Phytodecta.] PHYTOr-HAQA. 313 



Scotland, local, Solway, Twoe<1, Fortli, Dee, and Moray districts. Varieties occnr on 

 the Continent, more especially in Norway and Sweden and Finlnnd, with the thorax 

 and elytra marked with black spots ; I have not seen any of these varieties among 

 our British specimens. 



(P. affinis, Gyll. This species is extremely doubtful as British, and 

 requires further confirmation before it can be admitted into our.lists ; 

 one specimen only was found more than twenty years ago by Mr. C. 

 < . Waterhouse among some beetles belonging to Mr. Cocking of Norfolk, 

 who had found it among some sweepings belonging to Mr. Winter ; 

 the latter gentleman did not remember its capture, but had no doubt 

 that he had taken it himself with Leptura sanguinolenta (also in Mr. 

 Cooking's box) in the Norfolk fens. P. aflinis resembles the var. 

 decempunctata of P. viminalis, but may be distinguished by its black 

 thorax, which is also less contracted in front, and by the interstices of 

 the elytra being destitute of punctures. There appears to be a variety 

 with the tibiae and sides of thorax reddish. (See Ent. Monthly Mag. 

 i. 278.) 



OASTROIDEA, Hope. (Gastropltysa, Kedt.) 



This genus contains about fourteen species, which are found in 

 Northern and Central Asia, North America, and Europe ; of the three 

 European species two occur in Britain ; they are small brightly coloured 

 species with the thorax almost straight at apex and margined at base ; 

 the antennae have the last six joints thickened ; the elytra are closely 

 and irregularly punctured, and the tibiae are strongly produced into a 

 tooth externally at apex ; the tarsal claws are simple ; the larvae appear 

 much to resemble those of Melasoma in general form. The abdomen 

 of the impregnated female swells to a large size, and often far exceeds 

 the elytra ; hence the names given to the genus. 



I. Thorax green, unicolorous with elytra 0. vmiDCtA, De G. 



(raphuni, Herbst.) 



II. Thorax red O. POLYGON i, L. 



G. viridula, De G. (raphani, Herbst. ; polygoni, var. b., L.). Oval, 

 convex, shining, upper surface golden-green, under-side blackish-blue or 

 blackish-green, antennae and legs dark, more or less metallic; head 

 rather strongly punctured, antennae long, third joint half as long again 

 as those contiguous to it ; thorax transverse, narrowed in front, 

 moderately strongly punctured; scutellum almost semicircular; elytra 

 irregularly, closely, and rather strongly punctured; legs rather long, 

 wiih the first joint of the tarsi dilated in the male. L. 3|-5 mm. 



On Runifr, tic. ; somewhat local, but widely distributed throughout the kingdom 

 as far north us the Orkney Islands, and sometimes occurring in vast numbers) in 

 some districts it is not very common. 



O. polyg-oni, L. Oval, convex, of a greenish or bluish metallic 

 colour, with the thorax, anal segment of abdomen, and legs except tarsi, 



