290 [October, 



BRACHTARTHRUM LIMITATUM Fieb.: 



A CAPSID NEW TO THE BRITISH LIST. 



BY E. A. HUTLER, B.A., aSc, F.E.S. 



On July 2nd, 1904, a single specimen of a Capsid, unknown to the 

 British List, was taken by Mr. Claude Morley, in Cutler's Wood, at 

 Freston, Suffolk (see Morley's " Hemiptera of Suffolk," Introd., p. x). 

 No other specimens were then met with, and it has remained, until 

 recently, unique and unidentified. But on July 3rd, this year, I found 

 the same species in some numbers on aspen trees in Epping Forest. 

 This larger supply has enabled me to identify the insect as Brachyarthrum 

 Ivmitatum Fieb. 



Brachyarthruin, a genus erected by Fieber, is closely allied to 

 Phylus, of which, in fact , it is by some authors considered a sub-genus. 

 It differs from Phylus chiefly in the much stouter antennae, and in 

 the fact that the sexes are somewhat dissimilar in both shape and 

 coloration. Only one species is now contained in the genus, although 

 Fieber originally included in it the insect now known as Plesiodema 

 pinetelhim. 



B. Jimitahim Fieb. 



Rather long, parallel-sided, slightly shiny, and closely covered with a pale 

 pubescence. Male -. head black, pronotuni brownish-black with anterior margin 

 nari'owly yellowish ; hemi-elytra blackish-brown, with base of cuneus yellowish 

 and membrane fumose ; wings funiose ; antennae black with 4th joint brownish, 

 1st and 2nd joints stout, 3rd less so, 4th slender, 2nd joint longer than 3rd and 

 4th together, 4th much shorter than 3rd ; legs orange-yellow, tibiae black-spined 

 and f uscpscent at apex, tarsi fuscous, anterior margin of hind-femora f viscescent ; 

 body black, segmental margins of abdomen ochraceous. 



Female -. shorter than male, and with rather shorter membrane and antennae ; 

 head black ; pronotum and hemi-elytra brownish-ochraceous, cuneus clear 

 orange-yellow, scutellum more or less fuscescent, membrane fumose ; wings, 

 legs, antennae, and body as in (J, save that the antennae are more slender 

 throughout. Length, <? 5 mm., ? 4j mm. 



Scarcely anything seems to have been known thus far as to the 

 habits of this Capsid. Eeuter found it on Spiraea saUcifolia, and 

 Morley's specimen was taken on Digitalis pvrjnireM. As above stated, 

 my specimens occurred on aspen trees, on which their numbers and 

 general distribution seemed to show that they were " at home" ; such 

 a habitat is more in accord with what might be expected, for its near 

 allies in the genera Phylus and Plesiodema are all arboreal in habits. 

 It was accompanied by great numbers of Orthotylns hilineaUis, a well- 



