240 STAPHTLiNiDiE. [QuecUus. 



pitchy red with the l^asal joints sometimes marked witli l)lack, penulti- 

 mate joints evidently longer than broad ; thorax ratlier broader at base 

 than elytra, suborbicular, strongly narrowed in front with the ordinary 

 two dorsal series of three punctures on front of disc ; scutellum smooth ; 

 elytra about as long as or a little longer than thorax, rather finely and 

 thickly punctured with the intervals of the punctures shagreened, giving 

 them a dull appearance ; hind body narrower than elytra, strongly and 

 gradually narrowed from base to apex, rather finely and not very closely 

 punctured ; legs reddish or pitchy red with the coxte and posterior femora 

 often darker. L. 6-6^ mm. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment of hind body rather deeply and 

 angularly excised with a smooth oblong triangular space before the 

 excision, sixth slightly sinuate with a small smooth space before sinuation; 

 anterior tarsi more strongly dilated than in female. 



lu dead leaves; also under bark and in the trunks of old trees ; somewhat local, hut not 

 unt'ounnoii, and widely distributed, in England ; recorded by Bold as frequent in the 

 Northumberland district ; Dr. Sharp says that it is local in Scotland, among decaying 

 beech leaves, Solway and Forth districts only. 



Q. maurorufus, Grav. (acinninatus, Fairm., modcstus, Thoms., 

 jn-arox, Lac, Xord., Fairm., nee Heer et Fauv.). Less fusiform and more 

 parallel-sided than the preceding, shining pitch-brown with the head and 

 otten the elytra darker ; head narrower than thorax ; antennae rather 

 shorter and thicker than in Q. fumalus, brownish or ferruginous with the 

 first joint reddish testaceous, penultimate joints about as long as broad 

 the thorax is not broader than elytra and not strongly narrowed in frout, 

 and the elytra are shining, thickly and somewhat rugosely punctured, 

 Imt with the interstices smooth and not shagreened ; the hind body is 

 moderately strongly narrowed behind, rather finely and thickly punctured 

 towards base, somewhat less thickly towards apex, more or less iridescent; 

 legs reddish testaceous. L. 6-6 1 mm. 



^Sometimes the whole upper surface is pitchy red with the head black, 

 or reddish testaceous with the head, disc of thorax, and base of segments 

 of hind body darker ; the sides of the elytra are usually lighter than the 

 disc, and sometimes the suture is reddish. 



Male characters much as in the preceding species, except that the 

 seventh ventral segment is not so strongly excised and more sinuate. 



In dead leaves, at roots of grass, &c., in marshy places ; widely distributed and not 

 uncommon throughout England ; Scotland, not common, Solway, Tweed, and Forth 

 districts; Bold also records it from Tain, Ross-shire. 



Q. umbrinus,Er. (maurorufus, GylL, Mann., Nord., nee Grav.). Of 

 about the same size and shape as the preceding, pitchy black, shining, 

 with the elytra brownish and the sides lighter ; in examples from 

 northern localities the whole upper surface is unicolorous pitchy black ; it 

 may be distinguished from both the preceding species by the much 

 coarser punctuation of the elytra and by its rather shorter and thicker 

 uutennre, of which the penultuuate joints are evidently, although not 



