138 SERRICOBNII. [Telephone. 



On flowers and shrubs, Ac. ; common and generally distributed throughout the 

 greater part of England and Wales and Ireland; in the north of England, however, 

 and in Scotland, it is replaced by the variety. 



V. discoideus, Steph. (nee Ahr.).* This variety has a large black 

 discoidal patch on the disc of thorux, which sometimes covers the whole 

 upper surface except the margins ; it is also, as a rule, a little smaller 

 than the type. 



Not uncommon in the London district, but as a rule rather scarce, although 

 widely distributed, in England and Wales; in the north of England and in Scotland 

 it U far commoner than the type form. Ireland, Glenarm, Lame. 



T. obscurus, L. Entirely black, with the under-side of the first 

 joint of the antennae, and the margins of the thorax more or less broadly, 

 yellow ; the mandibles also and the extreme margins and apex of the 

 segments of the abdomen are testaceous, as well as the tarsal claws; head 

 finely punctured; thorax subtrans verse, longer and with sides less rounded 

 in male than, in female ; elytra very finely rugose, with traces of raised 

 lines, especially in male; legs entirely black. L. 8-10 mm. 



Male with the antennae longer and joints 5-10 with an impressed 

 punctiform line behind, third joint a little longer than second. 



Female with the antennae shorter, simple, third joint scarcely longer 

 than second. 



On flowers and shrubs ; local ; rare in England ; Vale of Crucis, Llangollen 

 (Chappell) ; Sherwood (Turner .and Blatch) ; Church Stretton (Blatch) ; Scotland, 

 local, Solway, Forth, Tay, Dee, and Moray districts ; the species appears to be con- 

 fined to hilly and mountainous localities. 



T. llturatua, Fall, (rufa, L. ; maculicollis, Steph.; tricolor, Panz.). 

 This species varies very much in colour; as a rule it is testaceous with 

 the vertex of head, an irregular marking on disc of thorax, and the 

 greater part of the abdomen and legs black; the antennae are more or 

 less dusky with lighter base; occasionally the thorax and legs are en- 

 tirely testaceous, and rarely the elytra are black ; head finely punc- 

 tured, antennae varying in the sexes ; thorax about as long as broad, 

 obsoletely punctured, anterior angles rounded, posterior angles almost 

 right angles; elytra very finely sculptured, with distinct traces of raised 

 lines; legs rather robust. L. 6-9 mm. 



Male with the antennae much longer than in female, without im- 

 pressed lines on central joints, third joint about twice as long as 

 second. 



Female with the antennae shorter, third joint of antennae only slightly 

 longer than second; elytra not covering apex of abdomen; seventh 

 ventral segment sinuate at each side, central lobe sharply incised at 

 apex. 



* This variety must not be confounded with the T. discoideus of Ahrens, which is 

 quite a different insect, and by reason of the formation of the tarsal claws is placed by 

 EricliKoii in a separate section. 



