18S5. J 69 



THE NITIDULIDM OF OREAT BRITAIN. 



BY RET. W. W. FOWLEE, M.A., E.L.S. 



{Continued from p. 36). 



I. Forehead emarginate ; male with anterior tarsi not strongly 

 dilated. 

 of. Male with a small transverse keel on the last abdominal 

 segment. 

 M. erythropus, Gryll. (carinulatus, Forster). — A small species, variable in size ; 

 rather long oval, leaden-black ; punctuation thick and fine ; pubescence grey, fine 

 and rather dense ; antennae brown-red, sometimes rather dark, sometimes quite 

 light ; upper surface with distinct cross reticulation between punctures ; forehead 

 emarginate ; anterior tibiae armed with two short prominent teeth separated by 

 smaller teeth. Length, | — | lin. 



Local ; according to M. Brisoiit it occurs on Papilionacece. I 

 have taken it in abundance in Langworth Wood, near Lincolu, on 

 JPotentilla Tormentilla, and sparingly on strawberry flowers in my 

 garden ; Eepton, St. Leonard's, Hastings, Shiere, Gruildford, Highgate^ 

 I Darenth, Chatham, Shirley, Mickleham, Chat Moss ; Eastry and Bear- 

 stead (Kent) on Seliantliemum vulgare, Mr. Gorham ; Castle Mill, 

 near Manchester, on Galeohdolon htteum, Mr. Chappell ; In stow (N. 

 Devon), &c. 



This species is very often confused wdth the preceding, but may 

 be easily distinguished by its smaller and more oval form, emarginate 

 forehead, lighter antennae, and the keel on the abdominal segment of 

 male ; it is variable both as regards size and shape. Among the late 

 Mr. Eye's and Dr. Powder's series are some remarkably small speci- 

 mens, the smallest examples of the genus that I have yet seen ; the 

 shape of the thorax also varies, the sides in some specimens being 

 much more dilated and rounded than in others. 



j8. Male with a very strong transverse keel on the last ab- 

 dominal segment, divided by a broad semicircular 

 excision into two divisions, each ending in a strong 

 sharp tooth. 

 M. hidentatus, Bris.— Oval, rather broad and convex ; leaden-black, with ashy 

 pubescence ; legs blackish, with anterior tibiae ferruginous ; anterior tibiae with two 

 short prominent teeth separated by two or more smaller teeth ; very like M. eryth- 

 ropus,h\xt separated by its broader and more convex form, rather closer punctuation, 



thicker tibiee, and the denticulation of the last abdominal segment of male. 



Length, |— 1 Im. 



This species was introduced as British on two specimens in Mr. 



Crotch's collection ; these I have not seen, and cannot say whether 



either of them was a male : the other two British specimens I have 



before me, one taken by the late Mr. Eye, and the other at Caterham 



by Mr. Champion ; both of these are females, and there is exceedingly 



