214 CLAVICOHNIA. [Ple/jaderus. 



PXiEGADERUS, Erichson. 



This genus contains nine or ten European species, and a few from 

 North and Central America, &c. ; one only is found in Britain ; they 

 inhabit rotten wood, and are sometimes found in old trees in company 

 with ants ; our single species, and the majority of the others, may 

 easily be known by the deep transverse furrow which appears to divide 

 the thorax into two parts. 



P. dissectus, Er. Oval, rather depressed, pitch-black, shining, 

 irregularly and diffusely punctured, the punctuation being plainly finer 

 on the thorax than on the elytra ; head small, antennae and legs reddish ; 

 thorax rather long, divided into two equal, separately convex portions 

 by a deep transverse furrow, lateral striae very strong ; elytra dilated at 

 shoulders, with two well-marked oblique striae, suture raised ; anterior 

 tibiae much dilated and spinulose at apex. L. 1-1 1 mm. 



In old decaying trees and logs ; very rare ; Hampstead (Waterbouse) ; Ne\v Forest 

 (lilatcb) ; Sal'ford Priors (Blatch) ; Sherwood Forest (Matthews, Blatch, and others) 



ABSJBUS, Leach. 



About sixteen or twenty species are comprised in this genus, eight 

 of which are found in Europe, while the remainder are widely dis- 

 tributed, representatives occurring in South Africa, India, Ceylon, &c. ; 

 they are distinguished from Acritus, which they much resemble in 

 general appearance, by having all the tarsi 5-jointed ; they are also, as a 

 rule, of larger size ; they are found in rotten wood, or in fungi on old 

 trees and stumps. 



I. Anterior tibiae angularly dilated in middle, truncate oblique- 

 ly at apex, and with a small tooth before apex A. GLOBOSUS, Hoff. 



II. Anterior tibia? dilated and rounded, without tooth before 



apex A. GRANULUM, Er. 



A. globosus, Hoff. Suborbicular, globose, of a ferruginous brown 

 colour, shining, antennae and legs pitchy-red, club of former testaceous ; 

 head and thorax rather finely and closely punctured, elytra somewhat 

 strongly and sparingly punctured, the latter with a rather distinct 

 oblique dorsal stria ; anterior tibiae strongly dilated and angled in mid- 

 dle, with a small tooth before apex ; mesosternum obliquely truncate 

 oil both sides in front, produced in middle. L. 1^-1 1 mm. 



In rotten wood of beech, ash, &c. ; local but not uncommon ; Chatham, Woking, ' 

 Abbey Wood, Cobbam Park, West Wickham, Mickleham (in nests of Formica full- 

 ginosd), &c. ; Ulting, Essex; Windsor; Sal ford Priors ; Sherwood Forest ; Repton ; 

 Scarborough ; Manchester ; not recorded from the extreme northern counties of 

 England ; Scotland, very rare, Forth and Dee districts, 



A. grranulum, Er. A r ery like the preceding, but distinguished by 

 the closer and stronger punctuation, and by the fact that the anterior 



