306 CLAVIOORNIA. [Byturidcu. 



approaches the Nitidulidoe ; it is here provisionally placed near the 

 Telmatophilina. 



The larva of B. tomentosus sometimes does great damage to the blossom and fruit 

 of the raspberry ; it is cylindrical, depressed in front, with the head brown and the 

 scuta brownish ; the abdomen is terminated by two short brown cerci and a cylin- 

 drical tubercle which is retractile, and is employed as a proleg ; the pupa is very 

 pilose (Thorns. Skand. Col. iv. 192). 



BYTUR1TS, LatreiUe. 



Four or five species are contained in this genus, which appear to be 

 confined to Europe and North America; our two British species are 

 closely allied, and have been classed together by some authors ; they 

 appear, however, to be quite distinct; they cannot be separated by 

 colour, as both species present two distinct forms, the one fuscous with 

 grey pubescence which has a slight greenish tinge, and the other luteous 

 with yellowish pubescence. 



I. Eyes very large; pubescence coarser; elytra rather more 



strongly punctured ; average size larger B. SAMBTTCI, Scop. 



II. Eyes moderate ; pubescence finer ; elytra less strongly 



punctured ; average size smaller B. TOMENTO8TTS, JP. 



B. sambuci, Scop, (cestivus, Thorns. ; tomentosus, Gyll.). Oblong, 

 rather convex, of a more or less obscure luteous colour with yellow 

 pubescence, or fuscous with greyish pubescence which has a slight 

 greenish tinge ; head closely punctured, eyes very large, antennae red, 

 short, with 3-jointed club ; thorax very transverse, thickly punctured, 

 with sides rounded in front, strongly depressed towards posterior angles, 

 side margins explanate ; elytra long in proportion to thorax, closely but 

 distinctly punctured ; legs red or reddish-testaceous, posterior tibiae very 

 finely spinulose. L. 3-4 mm. 



Male with the anterior tibiae feebly sinuate on their inner margin, and 

 somewhat dilated towards apex. 



By sweeping flowers, &c. ; somewhat local, but rather common in many localities ; 

 London district, Caterham, MSckleham, Shirley, Snodland, Chatham, Darenth 

 Wood, Westerham, Bearsted, Dulwich, &c. ; Hastings; Knowle ; Bewdley ; Llan- 

 gollen; Stretford, near Manchester; Liverpool district on Salix pentandria and 

 Caltha palustris ; Northumberland district, not common. 



B. tomentosus, F. (ocliraceus, Scriba). Very like the preceding, 

 but on the average smaller and proportionally shorter, with the thorax 

 not so transverse, and less strongly impressed towards posterior angles ; 

 the margins also of the thorax are less explanate ; the elytra are more 

 finely punctured, and the pubescence is finer ; the eyes, moreover, are 

 smaller, and the posterior tibiae are scarcely spinulose ; in the male the 

 anterior tibiae are slightly sinuate internally, as in the preceding 

 species. L. 3 mm. 



By sweeping flowers ; especially common on raspberry blossoms ; it also occurs on 

 the mountain ash and many Rnnunculaceae, and other flowers ; common and generally 

 distributed throughout the greater part of the kingdom. 



