246 LONGIOORNIA. [rugonochoirue. 



POGONOCHJERUS, Latreille. 



The members of this genus are small insects with the upper surface 

 more or less uneven ; the antennae are about as long as the body, or a 

 little longer, and have the fourth joint twice as long as the fifth ; the 

 thorax has a short spine on each side, and a tubercle on each side of 

 disc ; the elytra are uneven, and are gradually narrowed to apex, which 

 is often mucronate, but sometimes only simply truncate ; the anterior 

 coxae are a little distant, and the tibiae are sparingly pilose ; the species 

 at present known are twenty-seven in number, and have been chiefly 

 found in Europe, North America, and Northern Asia ; one, however, has 

 been described from Brazil, and one from New Zealand, so that the 

 genus will probably prove to be much more extensive ; three of the nine 

 European species are found in Britain ; the larva of P. dentatus is found 

 under bark and in the wood of decaying boughs of pear and apple trees ; 

 it is less narrowed behind than in L. nebulostte, the prothorax being only 

 a third part broader than the eighth segment ; in most other points it 

 appears to agree closely with it. There is considerable difficulty as to 

 the synonymy of two of our species, as the names hispidus and pilosus 

 have been applied to both by different authors ; to avoid confusion, I 

 have adopted the names of Thomson and Fourcroy ; the species them- 

 selves are very distinct. 



I. Apex of elytra simply truncate, not mucronate or den- 



tate P. FASCICULATUS, De Q. 



II. Apex of elytra mucronate at external angles. 



i. Elytra bidentate at apex, the eutural angle being 

 produced into a short blunt tootb or spine ; scutellum 



white P. BIDENTATFS, Thorns. 



ii. Sutural angle of elytra simple ; scutellum dark . . P. DENTATCS, Fourc. 



^ P. fasciculatus, De G. (fascicularis, Panz. ; Jiispidua, L.). Some- 

 what convex, fuscous, under-side thickly clothed with greyish-white 

 pubescence, upper-side brownish variegated with lighter brown and 

 whitish pubescence ; antennae rather stout, pilose, with the base of the 

 joints ferruginous ; thorax with a smooth tubercle on each side of disc, 

 and a small spine on each side ; elytra gradually narrowed from base to 

 apex, which is rather broad and not denticulate, with a lunate whitish- 

 brown fascia on each towards base, and with distinct raised lines ; 

 towards apex there are several black spots of hair ; legs dark, with the 

 base of femora and tibiae and a ring in the middle of the tibiae 

 ferruginous, tarsi pitchy. L. 6-7 mm. 



Male with the fifth ventral segment of abdomen deeply impressed 

 and slightly emarginate ; in the female the fifth segment is not impressed 

 and rounded at apex. 



In boughs and twigs of pine and Scotch fir ; rare ; Scotland, local, Tay, Dee, and 

 Moray districts (Rannoch, Bracmar, Aviemore) ; Stephens records it from Norwich, 

 but this is probably in error. 



