iiOMOcinus. 285 



H. tarsatorius is an abuudant species throughout the Palicarctic 

 region, and may be found in woods and niarslies throughout the 

 spring in Britain, as well as upon umbelliferous flowers in the 

 autumn. It is said to have been bred from such diverse hosts as 

 the larva of the Dipterous Sijrj^lms balteatv.s, L., the Tineid moth 

 Depressaria anr/eUdla, and a species of Ladybird (CoccineJla), Init 

 the two latter records are in all probability erroneous. 



202. Hoinocidus ornatus, Grar. 



Bassus deplanatus, Gravenhorst, Iclm. Eur. iii, IS'^y p .'UO' 



(excl. J). 

 £assus omatus, Gravenliorst, op. cit. p. o41 ; Brischke, Scbr. Nat 



Ges. Danz. 1878, p. 113 ( c? ). 

 BassKsfnmutor, Desvigues, Trans. Ent. See. l.oud. 18(J'^, p '^18 



Hojnoporus ornatus, Thomson, Opusc. Ent. xiv, 1890, p. 150.") • 

 Morley, Trans. Eut. Soc. Lond. 1905, p. 427 ( d' $ ). ' " ' 



Var. Bassus dcp/anatu,'!, Holmgren, 8v. Ak. Handl. 1855, p. 3(52. 



A dull and coarsely punctate black species ; legs red, with the 

 hind tarsi and nearly the whole of tlieir fcibise, except tlie wliite 

 extreme base, black ; scutellum transversely white apicallv ; 

 mouth and clypeus pale, Hagelluni rufescent beneath : petiolar 

 carinpe parallel. 



At once known from all its allies, except //. deplanatus, by the 

 distinct areolet, rugulose basal segments t)f the immaculate abdo- 

 men, dull black hind tibia?, of which the extreme base and inner 

 side basally only are pure wliite, and by the petiolar carinje 

 extending to its apex. The head is as broad as the thorax, con- 

 strictetl posteriorly ; clypeus, mandibles and mouth pale, or in S 

 with the whole face also flavoiis ; antennae quite filiform, with 

 the flagellum distinctly rufescent beneath ; metathorax subru^ose, 

 with the basal and petiolar areae more or less distinctly indicated, 

 though never entire ; wings with the areolet complete, small and 

 subpetiolate ; abdomen deplanate and apically obtuse ; basal seg- 

 ment with two strong and parallel carina) to apex of the quadrate 

 postpetiole, the second transverse and coarsely striolate with 

 distinct thyridii ; legs stout and red. The S also has mesonotal 

 humeral markings, a mesosternal lunula, the anterior coxa? and 

 ventral plica, pale. 



Length 5-7 millim. 



Punjab : Kangra Valley, 4500 ft , x. 99 {G. C. Dudgeon). 



Type in the Breslau Museuir. 



This is a not very connnon species throughout Northern and 

 Centi-al Europe ; in Britain 1 have only found it on the sea-shore, 

 though it is recorded from several inland localities. It is said to 

 prey upon species of SgrpJius, and has been, almost certainly 

 erroneously, thought to prey upon the moth, Scotogramnta trifoln 

 by Boie. A sinule example, differing in no way from the westeru 

 form, is in the British Museum, from the Kangra Yallev. 



