'} HETEROMERA. 79 



There is a considerable amount cf confusion with regard to this species, 

 and, as far as I know, we only possess as British the variety thoracica, L., 

 which has the head and thorax testaceous yellow and the elytra dark; 

 it resembles A. nificollis, but the latter species has the head black ; it 

 is possible that the variety of this latter species with the head red, which 

 has not yet been recorded as British, may be standing in some collec- 

 tions under A. thoracica ; if so, it may be known by its longer antennae, 

 which are not moniliform, shorter thorax, and the presence of appendages 

 in the male ; it is also quite possible that the type A.flava may be con- 

 fused with A. $nbte*tac f a; the antennae, however, of this latter species 

 are much longer and not moniliform, with the penultimate joints dis- 

 tinctly longer than broad, and the male characters are different ; Mul- 

 sant (Coleoptcres de France, Longipedes, p. 110 and 113) much increases 

 the confusion by completely separating A. thoracica from A. _/faco, on 

 the ground that the former has the penultimate joints of the antennae in 

 the male distinctly longer than broad, and in the female scarcely, if at 

 all, transverse ; it is obvious, therefore, that Mulsant's A. thoracica cannot 

 be the same as the insect which we ordinarily consider as the A. 

 thora<:ica of Linne, and that it stands in fact in the genus Anaspis 

 proper, and not in the sub-genus Sasipa of Emery, in which the latter 

 author places A. flava ; Emery (Essai Monographique sur les Mordellides, 

 p. 21, L'Abeille, tome xiv.) refers the A. thoracica of Mulsant at all 

 events in part to A. confusa, a new species of his own ; this is very 

 likely the true explanation of the difficulty, and as it is very probable 

 that this species occurs in Britain (the localities given being Europe 

 boreale et moyenne), it may perhaps be of service to append his 

 description. 



(A. confusa, Emery (A. thoracica, Muls., Longiped , p. 110 (exparte). 

 A. latei-alis, Thorns. Skand. Col. vi. p. 302, <J). 



Black, silky, with the head, thorax, base of antennae, and legs rufo- 

 testaceous, posterior femora usually f uscesceiit ; thorax not one and a 

 half times broader than long ; antennae with the joints gradually and 

 slightly narrowed towards apex, with the penultimate joints feebly sub- 

 conical in the male, and more distinctly so in the female. L. 2^3^ 

 mm. 



Male with the third segment of the abdomen produced behind, with 

 the appendages approximate, and nearly straight at base, and slightly 

 curved inwards at apex, passing beyond the apex of the abdomen, fourth 

 segment small, with less conspicuous, depressed appendages, fifth seg- 

 ment foveolate, incised at apex.) 



M. Emery is also of opinion that a portion of Mulsant's A. thoracica 

 may perhaps have to be referred to his A. Costae, a species of his sub- 

 genus Nasipa, which closely resembles A. flava, but differs in having 

 the fourth segment of the abdomen in the male furnished with 

 appendages, which are longer than in any other species of Antispis, 

 and reach -to the apex of the appendages of the third segment; 



