The Beetles of the Moorlands 



There are several other Bembidia which we might find 

 in such a situation as this, as the majority of this genus, 

 which is the largest we have in Geodephaga, frequent wet 

 places, but these four we have mentioned we shall hardly 

 fail to meet with. 



Among them we shall no doubt notice at any rate if 

 we shake out some of the finer wet shingle over a sheet 

 of brown paper' certain very small Brachelytra, smaller 

 and narrower than any we have yet met with, being not 

 more than 3 mm. long. These will probably be members 

 of the largest genus we have of British Beetles called 

 Homalota, and likewise undoubtedly the most difficult 

 in the separation of its species. There are about 160 

 British species at present enumerated in our latest list, 

 all minute obscure little beetles, many of them very rare, 

 and the position and specific validity of many of them 

 by no means of universal agreement among coleopterists. 

 However, this species just found among the shingle will 

 probably be Homalota elongatula (the long thin little 

 Homalota), Fig. I, Plate V., which is one of the com- 

 monest and most certain of them all ; it is brownish 

 black with the elytra yellow-brown, the hinder edge 

 usually lighter, the thorax about as long as broad, 

 with rounded angles, antennae brown and rather long, 

 legs yellow. This is a species which is always abundant 

 among the shingle or in the moss of these mountain 

 streams. Of course many other species of Homalota 

 occur there also ; in fact, wherever we may be collecting 

 we shall be continually coming across members of this 

 genus, black or brown dull little things, the majority 



