Lampyris. | SERRICORNIA. 131 
met with it in many districts (Knowle, Bewdley, Sherwood, Cannock Chase, &e.) ; in 
the extreme northern counties it is apparently not uncommon, but local ; Scotland, 
local, Solway, Tweed, Clyde, Forth, and Tay districts; Ireland, near Castleknock, 
Dundrum, &e. ; probably found in many districts, but not recorded. 
In the Catalogue of the Coleoptera of Swansea and neighbourhood, 
Mr. Dillwyn (p. 34) gives the following note on this insect :—‘ Not 
uncommon on dry hedge banks; but the light is not so brilliant as it is 
in chalky soils, nor have I here observed the small light in the males, 
which is always sufficiently obvious about Dover.” 
Mr. Dale (History of Glanvilles Wootton, p. 97) says that in some 
autumns the males fly into the house in great numbers, and that the 
female is sometimes met with in winter time amongst rubbish. 
PHOSPHENUS, Laporte. 
This genus is distinguished by the very short elytra of the male 
and the long antenne, and also by having the prothoracie stigma 
hidden; the eyes are of moderate size ; one species only appears to be 
known, which is somewhat widely distributed in Europe, but has only 
been found in Britain at Lewes and Hastings ; it was thought possible 
that a colony might have been imported and then established itself at 
Lewes, but the record from Hastings makes this less probable. 
P. hemipterus, Geoff. Fuscous-black or fuseous, clothed with 
sparing greyish pubescence ; the two last segments of the body (whence 
the light proceeds) are obscurely whitish, especially beneath ; head 
small with eyes moderately large, usually covered by thorax; antennx 
fuscous, long and stout ; thorax rather long, rounded in front, uneven, 
somewhat coarsely punctured ; elytra very short, dull, finely sculptured, 
strongly dehiscent ; abdomen somewhat widened behind, penultimate 
joint emarginate in a semicircle, broader than last joint, posterior angles 
of segments marked, upper surface rugosely sculptured ; legs stout, 
fuscous, rather short, with short and stout tarsi. L. 51-7 mm. 
In the female there are no wings or elytra; the antenne are shorter 
with narrower joints, and the thorax is shorter and broader; this sex 
appears always to be extremely rare. 
The male has been taken in some numbers at Lewes by Miss Hopley, 
Mr. Morris, and others, crawling on and about walls ; I am not aware 
whether the female has occurred in the locality; Mr. Butler has also 
recorded the species very rarely from Hastings; the insect has the 
power of counterfeiting death if disturbed; the larva much resembles 
those of the other Lampyride; it is about 8 mm. long, narrowed in 
front and behind, black and somewhat shining, with the greater part of 
the under-side whitish, especially at sides; it appears to be carnivorous 
like the larva of Lampyris. 
Tee 
