Hy pera. | RHYNCHOPHORA. 233 
Male with the antenne inserted a little behind the middle of rostrum, 
the anterior tibiz rather strongly curved and the abdomen impressed at 
base ; in the female the rostrum is longer and the antennez are inserted 
at about middle ; the anterior tibiz are only slightly curved. 
On various Umbellifere; the larva has been observed in France on Helosciadium 
nodiflorum and Crithmum maritimum ; the species is often found at the roots and 
by sweeping in marshy places; Jocal, but not uncommon where it occurs; Barnes, 
Shirley, Forest Hill, Northfleet, Higham, Dulwich, Notting dill, Hammersmith 
Marshes, Esher, Cowley, Merton, &c.; formerly common in Battersea Fields, near 
Battersea Park (S. Stevens) ; Aylsham, Norfolk ; Pegwell Bay; Dover; Sandwich ; 
Portsmouth district ; Glanvilles Wootton ; Exeter; Lee Valley, N. Devon (Power) ; 
Swansea ; Scarborough; Heysham, near Lancaster; not recorded from Scotland; 
Ireland, near Belfast and Armagh. 
#H. alternans, Steph. (Julini, Sahlb.). Very like the preceding in 
appearance and general structure, but on the average rather longer and 
easily distinguished by the absence of tessellated small black patches on 
the elytra, which are banded with alternate uninterrupted lines of brown 
and light scales ; the thorax has three lighter bands, the central one 
being often more or less obsolete, and is closely and rather coarsely 
punctured ; the striz of the elytra are rather fine ; the head has a deeply 
impressed stria on the vertex; the antenne are red or pitchy-red with 
the club darker, and the legs are pitchy-red or blackish, with the tarsi 
often lighter ; the colour of the scales is somewhat variable. L. 6—7 mm. 
Marshy places; at roots of plants, &c.; often in company with the preceding 
species, of which it has by some authors been regarded as a variety; very local, but 
sometimes not uncommon where found; Battersea; Notting Hill; Barnes; Lee ; 
Hammersmith Marshes; Eastry; Rudham, Norfolk; Pegwell Bay ; Sandwich; it 
appears to be almost confined to the south-eastern counties of England. 
H. polygoni, L. (arator, L.). Of shorter and broader form than the 
preceding species, which it somewhat resembles in coloration ; black, 
thickly clothed with greyish, brown and black scales, which are arranged 
in lines; head with whitish scales, antenne ferruginous with club 
fuscous ; thorax subtransverse, with the sides slightly rounded, and with 
three very distinct testaceous or whitish lines; elytra with distinct 
punctured striz, with the suture in front white, posteriorly chequered 
with black and white, dise with three abbreviated dark brown or black 
lines, alternating with elongated white ones, one dark brown or black 
line on each side of scutellum at base, and two on each side meeting or 
approaching one another near apex, being most conspicuous ; legs reddish 
or pitchy red, anterior tibize with a tooth or raised prominence towards 
the middle of the inner margin. L. 5-6 mm. 
On Leguminose; also on Polygonum, Lychnis vespertina, Silene inflata, &e. 3 
common and generally distributed from the Midlands southwards; Manchester dis- 
trict, general on the coast, the larve feeding on Lychnis and capsules of Silene 
(Chappell) ; rarer further north ; Northumberland and Durham district rare ; Scot- 
land, occasional, Solway, Clyde, Forth, Tay, Moray, and probably other districts ; 
Ireland, Armagh, Belfast, Killybegs, &e. 
