Bledius.] btaphtlinidje. 3G5 



1. Elytra about as long as thorax, bright red . . . B. CEA98ICOLLI8, Lac. 



2. Elytra considerably longer than thorax, yellowish- 



testaceous, with the disc more or less broadly 



darker, often entirely dark except margins . . B. DISSIMILIS, Er, 

 ii. Thorax finely punctured with posterior angles right 



angles, somewhat projecting B. EEEATICTJS, Er. 



B. taurus, Germ. Elongate, subparallel, moderately convex, black, 

 or black with elytra (except scutellary region) testaceous, front parts rather 

 dull, hind body shiny, upper surface clothed with fine and not very close 

 pubescence ; head shagreened, smoother in front, with" a strong anterior 

 border, with a very large and strong horn on each side in male, and a 

 distinct prominence in female ; antennae short, gradually thickened, pitchy 

 red, first joint elongate, penultimate joints transverse, the last short oval ; 

 thorax transverse and armed with a very long horn in male furnished at 

 the end with long hairs or setje, rather longer and without horn in female, 

 anterior angles prominent and raised more so in male than in female, 

 shield-shaped, almost truncate before and behind and abruptly narrowed 

 and contracted from posterior third to base, finely channelled, shallowly 

 and sparingly punctured, and finely shagreened ; elytra a little longer than 

 thorax rather finely although distinctly punctured ; hind body shining, 

 obsoletely and thickly shagreened and punctured ; legs pitchy or pitchy 

 red with tarsi, and often tibife, lighter. L. 6-7 mm. 



The sexual differences of the hind body in this and many other species 

 of Bledius are not striking, the seventh ventral segment of hind body 

 being more or less deeply sinuate at apex with the central lobe of the 

 sinuation more or less produced, more so, as a rule, in the female than in 

 the male ; the chief sexual differences lie of course in the head. 



On or near the coast; rare; Wells and other localities in Norfolk; Ireland, North 

 Bull and Howth, near Dublin : the type variety of this insect, which has the elytra 

 entirely black, appears to be very rare in Britain j I have only seen it in Mr. Rye's 

 collection, now in the possession of Mr. Mason. 



B. spectabilis, Kr. (tricornis, Fauv., nee Herbst.). In general 

 appearance this species much resembles the preceding, and does not need 

 a separate detailed description ; it may, however, be easily known by the 

 following characters : the clypeus is not furnished with a raised border in 

 front ; the horns on the head are very much smaller and shorter, and the 

 thoracic horn is longer and sharper not tufted with hairs at tlie end and 

 channelled for its whole length ; the thorax is less truncate in front and 

 less abruptly narrowed behind, and the anterior angles are rounded and 

 not prominent ; the punctuation of the thorax is rather deeper and more 

 distinct ; the elytra are of a bright red colour with the scutellary region 

 darker, and the hind tibiee are furnished at base with one spine only 

 instead of four as in B. taurus. L. 6-7 mm. 



Salt marshes and sandy and clayey places near the coast; usually in the clayey banks 

 of brackish pools ; often in flood refuse, &c. j local, but common where it occurs; 



