or coppery-green reflection, which is 

 usually well marked ; average size smaller, length 3 to 



3£ mm L. purpurascens, nov. sp. 



aa. — Intermediate femora of $ without spot of close pubescence at base ; 

 head more finely alutaceous, which sculpture usually disappears 

 behind the transverse brace-like carina ; form of body longer 

 oval. Length 3 to 3$ mm.... 



L. sinuatus, Mots. = obscuratus, Rey, oblongus, Gorham. 

 2. — Size smallor ; head with well-marked triangular testaceous spots before 

 eyes ; apex of elytra bearing two distinct pale spots ; intermediate 

 femora as in sinuatus, Mots. Length 2$ mm.... 

 L. biguitatus, Gerh. = bipunctatus, Bedel, and Brit. Cat. {nee F.) 



