80 



E. lythropterus, Germ. Of this species I have collected 

 a large number of specimens in old Beech and Fir stumps 

 from various localities here in Denmark and find that occa- 

 sionally the species has entirely black hair, for which 1 

 propose the varietal name of atro-pilosus. Tbis variety 

 closely resembles E. sanguineus, L. and E. dibaphus, Schiö. 

 but can easily be separated from the former by the absence 

 of the central channel on the thorax and from the latter 

 by the narrow elongate third joint of the antennae. 



E. praeustus, Fabr. This species closely resembles small 

 forms of E. pomorum, Hbst. and average sized forms of E. 

 pomonae, Steph.\ from the former it may be distinguished by 

 the colour of the elytra which are red and dull, whilst in 

 E. pomorum the colour is always brownish and shiny, 

 caused by the much finer and less close punctuation and 

 from the latter it may be distinguished by the duller 

 and darker coloration of the elytra, more dense punctuation 

 and the stronger black marking at the apex, in which respect 

 it somewhat resembles E. elongatvlus, Fabr., but cannot be 

 confounded with that species on account of its larger and 

 broader proportions and the fact that E elongatulus is always 

 yellow brown. 



In most of the works that give tables for naming the 

 species of the genus Elater, one of the chief characters for 

 distinction is given in the coloration of the hair on the 

 thorax and elytra. From personal observations I find this a 

 very unreliable one (vide remarks on E. iythropterus ) as the 

 species have a great tendency to vary in that respect. I 

 have before me four specimens of E. cardinalis from the 

 neighbourhood of Copenhagen, in which three are normally black 

 haired whilst the fourth has bright golden hair on the elytra. 



