Homalota.] stxviiylwidm. 99 



very closely allied to 11. soror, aud differing' from it only by the more 

 finely punctured hind body, with differently formed seventli segment, 

 and by having the legs, antennae, and extremity of the abdomen of a 

 clearer yellow colour ; it is also on the average slightly smaller than 

 H. soror. L. lf-2 mm. 



Male with the under plate of the seventh segment of hind body 

 slightly narrower and more elongate than in female. 



Marshy places ; rare; Lee, Chatham, Hammersmith, Charlton (Kent) ; Southend; 

 Toubridge ; Weymouth. 



Distinguished from H. analis by its rather longer elytra, more closely 

 punctured hind body, and the absence of the notch on the seventh 

 segment which appears to be always found in H. analis ; in the cata- 

 logue of Heyden, Reitter, and Weise the species is sunk as the female 

 of H. analis ; it is true that the sexual differences of H. analis, as 

 mentioned above, are obscure, and that Kraatz considered the emargina- 

 tion to be indicative of the male ; if H. decipiens were as abundant aa 

 jff. analis it might prove to be the other sex, but as H. ajiaUs swarms 

 everywhere and invariably has the characteristic notch, whereas //. 

 decipiens is apparently exceedingly rare, it seems hardly possilile that it 

 can be regarded as the female, and, in this case, must stand as a separate 

 species. 



K. cavifrons, Sharp {simillvna, Sharp (?), Amischa cavifrons, 

 Muls. et Rey). The differences between this species and the small forms 

 of H. analis are almost entirely sexual ; the upper surface of the head in 

 the male is very broadly and distinctly impressed, whereas in all speci- 

 mens of //. analis it is convex ; in this sex also the ventral plate of 

 seventh segment is considerably produced, as in H. soror, and furnished 

 in middle with a bunch of five or six distinct black hairs ; according to 

 Mulsant and Rey the male has the seventh dorsal segment of hind boily 

 broadly emarginate, while the female has it narrowly sinuate. Dr. Sliarp 

 (I.e. p. 177) says that in the female of H. caoifrons the notch of tlje 

 seventh segment is broader and deeper than in specimens of H. analis of 

 the same size, both sexes being furnished with the notch as in H. analis ; 

 the elytra are rather shorter in both sexes, L. If mm. 



Found only in Scotland, in hilly districts, near Edinburgh and Thoruhill. 



Ki simillima, Sharp. This species appears to be hardly distinct 

 from H. cavifrons : it is similar in every way, and possesses the same 

 sexual characters (depressed head in male, &c.), but is more unicolorous, 

 more parallel, more densely and finely punctured, with flatter and more 

 transverse thorax, and witli the elytra slightly longer : I have Dr. Sharp's 

 type specimens before me, and the differences seem exceedingly slight j 

 there is far more difference between H. analis var. major and the type 

 form ; on the Continent H. cavifrons and H. simillima appear to tjQ 

 considered synonymous, L. If mm, 



H 2 



