278 



[May, 



THE BEITISH SPECIES OF SCOLOPOSTETHUS. 

 BY JAMES EDWAEDS, F.E.S. 



I have recently taken occasion to examine our British species of 

 this genus, and as my resulting views do not accord with those ex- 

 pressed by Mr. Saunders, at p. 148 ante, I desire to record them here. 



The material upon which I have worked includes a number of 

 specimens collected by Mr. Saunders in various localities, as well as a 

 quantity taken in this district by Mr. Thouless and myself. 



These insects have a great similarity of appearance, and are un- 

 doubtedly very closely allied ; but, after a very careful study of them 

 in quantity, I think that we have six distinct species. I express this 

 opinion with the less hesitation, because I find that the suggestion of 

 distinctness which may be derived from the differences in the colour 

 of the antennae, and the presence or absence of certain processes of 

 the mesosternum, is borne out by certain structural differences in the 

 male genitalia. I give a figure of the male genital style in all the 

 species I have been able to dissect. The differences in the contour of 

 these organs are readily appreciable on examination with a Coddington 

 or similar lens, but with the compound microscope and a one-third 

 objective the following additional peculiarities of structure may be 

 observed ; in 8. 

 qffinis (fig. 3) the i •-. 

 long hairs on the 

 terminal lobe are 

 seen to spring 

 from large tuber- 

 cles, such as one 

 finds on the an- 

 tenna of a Lihur- 2 3 4- 

 nia ; in 8. neglectus (fig. 2) there exists at the point marked a a group 

 of converging spines ; in 8. punctatus (fig. 4) the surface of the ter- 

 minal lobe is apparently perfectly simple ; and in S. decoratus (fig. 1) 

 there is an adpressed spine on each side of the terminal lobe at the 

 points marked b. For the purposes of classification, however, it is by 

 no means necessary to resort to the characters afforded by the male 

 genitalia, as will be seen from the following table, which sets forth 

 the main characteristics by which our insects of this genus may be 

 separated. 



] (2) Antennae slender, entirely yellow, mesosternum simple in both sexes... 



1. pictus, Schill. 



