314 PIIYTOPHAGA. [Gastroulei. 



which arc more or less infuscate, red ; antenna dark with red base ; 

 forehead with an indistinct central furrow ; thorax double as broad as 

 long, slightly narrowed in front, distinctly punctured ; scutellum sub- 

 triangular ; elytra thickly and irregularly and rather strongly punctured 

 with traces of rows of punctures ; in the males the tarsi are somewhat 

 broader than in the females. L. 3|-5 mm. 



On Polygonum aviculare and species of Rumex ; common and generally distributed 

 throughout the kingdom ; both this and the preceding species are widely distributed 

 over Europe and Northern Asia as far as North America, where G. polygoni has 

 been described as Q. cosruleipennis, Say. 



PXiAGXODERA, Redtenbacher. 



This genus contains about eighty species, which are very widely dis- 

 tributed, the majority occurring in hot climates, especially in Central and 

 South America ; representatives are found, however, in Asia, Africa, the 

 Australian region, &c.; there is only one European species, which 

 occurs very locally in Britain ; in size and general appearance it much 

 resembles a Phaeton, but differs from that genus in being flatter, with 

 the antennae shorter, and the elytra not punctured in rows ; the first 

 ventral segment of the abdomen is also distinctly shorter, and the 

 epipleura? are strongly indexed and, as it were, flattened along the under 

 surface of the elytra, instead of being almost level as in Phoedon. 



P. versicolora, Laich. (armoracicr, F. ; sahcis, Panz. ; clavicornis, 

 Steph.). Oval, rather depressed, upper surface blue or bluish-green, 

 metallic, under-side black or greenish-black ; head very finely punctured, 

 antennae short, dark with the first five or six joints reddish ; thorax 

 very transverse, narrowed in front, margined, diffusely and finely punc- 

 tured ; elytra much broader than thorax, irregularly and rather strongly 

 punctured; legs black, tarsi dark brown or reddish. L. 3-4 mm. 



On willows ; occasionally on birches ; very local, but sometimes not uncommon 

 where it is found ; Surbiton, Weybridge, Battersea Fields, &c. ; Prittlewell, Essex ; 

 Colt-h ester ; Weston, Oxfordshire ; Powderham and Exmouth, Devon; Swansea; Sal- 

 ford Priors ; Bewdley Forest ; Stourport ; it does not appear to occur further north 

 than the south-midland districts. 



This species appears to be of longer form than the exotic species. 



PXJEDON, Latrcille. 



This genus contains about forty species, which are very widely 

 distributed in North, Central and South America, Northern Asia, North 

 Africa, &c. ; eight species occur in Europe, of which four are found in 

 Britain ; the form is short oval and convex, with the thorax strongly 

 narrowed in front ; the elytra are punctured in distinct rows, and the 

 tibiae are not produced into a tooth at apex ; the larvae of this and some 

 of the allied genera appear to feed in society upon leaves, preserving, as 

 observed by Wcstwood (Classification, i. p. 3^9), one or two most orderly 



