[April, 



HELOPHORUS PORCULUS, Bedel, AN ADDITION TO THE BRITISH 

 LIST OF COLEOPTERA. 



I3T E. A. NEWBERY. 



In the course of an interesting correspondence with Capt. Sainte 

 Claire Deville, with a view to the revision of the British Palpicornia, 

 he suggested that the above named species most probably occurred in 

 Britain, as he had taken it in Jersey, and it was recorded from 

 Scotland by M. Javet (Bedel, Fn. Seine, i, 322*). Upon investigation 

 I find this suggestion to be correct, most of the specimens standing 

 as H. rugosus in the Power collection prove to be H. porculus, Bedel. 

 It appears to be widely distributed in Britain, the labels being 

 " Balmuto, Moss Morran, Cowley and Esher," and there is a specimen 

 from Me r ton, Surrey, in my own collection. 



The insect may be distinguished readily from the other two 

 British species of the subgenus JSmpleurus, Hope, by the following 

 table : — 



A. Side9 of the elytra sinuate near base with humeral angle turned outwards, form- 

 ing a distinct tooth ; central costre of thorax much interrupted ; size 



large. Length, 4%-5k mm H. rugosus, Ol. (rujipes, Bedel). 



AA. Sides of the elytra not sinuate near base, humeral angle rounded. 



a. Size larger (length, 4^ mm.). Central dorsal costse of thorax somewhat 

 irregular ; 2nd joint of maxillary palpi slender and elongate... 



H. porculus, Bedel. 

 aa. Size smaller (length, 3-4 mm.). Central dorsal costse of thorax regular; 

 2nd joint of maxillary palpi much shorter... 



H. nubilits, Fab. (costatus, Goeze). 



The original description of H. porculus will be found in Bedel's 

 Faune Seine, i, 298. The smaller and narrower form of H. nubilus 

 will at once separate it from both of its allies. H . porculus is re- 

 markable in having longer and more slender maxillary palpi than in 

 either of the other species, while the marginal gutter of the elytra is 

 less developed than that of H. ruqostis. 



12, Churchill Road, Dartmouth Park, N.W. : 

 March 7 th, 1908. 



* The Scottish record of this insect was noted by me in Trans. Ent. Soc Lond., 1905, p. 4J. 

 To the localities given for H. porculus by Mr. Newbery I may add Walton-on the-Naze, Essex, 

 where I have taken it in abundance.— 0. C. C. 



