OUgota.] stapiiyltnid.t:. 1-7 <■ 



ro 



black like the rest of the upper surface, rather convex, much lunger and 

 much more evidently punctured than thorax ; hind body short, gmdually 

 but plainly narrowed towards apex, finely but distinctly punctured • Icrs 

 ferruginous or pitchy red. L. 1 mm. ' ° 



Very rare ; iutroduced by Mr. G. R. Waterhouse on the autliority of a specimen 

 taken by himself (but without locality) ; has also occurred at Scarborough. Acconliu<r 

 to Mulsaiit and Key it is rare in France, and lives in cellars on the black mould iMucedo 

 cellans) that grows on old walls, casks, &c. ; it is found in company with Cn/j.to,Jiaaus. 

 MycettBa hina, and Orthoperus atomarius ; these species are found together in cellars 

 m Britain, and probaby the Oligota will be found with them, if searched for. 



The species is intermediate between Microcera, to which genus it is 

 referred by Mulsant and Eey, and Oligota proper ; the hind body is not 

 narrowed very perceptibly until the last segments, and, as these are apt to 

 run one into the other after death, the appearance of dried specimens is 

 deceptive. 



O. flavicornis, Lac. {Microcera flavicomis, Lac, Somatium 

 Jlavicorne, Woll.). Broadest in middle, narrowed in front, and stron^^ly 

 narrowed behind, convex, with rather long and tine pubescence, and fi°ne 

 punctuation, shining black, with extreme apex of hind body pitchy • 

 antenna? clear yellow with abrupt three-jointed club ; thorax stroncrjy 

 transverse, much narrowed in front, very finely and thickly punctured ; 

 elytra plainly longer and more distinctly punctured than thorax ; hind 

 body short, conical, gradually and strongly narrowed from base to apex, 

 with the sculpture distinct and rough ; legs reddish-testaceous or ferru- 

 ginous, with femora sometimes darker. L. vix. 1 mm. 



In old faggots, dead leaves, moss, &c. ; it has, however, been taken near Loudon 

 chiefly on the trunks and leaves of lime trees; not common. Keunington, Esher, 

 Mickleham, Norwood, Wanstead (Essex) ; Liverpool district. 



This species was originally described by Lacordaire as a Hypocyptus 

 to which genus the species of the sub-genus Microcera certainly bear a 

 striking superficial resemblance. 



O. apicata, Er. {ahdominalis, Scriba, xanthopyga, Kr.). Very like 

 the preceding, but easily distinguished by the gradual five-jointed club 

 of the antenna;, and by having the two last segments of the hind body 

 sharply and clearly yellow ; the hind body is more shining, and much 

 less distinctly sculptured ; the elytra are often brownish or yellowish- 

 brown, and the legs are lighter ; the antennae are slightly darker at apex, 

 and not unicolorous as in 0. flavicomis. L. vix 1 mm. 



In debris of fern moss, &c. ; rare ; Caterham, Mickleham, Cobham, Croydon, Ripley 

 (Surrey). Bexlcy; The Holt, Farnham ; New Forest; Devonshire; Sherwood Forest • 

 Scarborough. ' 



_ The sexual characters of the genus Oligota do not appear to be marked • 

 in some species, however, the ventral plate of the seventh segment of 

 hind body appears to be rounded and prolonged beyond the dorsal plate 

 in the males. 



