British Species of llomalota. 179 



margin furnished in the middle with five or six distinct 

 black hairs. 



Apparently very local, and found hitherto only in the 

 neighhourhood of London, Hammersmith, Barnes, &c. 



Olis. — Kraatz says the abdomen is much more finely 

 punctured than in S. analis. I find, however, the con- 

 trary to be the case. It is possible that Kraatz may 

 have included the following very closely allied species 

 with H. soror; this, at least, would account for the dis- 

 crepancy in question. 



73. Homalota decijjiens. 



Nigra, thorace elytrisque piceis, antennis ano pedibus- 

 que testaceis ; capite subtriangulari ; thorace basi foveo- 

 lato; abdomine supra undique dense subtiliter punctate. 

 Long. 1 lin. 



Very closely allied to H. soror, and difiering from it 

 only by the more finely punctured abdomen, with difier- 

 ently formed seventh segment, and by having the legs, 

 antennae, and extremity of the abdomen of a clearer yel- 

 low colour. It is also, on the average, slightly smaller 

 than H. soror. 



The male of this species is only to be distinguished 

 from the female by the under plate of the seventh seg- 

 ment of the abdomen being slightly narrower and more 

 elongate than in the female. In neither sex has the 

 posterior margin of the upper plate of this segment any 

 triangular notch ; the posterior margin is not, however, 

 completely rounded, but is slightly and indistinctly emar- 

 ginate. 



Not common, though I have found it in several locali- 

 ties in the South. Chatham, Weymouth, Southend, 

 Hammersmith, Charlton. I have also seen it in Mr. 

 Crotch's collection. 



Obs. — This species is closely allied to H. analis, and is 

 probably confounded with it. It has, however, rather 

 longer elytra, more densely punctured abdomen, which 

 is on this account less shining, and the seventh segment 

 is without the characteristic notch always found in H. 

 analis. 



