64 HETEROMERA [ Pyrochroa. 
Female with the antenne not strongly pectinate, subserrate, the fore- 
head with ashallow furrowed depression, and the fifth ventral seg nent of 
the abdomen rounded at apex. 
Under bark of decaying oak, &c., where it may be found in all its stages; occa- 
sionally found on grass stems; very local, but has occasionally been found in num- 
bers where it occurs; Darenth and Birch Woods; Epping Forest; New Forest; 
Llangollen. 
P. serraticornis, Scop. (rubens, Schall. ; purpurata, Mill. ; satrapa, 
Schrank.). Not so large as the preceding, which it strongly resembles 
in general appearance ; it may, however, be at once known by its red 
head ; the head is more strongly impressed in the male than in the female ; 
the thorax is transverse, oval, or with the anterior angles slightly marked ; 
the elytra are much as in the preceding species; the antenne are not 
pectinate, but strongly serrate in the male and subserrate in the female. 
L, 9-12 mm. 
On flowers, grass stems, &c.; its earlier stages are passed in rotten wood of oak, 
beech, willow, &c. ; often on pathways in summer; generally distributed and com- 
mon from the midland counties southwards, and sometimes very abundant; less com- 
mou further north ; not recorded from Scotland, and I have had as yet no record of 
its occurrence in Ireland, but it almost certainly occurs. 
P. pectinicornis, L. Considerably smaller than either of the pre- 
ceding ; head black with the labrum and mandibles reddish-brown, and 
sometimes the middle of the forehead of the same colour; thorax and 
elytra reddish-testaceous, clothed with unicolorous silky pubescence, the 
former with a central black patch of greater or lesser extent; head un- 
even; thorax transverse, strongly narrowed and sinuate before posterior 
angles, finely and closely punctured ; scutellum dark ; elytra somewhat 
dilated behind, very closely punctured, with distinct traces of raised lines; 
antenne and legs black. LL. 7-8 mm. 
Male with the antenne flabellate and the fifth ventral segment of the 
abdomen slightly emarginate at apex, the sixth being conspicuous; the 
vertex of the head also is deeply foveolate on each side. 
Female with the antenne pectinate, the vertex of head even, and the 
sixth ventral segment of the abdomen not conspicuous. 
In birch stumps; very local; only found in Scotland, Highlands, Dee and Moray 
districts, Braemar, &c. 
SCRAPTIIDZ. 
The position of the genus Scraptia has been much disputed ; by the 
shape of the head and thorax, and in fact by its general appearance it 
seems to be naturally related to the Mordellida, but a considerable num- 
ber of authors have classed it with the Melandryide ; Gyllenhal placed 
the single species known in his time under the Serropalpide, as belong- 
ing to the tribe Direea. Dr, Horn and Dr. Leconte regard the genus 
as forming a family Scraptiina of Melandryide, and Stephens places it in 
