Malachiina.] SERRICORNIA. 155 
angles of thorax, and the sides of the first abdominal segment ; the 
abdomen is composed of six distinct ventral segments ; the antenne are 
filiform or moniliform, sometimes slightly serrate, especially at base ; the 
species are in many cases very brightly coloured, and are found on 
herbage and flowers, usually in damp or marshy situations. 
I. Antenne inserted on the front almost between the 
eyes. 
i. Male with the second joint of anterior tarsi not 
produced; sizelarger. . . . . . +. + + + . Matacutvs, F. 
ii. Male with the second joint of anterior tarsi ob- 
liquely produced at apex; size smaller . . . . . AXINOTARSUS, Mots. 
II. Antenne inserted on the sides of front . . . . . ANTHOCOMUS, Er. 
MALACHIUS, Fabricius. 
This genus in its widest sense contains considerably more than a 
hundred species, of which about fifty occur in Europe; the remainder 
are chiefly found in the Mediterranean region, Northern Asia, and North 
America; scarcely any are inhabitants of tropical countries, although 
two or three have been described from Ceylon and South Africa ; four 
species of the genus proper are found in Britain, which may be distin- 
guished as follows :— 
I. Elytra orange-red with a common longitudinal green 
band, reaching from scutellum towards apex . . . M. mNEUS, L. 
II. Elytra green with apex orange-red. 
i. Thorax transverse, green with extreme border of 
anterior angles oftenred . . . . . . + + - M. Bipustuzatus, L. 
ii. Thorax not or scarcely transverse. 
1. Thorax unicolorous green . . - + +» «© « « 
2. Thorax green or blackish-green with yellowish- 
red border at sides . . . - + + + + + + « M. MARGINELLUS, Ol. 
M. virinis, F. 
The formation of the antenn# in the male is, in many cases, very 
extraordinary, and the apex of the elytra in the same sex sometimes 
presents striking modifications ; in fact, owing to these peculiarities, the 
sexes have sometimes been described by older writers as distinct species ; 
the processes of the antennal joints are evidently used by the male for 
holding the antenne of the female during coupling, and answer in some 
sense to the suckers of the male Dytiscide. 
IM. wneus, L. Rather broad, clothed with fine whitish pubescence, 
and besides this with long black outstanding hairs; head and thorax 
bronze-green, the former with the front yellow, the latter with the 
anterior angles orange-red ; antennz rather stout, green with the under- 
side of the first three joints reddish (more plainly so in male than in 
female); head large and broad, thorax transverse, with all the angles 
rounded, smooth and shining, impressed near posterior angles ; scutellum 
transverse ; elytra dull, feebly rugose, orange-red with a long triangular 
common band reaching from base to beyond middle, and sometimes 
almost to apex; under-side bronze-green, epimera of mesothorax 
