Epurcca.'] clavioornia. 231 



with dark colour, and the space of the elytra enclosed within is testaceous, 

 but this does not appear to be always the case ; the thorax is contracted 

 with a sinuation towards base, and is as broad as the elytra without the 

 margins, which cause it to appear narrower than the elytra. From 

 E. deleta, which it approaches in some points, it may be distinguished 

 by its colour and the darker club of its antenna3 ; from E. obsoleta, 

 with which it is most often confounded, it may be separated by its 

 broader f(H-m, and by having the last joint of the anteunse about as 

 broad as the penultimate, whereas in E. obsoleta it is distinctly narrower ; 

 the thorax also is slightly more contracted at base than in the latter 

 sjDccies. 



E. parvula, Sturm (nifomarginafa, Steph.). A very dark species, 

 often almost l)lack with the margins of thorax and elytra only ferru- 

 ginous ; antennae ferruginous with club brownish, last joint much 

 narrower than the two penultimate ; sides of thorax almost as in 

 JE. deleta, except that they are sHghtly waved and uneven, which is a 

 peculiar characteristic of this species ; before the base of thorax tliero 

 is a strong sinuation ; in some respects it comes close to M obsoleta, but 

 may easily be distinguished from that species by its more flat shining 

 appearance and dark colour, and by the more pronounced margins of 

 the thorax and elytra, as well as by the shape of the thorax, and the 

 fact that the intermediate tibiae of the male are simple and not sinuate. 

 L. 2|-3 mm. 



In faggots ; also occasioually under bark of Scotch fir; very local ; Darentb Wood, 

 faggot stacks (Cliampion) ; Wiltshire ; Herefoid ; Sherwood Forest; I have taken it 

 commonly by beating faggots in Langworth Wood, near Lincoln, where I have also 

 found a small variety in faggots of a species of Tilia (called " hass " by the countiy 

 people) ; Scarborough ; Stretford near Manchester, Hyiug over old wood-yard (Reston) ; 

 Northumberland district ; Scotland, rare, Aviemore. 



E. obsoleta, F. This is one of the most difficult species of the 

 genus to determine ; variable both in size, colour, and to a certain 

 extent in structure of thorax, and in consequence often confounded with 

 other species ; the elytra are, as a rule, obscurely marked with dark 

 patches, but occasionally the whole insect is of a reddish colour, and 

 may in that case be easily confounded with other species, such as E. /fovea ; 

 from the latter insect small unicolorous examples of E. obsoleta may be 

 distinguished by the plain emargination of tlie anterior mai'giu of the 

 thorax, and by the club of the antennaj which is dark and has the last 

 joint much narrower than the two preceding ; from E. pusilla, which 

 it in some cases rather closely resembles, the species may be known by 

 the emargination of the anterior margin of thorax being much less pro- 

 nounced, by its truncate elytra, more rounded sides and narrower margins 

 of thorax, and by the dark club of its antennae ; from other allied species, 

 such as E. iKircida, it may be separated by the sinuate intermediate tibiae 

 of the male. L. 1^-3 mm. 



