184 BRITISH BEETLES. 



brethren. Hylobius abietis, large, black, with yellow 

 interrupted band-like spots, is now abundant in the 

 south of England, though formerly very rare; it com- 

 mits great ravages in pine woods, and has been trans- 

 ported in building-timber from Scotland, where it is 

 exceedingly common. 



In Molytes the elytra are very convex and rounded, 

 the whole insect being black, shining, and smooth, or, 

 at most, with a few patches of yellow or grey hairs. 

 Both our species inhabit chalky districts. 



Liosomus, a mere fraction of Molytes in size, repro- 

 duces exactly its superficial characters, differing, how- 

 ever, in the rostral scrobes, the structure of its antennae, 

 and the shortness of the spurs to its tibiae. It abounds 

 in wet places. 



Plinthus, found in dry situations on chalk by the 

 coast (Dover, etc.), and less commonly in grass, etc., 

 inland, is of very different shape from any of the pre- 

 ceding, being more linear, with no scutellum, the ros- 

 trum longer than the head, and slightly contracted at 

 the base, etc. ; it is very strongly and coarsely punc- 

 tured, the punctures being often filled up with chalk, 

 so that the normal dull pitchy-black colour of the insect 

 isdisguised. 



The species of Phytonomus (Hyperd), in which the 

 funiculus of the antennae is seven -jointed, are often 

 very abundant in clover-fields, etc. ; they are moderately 

 large, oval, with a globular thorax, and prettily clothed 

 with variegated scales and hairs. P. trilineatus, found 

 commonly on Leguminoste at Dover and Deal, is perhaps 

 one of the most elegant. (Plate XI, Fig. 6.) 



Their larvae live on the outer side of the leaves of 

 plants, of which they devour the parenchyma, and have 



