44 STAPHYLiNiD^. [Ocalea. 



of one from Japan and one from Central America ; our species are 

 shining chestnut-brown insects, and are rather conspicuous : they are 

 found in moss, dead leaves, faggots, at roots of grass, &c. 



I. Elytra finely and thickly punctured. 



i. Elytra narrower ; antennaj rather shorter and more 



thickened towards apex O. castanea, Er. 



{'picata, Steph.) 



ii. Elytra broader ; antenuse slightly longer and more 



slender 0. latipennis. Sharp. 



II. Elytra rather strongly punctured O. badiA, Er. 



O. castanea, Er. (picafa, Steph , rivularis, Mill. V). Shining pitchy 

 black with the thorax and elytra chestnut-brown (the elytra being much 

 lighter than thorax), and the apex of hind body testaceous ; head rather 

 large, antenuse long, gradually, but slightly, thickened to apex, ferruginous 

 with base lighter, second and third joints about equal in length, 4-7 

 longer than broad, 8-10 as long as broad, eleventh plainly longer than 

 the two preceding together ; thorax about as long as broad, narrowed in 

 front, finely punctured, with an impression before scutellum, and some- 

 times an obsolete central furrow ; elytra scarcely longer than thorax, 

 finely, thickly, and rugosely punctured ; hind body narrowed from 

 fourth segment to apex, finely and sparingly punctured, with segments 

 2-4 strongly impressed horizontally at base ; legs long, testaceous, 

 L 4-4| mm. 



Male with ventral plate of seventh segment of hind body sinuate at 

 sides of apical margin and produced in the middle in an angle. 



In mosp dead leaves, fnggots, &c. ; rather common and widely distributed through- 

 -out EuL'hmd :ind Wales and Scotland; I have found it in abundance in faggots in 

 Langwo. th Wood near Lincoln, but it usually occurs in small numbers. 



F. rindaris, Mill. 1 This variety differs from the type in having the 

 elytra somewhat more coarsely punctured, and the hind body smoother ; 

 Mulsant and Eey consider it to be a variety of 0. castanea, but in the 

 catalogue of Heyden, Eeitter, and Weise it is given as synonymous with 

 0. latixjennis, Sharp, and the specimens in Dr. Sharp's collection labelled 

 rivularis appear to be more closely related to the latter species than to 

 the former. Mr. Champion has taken this insect not uncommonly on 

 the banks of the Thames near Putney and Hammersmith, but has never 

 found it in company with 0. castaiua. 



O. latipennis, Sharp. Allied to 0. castanea, but rather larger, and 

 darker in colour : the elytra are considerably broader, so that the thorax 

 appears much narrower in proportion ; the antennae are slightly longer 

 and more slender, and not quite so much thickened towards apex, the 

 leno'th of every joint being distinctly longer than its width ; the thorax 

 is black, and has the posterior angles obtuse, but more marked than in the 

 preceding species ; the hind body is sparingly and finely punctured, and a 

 little yellowish at apex. L. 5-5i mm. 



