134 SERRICORNIA. [Ancistronycha. 
ANCISTRONYCHA, Maerkel. 
This genus may be known from Telephorus by the structure of the 
tarsal claws, both of which are armed in the male with a small tooth, 
and in the female with a spiniform tooth at base; it contains seven 
European species, of which one is found in Britain ; it is a large and fine 
insect with deep blue elytra and red thorax, and oceurs rarely in hilly 
and mountainous districts. 
A. abdominalis, F. (cyancus, Curt.; tricolor, Steph.}. A large and 
conspicuous species ; head black with front reddish-testaceous, vertex 
finely but distinctly punctured, eyes moderately prominent, antenne 
long, black, with the first or first two joints testaceous, at all events 
beneath, with third joint twice as long as second in the female and 
about three times as long as second in male; thorax reddish-yellow, 
with the front part more or less dark ; elytra of a bright eyaneous colour, 
rugosely punctured; abdomen testaceous; legs long, black. L. 10- 
14 mm. 
Male smaller and narrower than female, with the second joint of the 
antenne shorter and the thorax longer, and with sides straighter and less 
rounded. 
By beating trees; confined to mountainous and hilly districts, and always rare; 
Llangollen (Reston); Marple, Cheshire, and Miller’s Dale, Derbyshire (Chappell) ; 
Midgley Moor, Halifax ; Teesdale (Harris and Blatch) ; Cumberland ; Northumberland 
and Durham district ; Scotland, Solway, Tweed, Forth, Tay, and Moray districts. 
TELEPHORWUS, Schaeffer. (Cantharis, L.) 
This genus, in its widest sense, contains between three and four 
hundred species, which are widely distributed over the surface of the 
world ; comparatively few, however, occur in tropical countries * ; 
about one hundred and thirty species are found in Europe ; of these 
sixty-nine belong to Yelephorus proper, and the remainder must be 
referred to Rhagonycha.and Ancistronycha; from the latter of these 
genera the genus Telephorus is distinguished by having only the ex- 
terior tarsal claw toothed at base, and from the former by not having the 
tarsal claws apparently bifid. 
The Telephori are rather large and conspicuous insects, and many of 
the species are very common during the spring and summer on Umbelli- 
fere and flowering plants and shrubs generally ; they fly rather slowly 
and heavily; their jaws are sharp and powerful, and they are very 
voracious ; Professor Westwood says that the females do not even spare 
* Mr. Gorham informs me that species apparently not separable from Telephorus 
proper are found not only in the Palearctic Zone, but in the tropical and south 
temperate regions of the whole world; the most brilliant species occur in India and 
China; there is, however, no doubt that many new genera must be formed. 
