British Species of Homalota. 223 



supra segmentis 2-4 sat crebre punctatis_, 5° parce punc- 

 tate, 6° fere laevigato. Long. 1 lin. 



Mas ; abdomine segmento 7° dorsali apice 4-dentato, 

 dentibus intermediis obtusis, rotundatis, lateralibus tenui- 

 buSj introrsum curvatis. 



H. ohlita, Er. Gen. et Spec. Staph. 113; Kr. Ins. 

 Deutsch. ii. 294; Wat. Cat. 



A rather small, obscure species, with short stout an- 

 tennas. The antennae are blackish, sometimes obscurely- 

 paler at the base, thickened from the third to the sixth 

 joint, but scarcely after that ; joints two and three of 

 about equal length, four considerably broader than three, 

 but narrower than five, distinctly transverse, five to ten 

 strongly transverse; eleventh joint about as long as the 

 two preceding. The head is broad, narrower than the 

 thorax, black and dull, pretty closely but very finely and 

 indistinctly punctured. The thorax is but little narrower 

 than the elytra, its breadth fully half as great again as 

 its length, the sides gently rounded in front, scarcely 

 narrower at the anterior than at the posterior angles, 

 very finely and closely punctured, and delicately pubes- 

 cent, with a moderately distinct longitudinal channel in 

 the middle. The elytra are fully one-third longer than 

 the thorax, sometimes obscurely brown in colour, some- 

 times nearly black, finely and closely punctured. The 

 abdomen is black, segments two to four distinctly and mo- 

 derately closely punctured, fifth segment sparingly and 

 finely punctured, sixth nearly impunctate. The pubes- 

 cence of the abdomen is more distinct than that of the 

 anterior parts. The legs are testaceous, more or Jess 

 dusky. 



In the male, the dorsal plate of the seventh abdominal 

 segment has, in the middle, two stout rounded tubercles 

 projecting backwards, these tubercles are united at their 

 base, but separated at the apex by a slight notch; be- 

 sides this, on each side is to be seen a rather longer, 

 slender, pointed spine, curved inwards. 



Local; but often to be found abundantly in August 

 and September, in fungi. Cambridge, New Forest, 

 Malvern, Shirley, &c. 



Ohs. — Specimens of this species occur, with rather 

 brighter- coloured elytra and legs than in the type, and 

 in such cases are often more shiningr and smaller. 



