Quediu.".'} stapiitlinid^. 239 



ii. Forehead with two lurg^c setigerous pniu'tnrcs plucfil 

 trausversely between eyes besides the juxta-ociihir 

 punctures ; aiiteniue rather short Q. scintillans, Grar. 



Q. picipes, IMani). {gracilicornis, Hecr, varlirolor, Nord.). Black, 

 shining, with the elytra bright red^ and the hind body strongly iridescent ; 

 head rather large, almost as broad as thorax ; eyes only slightly project- 

 ing ; antenn.-B rather long, entirely red with the base often lighter, with 

 all the joints longer than broad ; thorax narrowed in front, about as broad 

 as elytra, with two dorsal series of punctures in front of disc consistin<T 

 of three in each about equally distant ; scutellum smooth and shining ; 

 elytra hardly as long as thorax, thickly, finely, and somewhat rugosely 

 punctured ; hind body strongly narrow^ed l)ehind, rather finely and thickly- 

 punctured towards base, a little less thickly behind, with rather lonw and 

 not very close pubescence; legs reddish testaceous. L. 8-10 mm. 



]\Iale with the sixth and seventh segments of hind body feebly sinuate 

 in middle of apical margins, with a smooth space (longitudinal in seventh 

 segment) before each sinuation. 



In moss, (lead leaves, fungi, &c. ; sometimes in decayed wood and on tlie branches of 

 trees; rather comniou and generally distributed tlirougliout the south of England and 

 the midland counties ; it appears to become rarer further north, and is not common iu 

 Scotland, Solway, Tweed, Forth, and Cl^de districts. 



Q. nig-riceps, Kr. (ruJicoUis, Steph., 2)rcecox, Fanv.). Head black, 

 thorax black or pitchy with the sides more or less broadly red, sometimes 

 entirely red, elytra pitchy brown with the sides often lighter, or entirely 

 redd ish-bro war or reddish, hind body pitchy, strongly iridescent, with 

 the apex of the segments more or less broadly reddish ; head nearly as 

 broad as thorax, antennae rather long and slender, ferruginous with the 

 base lighter, with all the joints longer than broad ; thorax narrowed in 

 front, hardly as broad as elytra, with two series of punctures on each side 

 of front of disc consisting of three in each ; scutellum smooth and shin- 

 ing ; elytra about as long as thorax finely, thickly, and somewhat rugosely 

 punctured ; hind body gradually and rather strongly narrowed to apex, 

 finely and thickly punctured towards base, more sparingly behind ; le^-s 

 red wdth the posterior coxse darker. L. 6|-8 mm. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment of Irind body plainly sinuate 

 in middle of apical margin, with a small smooth impression before the 

 sinuation; anterior tarsi more strongly dilated than in female. 



In dead leaves ; local, but widely distributed in England, and in Scotland as far 

 north as the Moray district; it is not uncommon in the London district, but, as a rule, 

 occurs very sjiaringly, and is rarer in the north; according to Mulsant and Key it 

 occurs chieHy in fallen pine nee<lles and is sometimes taken by beating pines; it also 

 Las been taken in ants' nests ; it appears to be a rare species in France. 



Q. fumatus, Steph. {pdiatus, Er., jmecox, Hcer nee Fauv.). Strongly 

 fusiform, much narroAved behind, shining black or pitchy, with the 

 elytra broAvnish, almost dull, hind body more or less iridescent ; head 

 considerably narrower than thorax, antenna rather long and slender. 



