British Species of Homalota. 217 



as long as the two preceding together. Head broad and 

 short, but much narrower than the thorax, rounded and 

 narrowed behind the eyes, which are large and promi- 

 nent; finely and not closely punctured. The thorax is 

 somewhat narrower than the elytra, its breadth twice its 

 length, gently rounded at the sides, a little narrower at 

 the anterior than at the posterior angles, finely and mo- 

 derately closely punctured, sometimes with an obsolete 

 channel in front of the scutellum. The elytra are about 

 a third longer than the thorax, a little darkened in colour 

 towards the apical angles, finely and pretty closely punc- 

 tured. The abdomen is black and shining, the basal seg- 

 ment finely and sparingly punctured, the others impunc- 

 tate; the hind margins of the segments often brownish. 

 The legs are yellow, or reddish-yellow. 



The male characters are very peculiar, and not easy to 

 describe ; the suture of the elytra is elevated at the base 

 into a distinct carina, terminating abruptly at the scutel- 

 lum; the seventh segment of the abdomen, is raised in 

 the middle to a sort of carina, the lateral margin projects 

 on each side, as a short pointed, rather curved spine, 

 between these two spines the middle part of the hind 

 margin is much produced, and the apex in the middle has 

 a small notch. A form of the male occurs, however, in 

 which the elevation of the suture, and the carina-like 

 elevation of the seventh segment, are scarcely to be seen. 



Pretty common ; lives in the burrows of the goat moth, 

 especially in oak and elm trees in England. 



Ohs. — The abdomen of this species is undoubtedly 

 somewhat narrowed towards the apex. 



109. Homalota hos'pita. 



Brunnea, hand nitida, abdomine piceo-nigro ; thorace 

 fortiter transverso, subtiliter canaliculate ; abdomine 

 supra segmentis 2-4 crebre punctatis, 5° parce punc- 

 tate, 6° fere leevigato. Long. If lin. 



Mas; abdomine segmento 7° dorsali apice medio acu- 

 minato, obsolete bituberculato, margine laterali obsolete 

 producto. 



H. hospita, Maerk. Germ. Zeit. v. 216 ; Kr. Ins. 

 Deutsch. ii. 290; Wat. Cat.; Thamiarcea Jiospita, Th. 

 Sk. Col. iii. 60. 



