Common Beetles of our Countryside 



common anywhere, but are less rare in the North than in 

 the South. 



Another Brachelytron we are almost sure to find 

 under these stones is Philonthus decorus (the handsome 

 Philonthus), Fig. 19, Plate V. It is above the average 

 size of the Brachdytra, being quite n mm. long, and is 

 entirely of a coppery bronze colour, dull on the elytra 

 owing to their dense punctuation, but shining and with 

 a slight greenish reflection on the head and thorax, and 

 to some extent on the hind body, the antennae and legs 

 pitch black. We have already met with Philonthus 

 politus (Plate II., Fig. 9), a near relative of this 

 species. They both belong to that section of the large 

 genus Philonthus in which the thorax bears a double 

 longitudinal row of three visible large punctures, but as 

 there is no other Philonthus in this country so large and 

 entirely bronze coloured as this is, we shall have no 

 difficulty in recognizing it. 



Under stones close down by the water's edge we may 

 come upon another and smaller Philonthus (P. fulvipes, 

 the Philonthus with the yellow legs). It is only about 

 5mm. long, and has four visible punctures on the thorax, 

 the head and thorax are shining black and the elytra 

 bright red, antennae dark with the first three joints 

 and legs reddish yellow. This also is an easily recognized 

 species, as it is our only small Philonthus with bright red 

 elytra ; it occurs very rarely by the side of some of our 

 Southern rivers, but is not at all uncommon in North Wales. 



Under one of the larger stones, or a fallen log in the 

 thicker moss, we may discover lurking a large black 



36 



