POLERUS DUBIUS. 1G7 



darker red, sometimes marked with black, and the 

 mesonotum duller (uliginosus). 



Ab. b. Hinder tibiae fuscous; antennas brownish 

 beneath. 



The nearest ally of palustris is equiseti, Kl., which 

 differs from it in having the tegulae and the femora, 

 tibiae and tarsi red. From pratensis it differs, of 

 course, in coloration, and the puncturing, too, is 

 weaker. The neuration is subject to considerable 

 malformation in both sexes. 



A very common species, found in most localities in 

 June. 



The larva is cylindrical, the skin in folds. Head 

 black ; the face and the sides, a little from above the 

 eyes, white ; a semicircular black mark in the middle 

 of the face. Upper part of the body dark drab-black, 

 lighter on the centre of the back ; the sides from a 

 little above the spiracles white or greenish-white ; anal 

 segment white. The eyes are in the black portion of 

 the head, but the sides behind them are white. Legs 

 white ; a black mark over the thoracic. The spiracles 

 are blackish. 



It feeds in August on Equisetum palustre and 

 limosutn, eating from the top downwards, and fre- 

 quently from the inside of the stem. No cocoon was 

 spun in my breeding cage. 



Continental distribution : Sweden, Germany, Hol- 

 land, France and Switzerland. 



9. DOLERUS DUBIUS. 



Dolerus dubius, King, Berl. Mag.,viii, 299, 228; Htg., Blattw., 

 234, 11 ; Erers., Bull. Mosc., xx, 23, 5 ; 

 Thorns., Hym. Seand., i, 282, 7 ; Andre, 

 Species, i, 266 ; Cat., 33,* 9. 



Dosytheus dubius, Ste., 111., vii, 85, 13. 



Black ; second and fifth segments of abdomen, at the base and apex 

 respectively, the third and fourth wholly, and the knees, apex of four 

 anterior femora, and tibiae and tarsi red ; apex of tarsi fuscous. An- 

 tennae shorter than the abdomen. Mesonotum finely and closely 

 punctured ; pleurae with deep, roundish punctures ; first abdominal 



