142 



LNovombci 



i 



THE NITIDULID^ OF aHEAT BRITAIN. 



BY KEY. W. W. rOWLEE, M.A., F.L.S. 

 (^Continued from page 98.) 



MiCETJETJLA, Reitter. 

 M. melanocephala, Er. — Thorax without separate side border, which gives the 

 insect the appearance of a MeUgetlies rather than an Epurcea ; its entirely different 

 contour and certain differences in its month organs, especially the mandibles, seem 

 to justify its separation as a distinct genus. The elytra are testaceous, thorax dark, 

 antennae and legs reddish ; thorax gradually contracted from base to apex, much 

 nan'ower in front than behind, base as wide as base of elytra ; punctuation fine and 

 close ; last joint of antennae as broad as preceding ; legs rather short and strong. 



Length, I5 lin. 



The colour of this species is variable ; some specimens are entirely 

 testaceous : this rather common variety is the Nitidula affinis, of 

 Stephens; a much rarer variety, the N.fusca,oi Heer, is entirely 

 black or fuscous ; of this I have only seen two specimens, which are 

 in Mr. Wilkinson's collection, now in the possession of Mr. Mason. 



This is rather a common species, and occurs on flowers. Shiere, 

 Mickleham, Caterham, Amberley, St. Mary Cray, Purley Down, 

 Gumley, Birch Wood, Torres ; I have beaten it from wild cherry 

 blossom in early spring, at Foremark, near E-epton. 



Omosiphoea, Reitter. 



0. limbata, Er. — Distinguished from Epurcea by its long legs, the posterior of 

 which are somewhat widely separated, and by its different contour. Oval, convex ; 

 thorax twice as broad as long, contracted at base, dilated in middle, as broad as 

 elytra, with strong, broad border ; testaceous or rufo-testaceous, with apical half of 

 elytra and thorax (all but margins) dark ; antennae rather long, with last joint 

 slightly narrower than the penultimate ; punctuation rather strong. 



Sometimes plentiful in fungi, but very local ; Dartford, Walton- d 

 on-Thames, Shiere, Horsell, Burnham Beeches, Nocton, Eepton, &c. 

 I once beat a specimen from an old cabbage stump, which had been i| 

 pulled up and left to decay. Erichson says it is taken at sap, and m 

 also under fallen leaves in sunny places in early spring. ' 



Some of the distinctions above given for the different species of 16 

 EpurcBtt and its allies are very slight, and are often mere matters of jj 

 comparison ; in dealing, however, with the genus, it is impossible in I 

 many cases to give very plain and tangible descriptions ; the only way i 

 to obtain a knowledge of the species is by a careful comparison with 

 types, as was said above ; unfortunately, the rarer species are very 

 difficult to procure as British, but foreign types are easily obtaina-ble, 

 and any one who wishes to work the g(uius would do well to furnish 



