British Species of Homalota. 255 



which extends almost to the apex of the elytra, closely 

 and finely punctured. The abdomen is narrowed towards 

 the apex, black, with the extremity paler, and on the 

 under side the margins of the segments brownish, closely 

 finely and evenly punctured, the sixth segment a little 

 more sparingly than the basal ones, densely pubescent, 

 the sides and apex as well as the posterior margins of 

 the segments furnished with longer outstanding black 

 hairs. The legs are yellow, the middle tibiae with a dis- 

 tinct stout exserted black seta in the middle, the pos- 

 terior tibiae without any seta. 



In the male, the hind margin of the dorsal plate of the 

 seventh segment of the abdomen is indistinctly emargi- 

 nate, the under plate of the same segment is a little 

 produced in the middle. 



In the female, the hind margin of the dorsal plate of 

 the seventh segment is a little emarginate, the under 

 plate is pretty deeply excised in the middle, the hind 

 margin furnished with pale, closely set, fine, parallel 

 cilia. 



Very abundant in vegetable refuse all over England 

 and Scotland. 



Ohs. — Thomson has reversed the sexes of this species. 



144. Homalota testudinea. 



Nigra, pedibus elytrisque' testaceis, his circa scutellum 

 infuscatis, crebre fortiter ruguloso-punctatis ; thorace 

 transverse, convexiusculo, asquali ; abdomine apicem ver- 

 sus fortiter angustato, supra crebre distinctius (segmento 

 6° parcius) punctate. Long. l^-H liii- 



Mas; abdomine segmento 7° ventrali apice medio ro- 

 tundato. 



Fern.; abdomine segmento 7° ventrali apice medio 

 leviter emarginato. 



H. testudinea, Er. Gen, et Spec. Staph. 131 ; Coprothas- 

 sa testudinea, Th. Sk. Col. iii. 35. H. melanaria, Kr. Ins. 

 Deutsch. ii. 312; Wat. Cat. 



A very distinct species, allied on the one hand to H. 

 mielanaria, on the other to H. aterrima ; distinguished from 

 the former by its smaller size, darker colour, stronger 



