1886.] 



178 



Coleopt. du bassin de la Seine, p. 173) Rays, that it lives in sandy and 

 open places, and is often found in numbers in the ground or under 

 stones ; he gives a large number of localities in the Seine district, and 

 says that it occurs in Central Asia as well as in Europe. 



According to M. Bedel (who classes it with Ophonus and not with 

 Harpalus) it belongs to the sub-genus JPseudophonus, Mots., but 

 differs from our other two species of the group {griseus and ruficomis) 

 in having only the two external interstices punctured, and in not being 

 pubescent on the upper surface ; it appears, however, to come nearer 

 to R. cBueus, which also has the external interstices punctured and the 

 upper surface smooth. The following is a detailed description of the 

 insect : — 



Black or pitcliy-black, under-side sometimes pitchy-brown ; antennse and palpi 

 clear red ; thorax much broader than long, with sides feebly rounded in front and 

 very slightly contracted, almost straight, towards base, posterior angles right angles ; 

 the entire base is coarsely and rugosely punctured, and is depressed on each side, 

 but with no evident basal fovese ; elytra rather long, broader in front than base of 

 thorax, with deep impunctate strife, interstices somewhat convex, the space between 

 the 8th stria and the margin densely and finely punctured, besides the usual marginal 

 row of large^pores ; metasternum rather strongly punctured ; legs black or pitchy- 

 black, tarsi clear red. Length, 11 — 13 mm. (5^ — 6^ lin.). 



This species somewhat resembles a large male of H. tenehrosns^ 

 but may at once be distinguished by its larger size, sharp posterior 

 angles of thorax, and the punctuation of the base of the thorax, and 

 also by the clear red antennae. H. tenehrosus appears to be somewhat 

 variable ; I have before me a pair from the same locality, of which the 

 male is much darker and more shining than the female, and larger : 

 the female is duller, with a bluish reflection on the elytra ; the thorax 

 also has the sides rather more rounded in front, and the base smoother ; 

 the stri« of the elytra are less deeply impressed, and the legs less 

 robust ; on the other hand, I have a male (taken by Dr. Power at 

 Brighton, in company with Mr. Dawson) that agrees almost exactly 

 with the female just spoken of. It is probably owing to this variation 

 that a confusion has arisen concerning this species and S. litigiosus. 

 As far as I can make out, this latter has never occurred in England, 

 and must be erased from our lists ; it comes, however, very close to 

 S. tenehrosus, being apparently only distinguished by its larger and 

 more parallel-sided thorax, and by having a row of large punctures at 

 the extremity of the 8th stria of the elytra ; the striae also are very 

 finely punctured. 



OpJionus diffinis, Dej., is sunk by M. Bedel Q. c. p. 170) as 



