168 CLAVICORNIA. 



miCRASPIS, Iledtenbacher. 



This genus is distinguished from its allies, as is implied by its name, 

 by the extremely small and almost invisible scutellum ; four or five 

 species have been described from Northern Asia, Europe, and Northern 

 Africa. 



IV!. sedecimpunctata, L. (v. 12-punctata, L.). Hemispherical, 

 under-side black with the pleurae almost wholly whitish-yellow ; upper 

 surface very finely and thickly punctured, luteous or yellowish-testaceous, 

 thorax with six black spots, of which the inner four are usually more 

 or less confluent ; elytra with eight spots on each, four, usually separate, 

 arranged in a longitudinal row near suture, and others at side of which 

 the central ones are more or less confluent and form a continuous longi- 

 tudinal irregular patch ; legs mostly yellow ; according to Mulsant the 

 labrum is black and the anterior and intermediate femora yellow, in 

 male, and the labrum is yellow, and the anterior and intermediate femora 

 mostly black, in female. L. 2-2| mm. 



Marshy places, both inland and on the coast, at roots of grass and by sweeping 

 low plants ; local, but very common where it occurs ; generally distributed in the 

 London and southern district, but not so often met with further north ; Liverpool, 

 not common ; Northumberland and Durham district, Twizell and Durham ; not 

 recorded from Scotland. 



V. Poweri, Weise. This variety has the upper surface or, at all 

 events, the elytra unicolorous black ; it has been found in Lee pit near 

 London, rarely, by Dr. Power, in whose collection there is also an 

 intermediate variety. 



HYPER ASPXS, Redtenbacher. 



This genus contains more than two hundred species, of which a large 

 mimber are found in tropical regions ; they are very widely distributed ; 

 eight only occur in Europe, of which one is found in Britain ; they are 

 rather closely related to Coccinella and its allies, but may be distinguished 

 by the formation of the antennae. 



H. reppensis, Herbst. Broad-oval, convex, obtusely rounded at 

 apex, black, shining and glabrous, elytra more distinctly punctured than 

 thorax ; lateral margins of thorax and a large spot at apex of each elytron, 

 reddish-yellow ; male with the whole head, and the anterior margin of 

 thorax narrowly, yellow or reddish-yellow ; the anterior legs are also 

 entirely of the same colour ; in the female the head and the anterior 

 femora are black ; the light spots at apex of elytra are sometimes small, 

 and occasionally absent, and there is sometimes a small light reddish 

 spot at shoulders. L. 2|-3| mm. 



In inoss on chalky hill-side?, under stones and decaying seaweed -on the coast, &c. ; 



