174 STAPHYLTXID/E. [Oligofa. 



lu haystack refuse, decaying sea-weed, &c. ; common and widely distributed in tlie 

 London and Southern districts, and the Midlands; rarer further north ; Scotland, rare, 

 Tweed and Forth districts ; it occasionally occurs with Formica fuliginosa, with which 

 Dr. Power has taken it at Birdbrook, Essex. 



O. atomaria, Er. This species is rather larger and "broader than 

 either of the two preceding ones ; the usual colour is entirely pitch-black, 

 with the antennas and legs pitchy-brown, and the apex of hind body 

 obscurely lighter, but it is somewhat variable in this respect, although 

 the legs and antennae are always darker than in 0. ruficornis, and the club 

 is evidently narrower than in that species ; from 0. pusillima, besides 

 being larger, it may be distinguished by having the thorax more trans- 

 verse, the elytra longer and broader, and the hind body slightly narrowed 

 towards apex, and from 0. parva by having the apex of hind body much 

 less broadly and more obscurely lighter, and the sixth segment of hind 

 body less developed. L. vix 1 mm. 



In debris of fern, vegetable refuse, &c. ; local ; Colney Hatch, Charlton, Mickleham, 

 Lewisham, Dulwich, Tonbridge ; Deal; Littlington, Sussex ; Weymouth; Glanvillcs 

 Wootton ; Wicken and Horning Fens ; Bewdley ; Tewkesbury ; Northumberland dis- 

 trict, only recorded from " Hetton Hall, near Belford ( VV. B. Boyd) ; " not recorded 

 from any other district north of the Midlands ; it appears sometimes to occur with JF. 

 fuliginosa. 



O. punctulata, Heer [ruficornis, Sharp, j^Hosa, Key). Black, with 

 the elytra usually reddish bi'own, and the apex of hind body reddish ; 

 antennae and legs entirely rufo-testaceous, the former with a rather 

 abrupt three-jointed club, which distinguishes it from 0. injlata ; by 

 the structure of the antennae, and the colour of these and the legs, it 

 is closely allied to 0. 'pusillima, but it is larger, and especially broader, 

 with the thorax more transverse, and the elytra longer and broader, one 

 and a half times the length of the thorax, and the hind body a little 

 narrowed towards apex ; it is also closely allied to 0. atomaria, but is 

 a little larger, and may be distinguished by the bright colour of the antennae 

 and legs, as well as by the broader club of the former. L. vix 1 mm. 



In haystack refuse ; very common in the London district ; Tonbridge ; Hastings ; 

 Wicken Fen ; Kenilworth ; Repton ; it is probably much more widely distributed 

 than is at present supposed, and is most likely mixed with other species in collections 

 made prior to 1870, in which year Dr. Sharp described it (Ent. Mo. Mag. vi. 282) ; 

 the species appears to be regarded as synonymous with O. pilosa, which, according to 

 Mulsant and Rey, is found sometimes in nests of Formica rufa. 



O. g-ranaria, Er. {picescens, Key, Microcera granaria, Muls. et 

 Key). Kather broad and convex, deep black, shining, with the hind 

 body obscurely lighter at its extreme apex ; head rather broad with eyes 

 somewhat prominent ; antennae short, rather strongly thickened towards 

 apex, ferruginous, the last four joints forming a club ; the seventh is 

 somewhat larger than the preceding, and viewed in certain positions causes 

 the club to appear five-jointed ; thorax at base twice as broad as long, 

 strongly narrowed in front, finely and thickly punctured ; elytra shining 



