Fltytodecta.'] riiYTunuuA. 311 



each half is furnished with from six to eight small prominences 

 terminating in a seta directed backwards ; these appear sometimes to be 

 more or less confluent ; the stigmata ure small and black. 



About thirty species are contained in the genus, which are chiefly 

 confined to the colder portions of the Northern Hemisphere ; only two 

 or three, however, have been found in North America ; fourteen species 

 inhabit Europe, of which five have been recognized as British, but one 

 of these, P. qffinis, requires further confirmation ; they may be separated 

 as follows : 



I. All the tibiae strongly produced into a tooth at apex ; 

 thorax with a setose tbvea at the posterior angles ; elytra 



with fine rows of punctures. (Phytodecta, \. sp.) 



i. Legs red P. BUFIPBS, De O. 



ii. Legs black P. VIMINALIS, L. 



II. Anterior tibiae not, or scarcely, produced into a tooth at 

 apex ; thorax with a setose foveii at all the angles ; elytra 



with coarse rows of punctures (s.g. Spartophila, Cbev.). 

 i. Disc of thorax finely punctured ; form shorter, ovate ; 



size smaller P. OLITACEA, Foist. 



(litura, F.) 

 ii. Disc of thorax coarsely and unevenly punctured ; form 



longer, oblong-oval ; size larger P. PALLIDA, L. 



P. rufipes, De G. (fulvipes, Duft.). Oval, convex, shining, upper 

 surface red, with the hinder part of head, a bilobed or trilobed, some- 

 times oblong, spot at base of thorax, the scutelluiu and five spots on 

 each (which are variable and sometimes partly absent), black ; head 

 diffusely and rather strongly punctured ; antennae red with apex pitchy, 

 short and somewhat thickened towards apex ; thorax very transverse 

 with sides slightly rounded, almost smooth on disc, coarsely punctured 

 at sides, anterior angles acutely produced ; elytra with very regular 

 fine rows of punctures, interstices finely punctured ; under-side black ; 

 legs red, femora often more or less infuscate. L. 5^-6| mm. 



A variety occurs in which the two hinder black spots on the elytra 

 are wanting; this is the C. sexpunctata of Fabricius. 



On hazels, aspens, callows, ic., in woods; local, but not uncommon where it 

 occurs ; London district, Darenth Wood, West Wickham, flaygate, &c. ; Brandon, 

 Suffolk ; Lords Wood, Southampton ; Knowle, near Birmingham ; Bewdley Forest ; 

 Burnt Wood, Staffordshire ; Bretby Wood, near Hepton j Langworth Wood, Lincoln ; 

 Cumberland ; Scotland, very rare, Solway district, " Kaehills, Rev. W. Little," 

 Murray's Cat. 



P. vimlnalis, L. Very like the preceding, but easily distinguished 

 by having the head and legs entirely black, and the sculpture of the 

 elytra evidently less fine ; the anterior angles of the thorax are more 

 obtusely produced, and the sides are less rounded, and the block spot 

 at the base is, as a rule, less divided ; the spots on the elytra are very 

 variable; in the European catalogue there are eight named varieties 

 mentioned. L. 5 '-7 mm. 



