204 TAXONUS GLABKATUS. 



Kaltenbach (Pfl. 519) describes a larva on Rumex 

 which is probably that of Equiseti. 



A common and widely-distributed species in Britain, 

 being found from Sutherlandshire to the London 

 district. 



On the Continent it is found in Sweden, Germany, 

 Holland, France and Russia, 



3. TAXONUS GLABBATUS. 

 Plate II, fig. 3, Larva ; PI. XX, fig. 6, Saw. 



Tenthredo glabratus, Fall., Acta, 1808, 108, 43. 



agilis, Klug, Berl. Mag., viii, 208, 159 ; Htg., Blattw., 



298, 5 ; Evers., Bull. Mosc., xx, 44, 4. 

 rufipes, Lep., Mon., 81, 239. 

 Allantus agilis, Ste., 111., vii, 72, 45. 



rufipes, Ste., 111., vii, 72, 46. 

 Taxonus agilis, Tasch., Hym. Deut., 17 (lar.). 

 -^ glabratus, Thorns., Opus., 290, 3 ; Hym. Scand., i, 235, 

 3; Cam., xi, 108 (ec.), Fauna, 19, 3; 

 Andre, i, 337 ; Cat., 43,* 8. 



Violet, coppery black, smootli, shining ; legs reddish, base of COXSB 

 and posterior tarsi fuscous or fuscous black ; wings hyaline ; stigma 

 and nervures black. $ and <$. 



Length 3 3f lines. 



Distinguished from all the species by its coppery 

 violet colour, unicolorous abdomen and black tegulse. 



The larva feeds on Polygonum bistorta. Its usual 

 habit is to remain on the underside of the leaf, curled 

 up in a ring, with the anal segment slightly elevated. 

 In this position it eats either circular holes in the 

 centre of the leaf, or feeds along the edge. There are 

 two broods in the year : the first in June and July, the 

 second from August to October, and this last genera- 

 tion seems to be the larger of the two. 



The larva has the upper part of the head brownish- 

 black, this dark portion being divided in the middle by 

 a paler stripe (absent in some specimens), and others 

 have the vertex very pale fuscous, the colour of the 

 vertex being subject to considerable variation. Face 

 whitish-green, with a somewhat semicircular fuscous 

 or pale brown mark in the centre ; mouth deep brown, 



