Meliyetlies.] CLAVICORNIA. 245 



II. Tarsal claws toothed at base. (Acanthogethes, 

 Keitter.) 



i. Thorax and elytra rather coarsely punctured ; upper 

 surface shining, usually with a red spot on each 

 elytron ; anterior tarsi of male not diluted; inter- 

 stices smooth M. BRiiVis, Sturm. 



ii. Thorax and elytra finely punctured ; upper surface 

 dull, unicolorous; anterior tarsi of male strongly 

 dilated ; interstices with plain cross striation . . . M. SOLIDUS, Kug. 



TfL, rufipes, Gyll. Broad, somewhat ovate, moderately convex, 

 black, rather dull ; the largest of our species ; easily distinguished 

 from all the others (except M. lumlmris} by its size, taken in conjunction 

 with its red legs ; smaller specimens closely resemble M. lumbaris 

 (which is the var. b of M. rufipes of Gyllenhal, Ins. Suec. i. 235), but 

 may be separated by the shape and the finer punctuation of the tliorax ; 

 the first joint of the antennas in M. rufipes is light, in M. lumbaris more 

 or less dark, and in the former species the margins of the thorax are 

 broader and of a reddish colour, whereas, in the latter, they are narrower 

 and darker ; the latter distinctions, however, although as a rule they 

 hold good, are not always constant, and are apt to be misleading ; the 

 anterior tibiae in M. rufipes are sublinear, and very finely denticulate 

 or crenulate. L. 2|-3|mm. 



On flowers, especially hawthorn bloom in spring ; found also on Banunculacecp, Ritbi, 

 Allium, &c. ; very common and generally distributed in England and Wales as far 

 north as Yorkshire, but rarer further north. Northumberland district, " apparently 

 rare " (Bold) ; Scotland, occasional; Dr. Sharp (Scottish Nat. iii. 373) says, "This 

 species is perhaps not uncommon, but no localities are recorded for it." 



There is a reddish variety of this species which has been taken at 

 Hainault Forest (Power), and Highgate (Newbery) ; one of Dr. Power's 

 specimens has the thorax and one elytron of the normal colour, with a 

 slight greenish metallic tinge, and the other elytron of the colour of the 

 variety. 



BX. lumbaris, Sturm (rvfipes, var., Gyll. et auct.). Considerably 

 smaller than the average specimens of the preceding, rather shorter, 

 narrower, and more oblong, with the thorax more distinctly punctured 

 than elytra, first joint of antennae usually dark, and legs considerably 

 stouter and of a darker colour. L. 2|-3 mm. 



On UmbellifercB, broom, nettles, hawthorn, and other flowers ; local, but not un. 

 common in many localities; London district, rather generally distributed;, Bearstead. 

 Kent, on roses, particularly garden ones (Gorham) ; Southgate; Loughton ; South- 

 ampton, on Pulicaria dysenterlca (Newbery) ; Knowle ; Repton j Chat Mossj North- 

 umberland and Durham district, local ; Scotland, rare, Solway district. 



IK. fulvipes, Bris. (rubripes, Muls.). Oblong-ovate, black, occasion- 

 ally with a leaden reflection, with short grey pxibescence ; upper surface 

 very finely punctured, with distinct cross reticulation between the 

 punctures ; legs and antennae light red or reddish-yellow, occasionally 



