I9u8.] 225 



CALODERA PROTENSA, Mann : A BRITISH INSECT. 



BY O. •'• CHAMPION, F.Z.S 



Two species are confused in ray collection under the name 

 Calodera nigrita, Mmn. One of them is the true C. nigrita, from 

 the London district (the insect found in plenty by Dr. Power in the 

 Hammersmith marshes), and which also occurs at Reigaie, Woking, 

 Iwade (Kent). Colchester, &c. ; the other, found by Mr. B. Harwood 

 at Colchester, is referable to C. protensa, Mann, (humilis, Br.). This 

 addition lo our list is thus characterized by Mulsant and Key (Brevi- 

 pennes, se t. Aleocharaires, p. 536) : — 



Elongate, subdepressed, very finely and very densely punctured, finely pube- 

 scent, subopaque, black, the mouth, the base of the antennas, the knees, and tarsi 

 rufo-testaceous. Antenna with joint 3 shorter than 2, 7 — 10 moderately trans- 

 verse. Prothorax subquadrate, slightly narrowed behind, not quite so wide as the 

 elytra, obsoletely canaliculate down the middle. Elytra subquadrate, depressed, 

 scarcely longer than the prothorax. Hind body subparallel, very finely and very 

 densely punctate throughout. 



S . Sixth dorsal segment obtusely or subsinuously truncated at its apical 



border; sixth ventral segment obtusely angulated at the apex. 



Length 11, breadth -\ lin. 



C. protensa differs from G nigrita (the only other European 

 species of the genus with a grooved prothorax) in its smaller size, 

 the shorter antenna, with joints 5 — 10 more transverse and 4 rela- 

 tively smaller, and, more particularly, by the much more densely 

 punctured, duller hind body, with the basal depressions of segments 

 1_4 fi ne ly punctate (instead of rugose as in 0. nigrita). It is found 

 somewhat rarely on river banks in France and Germany. Mr. Har- 

 wood's examples were captured near Colchester, in an osier bed, in 

 the spring of 1900, a locality where he has also taken G nigrita (in 

 1SSS), C. riparia, and C. cethiops. 



There are still two other European species of the genus that 

 may yet be found in Britain : C. ulir/inosa, Er., an insect of the 

 same size as G. nigrita, but with the prothorax simply foveate at the 

 base, &c. ; and G. rufescens, Kr., this latter being closely related to 

 G. riparia, but having the hind body more densely punctured, &c. 

 Reddish varieties of nearly all the species of Calodera (and of 

 Ityocara rubens, Er., and Amarochara umbrosa, Er., also) are to be met 

 with, and in some specimens of G. nigrita, G protensa, and G. cethiops 

 the femora and tibia? are very little darker than the tarsi. 



Horsell : August 'i\st, 1908. 



