Prott'inU!^.] STAPH YLINIDvE. 429 



New Forpst ; Hunstanton, Norfolk ; Scotland, local, Solway, Tweed, and Dee dis- 

 tricts j Ireland, Portuiariiock. 



MEGARTKRVS, Stephens. 

 Tliis genus contains about sixteen or seventeen species from Europe, 

 Northern Asia, North America, and Japan ; one or two only are found as 

 far south as ]\raileira ; they may easily be known by their transverse 

 channelled thorax, of which the posterior angles are more or less excised, 

 and by their very rough sculpture ; the tarsi are five-jointed ; there are 

 five British species, which arc found in haystack refuse, fun'd, cut 

 grass, &c. 



I. Upper surface black or pitchy black. 



i. Basal joint of antennae clear red ; thorax feebly but 

 perceptibly angled in middle of sides, sides straight 



__ or almost straight from angle to apex M. denticollis. Beck. 



ii. Antennaj entirely black. 



1. Thorax broadly bordered with red ; thorax feebly 

 but perceptibly angled in middle of sides, sides 



straight from angle to apex M. AFFINIS, Mill. 



2. Thorax unicolorous black. 



A. Sides of thorax regularly rounded without trace 



of an angle in middle M. defressvs, Paj/k. 



B. Sides of thorax evidently angled in middle and 



sinuate between angle and iipex M. siNXTATOCOLLis, Lac. 



II. Upper surface, except head, entirely ferruginous red ; 



sides of thorax angled and sinuate M. hemipteeus III. 



m. denticollis, P.eck. Pitchy bkck, rather dull, with margins of 

 thorax reddish ; head triangular, with eyes rather prominent, strongly 

 dej.ressed on each side and sharply raised in middle in a longitudinal 

 keel, very closely and rugosely punctured ; antennae dark, with first joint 

 clear red, slender, not much thickened towards apex, first two joints 

 much broader than the following; thorax Avith an obsolete angle in 

 middle of sides and thence straight or slightly rounded to apex, posterior 

 angles sharply emarginate, the angle of the emarglnation being acute 

 as the basal margin projects, central channel strongly marked, moderately 

 strongly and rugosely sculptured ; elytra twice as long as thorax, wider 

 at apex than at base, sculptured like thorax, or slightly more strongly ; 

 hind body ovate, strongly acuminate at apex, very finely shagreeiied • 

 legs reddish testaceous. L. 2 mm. - 



_ Male with the seventh ventral segment of hind body slightly and the 

 sixth deeply emarginate ; the posterior femora in this sex are thickened, 

 and the intermediate tiljite are slightly curved, and emarginate before 

 apex ; the posterior trochanters also are strongly dilated. 



In fungi, haystack refuse, &c. ; local ; rather rare in the south and common further 

 north; London district, not common, Mickleham, Claygate, Forest Hill, Cowley, 

 Sheerness, Tonbridge ; Devonshire; Bath; commoner apparently in the Midland 

 districts Knowle, Yardley, Coleshill, Smallheath, Edgbaston, Repton, Sherwood 

 Forest, &c.; Manchester; Northumberland district; Scotland, iu fuugus, common- 

 Solway, Tweed, Forth, Dee, and probably other districts. ' 



